High school students put theory to practice in AUS Chemical Engineering Boot Camp

More than 30 students from 18 schools around the UAE conducted numerous scientific experiments and enjoyed hands-on training at American University of Sharjah (AUS) as part of the Chemical Engineering Boot Camp held recently on campus.  

Sponsored by the Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), the Chemical Engineering Boot Camp taught school students the fundamentals of chemical engineering. During the three-day event, students learned about the work of pump stations, cooling towers and reverse osmosis desalination units. They were also introduced to the processes and functions of chemical reactors, gas-solid fluidization and gas absorption columns. In the lab, students experimented and synthesized products such as soap, shampoo and perfume that they could take home.

The Chemical Engineering Boot Camp was designed to help school students in grades 10 to 12 gain new skills and learn more about what the various disciplines have to offer as they prepare for their transition into university and their future careers.

“We received 150 student applications from 55 schools to participate in the boot camp. Following a thorough screening process, we accepted 32 students to take part. During the camp, students developed a deeper understanding of chemical engineering by actively engaging in practical sessions in our state-of-the-art laboratories. They were able to understand what it means to be a chemical engineering student at AUS,” said Dr. Sameer Al-Asheh, Professor and Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at AUS.

He added that boot camps are valuable in helping students explore their future career options.

 “Boot camps like ours are highly important because they allow youth participation, help shape the minds of prospective engineers and introduce future generations to problem solving and creativity in engineering. These boot camps are also an integral part of our university’s social responsibility to engage with the community,” he said.

The boot camp proved to be valuable to many of the participating school students. Ahmed Sebeeh, a grade 12 student at Al Mawakeb School, said: “I was already planning to study chemical engineering and seeing this field’s multi-faceted aspects in the boot camp solidified my decision.”

Chemical engineering is a discipline that impacts numerous areas of technology by occupying a unique position at the interface between molecular sciences and engineering. Strongly linked with the basic subjects of chemistry, mathematics, physics and biology, chemical engineering offers unparalleled opportunities to design, develop and operate industrial processes that make great contributions to the technological infrastructure of modern society. 

The College of Engineering at AUS offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering. For more information, visit www.aus.edu/cen/department-of-chemical-engineering.