(MENAFN Press) Last episode of docu-reality show Stars of Science on MBC4 revealed more details about the 16 young Arab innovators who are now in the running for this season's coveted Stars of Science award. The candidates endured a series of psychological and physical assessments, including a rigorous physical boot camp and psychometric testing.
Rhonda Miller, an occupational psychologist enlisted to facilitate some of the challenges, said: "All 16 candidates were given online psychometric tests that would be considered standard practice if you were headhunting the best people for the job." The tests gave the candidates feedback on their characters and personality traits. She added: "Some of the candidates were genuinely surprised by what they heard."
The candidates began their journey in the Qatar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Aspetar, where they underwent a VO2 Max test, designed to reveal their fitness levels under pressure. Dr. Julien Periard, the research scientist who set up the tests, confirmed that "a number of the candidates had an above-average fitness level".
Boot camp fitness experts Tim Numan and Graham Patterson also put some of the candidates through their paces in a number of physical activities, including navigating an intensive obstacle course and diving from a 10-meter height into the Aspire training pool. A mental challenge devised by a leading psychologist for use in corporate development workshops revealed the remaining candidates' approach to problem solving and teamwork.
A series of reports filmed in the candidates' home countries shed light on the inspirations behind their innovations as well as their visions.
Following an eight-country casting tour across the Arab world and a tough final selection process last week, this season's 16 Stars of Science candidates stood out in five distinct fields of innovation. Three candidates were selected in medical technology, five in consumer electronics, six in software-related innovations, and two in industrial processing and energy-related innovations.
Now in its 4th series, Stars of Science was initiated by Qatar Foundation to discover and nurture innovation in science and technology among Arab youth. Stars of Science Season Four consists of eight prime-time episodes, plus a live finale where the public will be invited to vote alongside the Jury. Episode 5 will be shown on Thursday October 11 (8:00pm KSA), with daily updates from Saturday to Wednesday at 5:00pm (5:00pm KSA) on MBC4. The program is hosted by Khaled Jumaily for a fourth season.
