Nearly 500 AUS engineering students compete for top honors in annual competition

The annual 23rd NGN Introduction to Engineering and Computing Competition took place at American University of Sharjah (AUS) on November 16, 2022.

A popular tradition for first-year engineering students, this year’s competition saw 488 students divided into 94 groups take part, all tasked with designing and building a water rocket over a 10-week period. The winners were those whose rocket travelled the longest horizontal distance. This distinction went to a group comprised of Abed Al Rahman Mohammad Samha, Abdullah Salam Alshetiwi and Abdul Kareem Amin Alsa’id, all computer science majors; Omar Kasem Aloruk and Youseef Yasser Aboubkar, who are both computer engineering majors; and Abdurrahman Zahreddin Abusalah, a mechanical engineering major. The winning team’s rocket traveled 80 meters.

Omar Kasem Aloruk said of the experience:

“The experience as a whole was phenomenal. We had the chance to meet new people and utilize engineering skills while building the rocket. The success of our rocket would not have been possible without the collective efforts of our group. Our consistent exchange of ideas, research and project evaluation is what propelled us into first place.”

Every year, the competition seeks to develop important skills needed for the study of engineering in a way that is fun and engaging for students. This year’s task to create a water rocket was intended to help students discover and validate the effects of action and reaction forces and apply their understanding to control an object’s flight. 

Speaking on the occasion, Aqeel Ahmed, Professor of Practice in the Department of Civil Engineering and organizer of the event, said:

“I am proud of all our outstanding first-year students and very happy with their performance in this competition. Their participation in learning gave me a feeling that they have a sense of belonging to the NGN Introduction to Engineering and Computing course and the College of Engineering (CEN). The goal of the competition is to challenge students to explore ideas that are creative and innovative, inspire them to work in multidisciplinary teams and help them gain confidence in practicing engineering while working with their peers from different engineering and computer science majors. In the NGN Introduction to Engineering and Computing course, students are required to learn the different ways engineers work and communicate with those in other professions. This competition gave students an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, providing them with a valuable learning experience.”

Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of CEN, said:

“Graduates of our college are highly sought-after by employers. Our alumni have been ranked as the top choice for employers in the UAE, according to QS World University Subject Rankings (2022). This outstanding employability of our students is in part due to the emphasis we place on real-world learning, of which this competition is a great example. Events such as this are instrumental in our students not only acquiring essential engineering knowledge, but also the skills required to thrive in any modern workplace, such as teamwork, innovation, communication and resilience. Congratulations to all students involved.”

Faculty members from across CEN were tasked with judging this year’s competition. This year’s judges were Dr. Amani Al-Othman, Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering; Dr. Ming Foey Teng, Senior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering; Dr. Sherif Abdelaziz Yehia, Professor of Civil Engineering; and Dr. Yassir Taha Makkawi, Professor of Chemical Engineering.

QS World University Subject Rankings (2022) ranked AUS number one in the UAE and among the top ​150 universities globally for civil and structural engineering; among the top two (tied) in the UAE and top ​300 universities globally for ​electrical, electronic, ​mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing ​engineering; among the top two (tied) in the UAE and top ​350 universities globally for ​chemical ​engineering; and among the top three in the UAE and top ​500 universities globally for ​computer science and engineering. AUS engineering alumni have also been ranked as the top choice for employers in the UAE, according to QS World University Subject Rankings (2022).  

For more information about CEN, please visit www.aus.edu/cen.