PalestineTechnicalUniversity-Kadoori,wonthe'BestStudentresearchaward’afterafiercecompetitionwith23ArabuniversitiesinDubai.TheawardwassponsoredbytheResearchDepartmentatZayedUniversitywhichhostedtheSeventhConferenceof'StudentResearch’inappliedcomputingduringtheperiod22-23/4/2015.Thethemeoftheconferencewas“StudentsToday.EntrepreneursofTomorrow".InadditionPTUKwonafirstplaceprizeforthebestandmostactiveparticipantioninscientificresearchprojectspresentedintheconference. Incommentingonthissuccess,Prof.MarwanAwartani,thepresidentofPTUK,saidthatthisachievementinsuchadistinguishedscientificforum,istheculminationoftheeffortsexertedbytheuniversityanditspartnersincreatinganenvironmentforstudentstoexploreandsimulateinnovativeideasandentrepreneurshipskillsrightfromthebeginningoftheiruniversityexperience,especiallyinthefieldofengineeringtechnologyandagriculture. ProfAwartanialsoaddedthatPTUKhasprovidedanenablingandsupportiveenvironmentforinnovationattheuniversity.“WeareconvincedthatrootingthecultureofcreativityandinnovationattheStateUniversityisoneofthepillarsofbuildingasoundeconomyandaknowledgeablesocietythatweallseek”,hesaid. ThepresidentpraisedtheeffortsandoutstandingworkofallmembersofPTUKtechnologicalincubatorandalsothestudents.ItisworthnotingthatPTUKhadestablishedanincubatorinpartnershipwiththecityofTulkaremChamberofCommerceaswellasthePalestinianIncubatorforInformationTechnology. ThefirstprizewasawardtoPTUKprojecttitled:“DevelopingArabicTextofPhotocopiedDocuments”.Theideaoftheprojectwasdevelopedby3girlsstudentsatPTUKDepartmentofComputerEngineering;SondosSabbah,WalaaDarakandTasneemZayeitunderthesupervisionofDr.Na’elSalman. Dr.SalmanexplainedthattheprojecthasbeendevelopedtoreadimagesofArabictextandconvertthemintorecognisableandeditabletext.ThisisanewadditiontothetechniquesusedforLatin-basedlanguagesbuthasneverbeendonebeforeinArabictext.ItishopedthatthisnewtechniquewillenhancetheeffortstotransferknowledgeandprocessinformationacrossculturesaswellasenrichingtheArabiccontentontheWorldWideWeb. Thestudentsthemselvesindicatedthattheyaresoproudtohaveachievedthisfarintheirprojectandpraisedthehelpandcontinuoussupportoftheirtutors,supervisorandtheirfriendsatPTUK.Thestudents;WalaaDarakandSundusSabahhadrecognisedtheimportanceofgettingthesupportoftheprivatesectorinstudentsactivities,especiallyintermsoftechnicalandfinancialsupport.Theystressedoutthatsuchsupportshouldbeviewedasatrueinvestmentforthefutureofthecommunityandeventhecountryasawhole. TheDeanoftheFacultyofEngineeringatPTUK,Dr.MotamedKhatib,whoheadedtheuniversity’steamtotheconference,explainedthattherefereesexaminedatotalof156projectscoveringdifferentthemesoftechnology,inparticular,AppliedComputing.Theevaluator’seffortwascentredatpromotingadvancededucationalopportunitiesforstudents,presenttheircreativeideasandconnectwithexperts,researchersanduniversityprofessors. Dr.KhatibalsopraisedthecontributionmadebyTulkarem’sChamberofCommerce,whichsupportedstudents’participation,inthecontextoftheirorientationtosupportstudent’sinnovationatPTUK. “Winninganawardforbestappliedscientificresearchaswellasbeingawardedthe'BestAttendance’position,inrecognitionofourexcellentachievements,mustbeanhonourtoPTUK.Thisisespeciallysoforauniversityunderoccupationwithverylimitedresources”,addedDr.Khatib.Itisworthnotingthatatotalof23universities,fromdifferentArabcountries,participatedintheconference,includingtheUnitedArabEmirates,SaudiArabia,Qatar,Oman,Bahrain,Palestine,JordanandIraq.Inaddition,alargenumberofexpertsandspecialistsfromtheUAEandtheArabworld,CanadaandEuropealsoattendedtheconference. Incommentingonthisachievement,thePresidentoftheChamberofCommerceinTulkarem-EngineerHassanal-QaisiconfirmedthattheChamberiscommittedtosupportingPTUKstudentsandstaffinallprojectsinvolvingentrepreneurshipandinnovation.HestressedoutthatwhathadbeenachievedinDubaiisanaturalproductoftheuniversity’srelentlesseffortinpromotinginnovationandcreativity. PTUKdelegationtotheconferenceincludedDr.MotamedKhatib,DeanoftheFacultyofEngineeringandDr.AhmedHasasneh,headoftheDepartmentofAppliedComputingaswellastwostudents;RashaSafariniiandQaisIbrahim.