Dr Richard O’Kennedy (left) and Dr Issam Heggy during the event, yesterday. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
DOHA: In an initiative to encourage youth in Qatar to develop a lasting interest in scientific literature, Qatar National Library (QNL) hosted its inaugural Science Book Forum, yesterday.
The role of scientists in creating a path to peace in times of hostility was explored by Dr Richard O’Kennedy, Vice-President for Research, Development and Innovation at Qatar Foundation.
Under the theme ‘Science a Catalyst for Peace,’ Dr O’Kennedy highlighted the role that science can play in shaping a national identity and achieving the ambition of a knowledge-based, tolerant and diverse society. He addressed hundreds of students from public and private schools gathered at the public events area of QNL. “It’s a very important event because this shows how science develops new ideas and also how we link it to peace. For example, I have seen that we can use science as a catalogue to develop interactions between the whole lot of different people from different countries and backgrounds,” Dr O’Kennedy told The Peninsula speaking on the sidelines of the forum.
The QNL has established the ‘Science Book Forum’ to build curiosity and critical thinking assimilated from science book readings, among the young people.
Dr Issam Heggy, a planetary scientist and co-investigator at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was the moderator of the event.
He highlighted the importance behind of establishing a ‘Science Book Forum’ and said that the barriers to Arab performance in science at present are lack of knowledge, freedom and woman power.
“QNL’s ‘Science Book Forum’ aims at harbour public discussions on scientific books and ideas that have substantially changed human intellectual evolution and development. It will also establish QNL as the first library in an Arab country with a science forum initiative that helps communicate Arab science literature, nationally, regionally and worldwide,” Dr Heggy said in a presentation on the objectives of the ‘Science Book Forum.’
The forum will hold monthly discussions to explore topics that are key to Qatar’s sustainability and development, such as climate change, water security, desertification, space exploration, renewable energy and food security.
