SINGAPORE – Palestinian student Razan Shawar travelled for 24 hours from the West Bank to showcase her team’s AI-powered invention at the World Robot Olympiad in Singapore, emphasising that innovation, not war, should define global perceptions of her country.
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The 15-year-old high school student from Ramallah said she dreams of creating “something big, so the world can know that the one who did this is Palestinian.” Razan, along with her delegation, journeyed through Jordan and Dubai to attend the three-day global robotic tournament, which concluded on Friday.
The World Robot Olympiad brought together more than 1,500 competitors from over 90 countries and territories. The event aims to harness the creativity of youth to address pressing global challenges through science, technology, and engineering.
Through our partnership with the World Robot Olympiad, we champion hands-on STEM learning that inspires young minds to innovate with purpose, helping prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists to lead future advancements in technology pic.twitter.com/hIUzmQsXHk
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Malaysia dominated the tournament, claiming roughly a third of all medals across different categories. Other first-place winners included teams from Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Canada, and the Philippines. Although the Palestinian team did not win a medal, they considered it a significant achievement to represent their nation on the international stage.
Palestinian delegations have participated in the Olympiad since 2014, but the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict prevented them from attending the 2023 edition in Panama. This year, the delegation came solely from the West Bank, with no participants from the Gaza Strip.
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For Razan and her teammates, the competition was about more than accolades. “We want the world to see Palestine through the lens of innovation, not conflict,” she said, highlighting the importance of youth-led solutions and creative achievements in shaping the global image of their nation.