National School Innovation Award: Awarded Laureates

The first edition of the national school innovation award concluded this Saturday. The closing of this first edition was marked by the awarding of prizes to three winners from the three levels in the presence of the Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Sadaoui.

742 projects at the national level

This first edition saw remarkable participation with 742 projects at the national level, including 132 projects for the primary level, 382 for the middle level, and 228 for the secondary level. The selection process began at the local level by wilaya commissions, which selected three projects based on a unified evaluation grid. The selected projects were then examined by a national commission, responsible for selecting the three final winners, one for each level of education.

In the primary level, the first place went to student Zaga Mohamed Islam from Ouargla wilaya for designing an intelligent wheelchair to improve mobility and autonomy for individuals with specific needs. In the middle level, the first prize was awarded to student Miziani Sif Eddine for an intelligent artificial hand project based on capturing muscle signals. The device translates electrical signals emitted by muscles into mechanical commands, thus enabling the prosthesis to be activated. In the secondary level, the first place was awarded to a collective project carried out by students from Biskra wilaya including Zakaria Abdel Daim, Ahmed Khelifi, Retaj Liane Djellab, Fatma Hemrat, and Chada Boubeker, focused on designing a unique-arm robot inspired by industrial robotic systems but adapted for educational and assistance purposes.

Skills valorization

The creators explain that their project aims to support people with disabilities in daily tasks, such as writing and object manipulation, with a perspective of improvement and future development. Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the scientific and technological center Abdelhafid Ihaddaden in Sidi Abdallah (Algiers) on the theme of innovation in robotics, the minister stated that this edition marks the beginning of a new dynamic aiming to “encourage initiative, scientific curiosity, and students’ ability to propose concrete solutions to contemporary challenges.” According to him, this competition goes beyond a simple confrontation between schools to become a real showcase for emerging talents and skills valorization.

Training generations capable of adapting to technological changes

Sadaoui also emphasized the ambition of the sector to train generations capable of adapting to technological changes and actively contributing to a knowledge- and innovation-based society. The minister praised the “remarkable” work of the national commission on this occasion.

This commission is composed of robotics experts from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the National Institute for Research in Education, as well as specialized inspectors in computer science, mathematics, and electrical engineering. He also paid tribute to the efforts of pedagogical and administrative teams involved in mentoring students.

Growing scientific clubs

Highlighting the quality of the presented projects, the minister asserted that the participants’ achievements reflect a real capacity for innovation, analysis, and proposal. “Digitizing the education sector and promoting innovation are two essential levers for building a modern and efficient school,” stated the minister. In line with this dynamic, Sadaoui stressed the need to firmly establish the culture of innovation within educational institutions, making this competition an annual event that should consolidate and evolve.

Emphasizing the growth of scientific clubs, as well as robotics and artificial intelligence clubs, the minister mentioned that “the sector now has 12,574 scientific clubs, 95 robotics clubs, and 99 dedicated to artificial intelligence.” This upward trend demonstrates, concluded the minister, “a growing interest of students in disciplines related to science and technology.”

Samira Azzegag