Sharjah Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Mkhrafa the University of Sharjah in collaboration with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced the winners of the 9th Sharjah Chamber Award organized under the International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Innovation Forum was open to University and High School Students in the UAE. The Award encouraged submissions under two tracks: “General Innovation Track” and “Sustainability & Employability Innovation”. The organizers noted that the Forum and Award “aim to embed innovation culture and entrepreneurial mindset amongst the youth by making them able to identify important problems affecting our societies and create innovative solutions that can be turned into entrepreneurial ventures.” CFAD is proud of its winning team, under the General Innovation Track, who were recognized for their project Mkhrafa.

The project was an interdisciplinary collaboration among three faculty: Dr. Iman Ibrahim (Associate Professor of Interior Design), Dr. Narjes Haj Salem (Associate Professor of Business Administration), and Ms. Madiha Jamil (Lecturer in Visual Communication). Mkhrafa, as defined by the designers, “describes a creative excessive tale, frequently resembling a myth or fairytale. It has something to do with stories that are inventive or “too good to be true.”” The project upcycles fabrics incorporating Emirati patterns into a petal-like basket inspired by Japanese Komebukuro. The flexible concept allows for multiple designs, sizes and uses.

The Team included Zaineh Al-Enizi and Maryam Ahmed Aboelkhair (Interior Design), Maryam Al-Mahmoudi (Visual Communication), and Haya Mohammed (Marketing). The first-place winners received a cash prize of AED20,000. Under the Sustainable Innovations & Employability Track, a second interdisciplinary team won second place for their project “My Destination-وجهتي” is a smart app that “provides real-time bus tracking, accurate arrival time predictions, and information on passenger count and seat availability. Students can book their seats and receive notifications one stop before their destination to prepare for arrival. The Team included Hanan Saman and Maryam Karimi (Visual Communication), Mariam Qaoud, Abeer Al-Kadah and Modhi Aziz (Sociology), Wasan AlQadahat (Dental Medicine), and Rama Mansour (Physiotherapy). The second-place winners received a cash prize of AED10,000.

Congratulations to the UoS winning teams. You have demonstrated that multidisciplinary collaborations bring with it many rewards!