Blitz Bureau
THREE students in the UAE have been named in the top 50 Global Student Prize 2024 shortlist. Maha Nawaz, Faris Saadaat Bajwa, and Mohammad Erfan Firouzi, were selected from over 11,000 applications from 176 countries. The annual Chegg.org $100,000 award is given to one exceptional student who made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers, and on society beyond.
The Varkey Foundation partnered with Chegg.org to launch the annual Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize. The prize is open to all students at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program.
Maha Nawaz, a student at Dubai College, has created two prosthetic hands: one using Arduino and another controlled by the mind through machine learning.
A TEDx speaker and e-NABLE volunteer, the 17-year-old provides 3D-printed prosthetics. Academically, she excelled with top GCSE scores and distinguished herself in Olympiads. Her initiatives have extended to Pakistan, where she works to improve education and healthcare.
Faris Saadaat Bajwa is an environmental sciences student at Dubai College. His work includes internships with the WWF, founding ‘Yalla Mangroves’ for global mangrove restoration, and publishing research. The 17-year-old advocates for conservation through presentations. Mohammad Erfan Firouzi, a Biology student at The Westminster School, Dubai, is a dedicated environmental advocate who began his research at age 10, focusing on biodiversity and conservation. The 20-year-old authored ‘The Year Earth Changed’ and has contributed to scientific research, earning him the Round Table Global Youth Award.
