Nada began her career as a photojournalist, environmentalist, and writer of creative nonfiction but has pivoted into the world of science education. She founded MAPP-Kuwait, an Applied Media Arts research and education platform that helps facilitate the convergence of art and science in sustainable development. That’s not all, she is also the director of TEDxKuwaitCity and is currently co-director of Stars Camp.
“I’ve never had a traditional title – I’m one of those interdisciplinary people who are lucky enough to be able to teach, exhibit, document, design, create links, share ideas – and I love being able to connect people with their passions,” Nada explained. She is heavily invested and involved in different projects and initiatives. Her curious nature drives her to experiment and to stay active in the community. Her brain is constantly buzzing with exciting ideas and she is unafraid to take the first step to bring them into reality.
“My approach has always been interdisciplinary – and that helps me to widen the circle for collaborative and innovative interventions in my community. This also helps me to be able to approach things from different perspectives – there’s nothing more powerful than that,” she explains. Nada likes working on several projects at once because that: “… refreshes my energy and creativity, and often there’s a rhizomatic effect, one stem sends out roots and shoots that in turn grow and take on a life of their own,” she told us.
MAPP-Kuwait was inspired by Johnny De Philo, one of Nada’s professors who motivated her in her current research and practice. The organization is a toolbox for civic innovators and helps create spaces and opportunities for passionate people to connect and collaborate. The projects address youth education, gender empowerment, science communication, and spreading innovative ideas.
One of the earliest projects was Project SEED – Science Education Exploration & Discovery –a collaboration across the Middle East and North Africa to provide learning resources and tools for students and educators which included science communication through films, games and art. “MAPP allowed us to amplify alternative narratives of the Arab world, something that stems from the misinformation about our locale around the world. A great example of this is the documentary series ‘Trailblazing Women in Kuwait’, which I produced and directed. This series got people so excited, and in it we highlighted the pioneering role of Kuwaiti women in a variety of fields, including the economy, media, science & technology, education and healthcare,” Nada explained.
The current research at MAPP focuses on Aesthetics and Science, specifically Space Science Communication by bringing together artists, scientists and technologists for the project “The Studio and the Lab”. They will start showcasing collaboration of science and art in the new ground station installation space in Dubai, UAE. It is a space where educators and students across the GCC can contribute their own research and practice related to space science communication to be showcased around the GCC.
Most of Nada’s work revolves around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) and she advocates for education using these disciplines. Especially the use of Art. “For me the convergence of art and science is inevitable – not intentional. Things don’t have to be one way or the other, they can be one way and the other. I loved maths, poetry, genetics, music, biochemistry and anatomy, to me these were exciting ways to figure out how and why things worked. I was convinced I would be doing something in medicine or become a correspondent or writer or a distance runner – my romanticized ideas of future careers, inspired by novels like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, and inevitably, Stanley Kubrick’s Classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was published for the first time when I was very young and was obsessed with writing and photography because of journalists like Kate Ady, James Nachtwey and Ryszard Kapuscinski. Throughout my time as a student, you would find me in the labs or the studios. I played my cello and made cameras out of anything I could get my hands on, mixed and produced electronic soundscapes, experimented with all kinds of chemistry and went on all night writing sprees. What is important is to get out there, and just do it!” she explains.
Over the past few years, MAPP-Kuwait has transitioned to ‘MAPP EDUCATION’ and one of Nada’s favorite projects has transitioned with it – ‘STARS Camps’. STARS Space Education Camps are all about exploration and discovery experiences. Her business partner and her started this as a not-for-profit initiative in 2015. STARS Camp takes young people from the GCC around the world to learn about science, technology, and leadership through space exploration activities. This was something important for them, because they wanted the youth in Kuwait and the GCC to have access to unique learning experiences like we had, something to develop their skills and let them know they can dream big, because everything is possible. Nada believes that young people should be given opportunities to connect with their passions, since it is the best time for their curious sparks to grow.
They have already gone to space as part of the Orbital Space Launch program. More than six months ago they helped send Kuwait’s first scientific experiment into space, an experiment that was conducted onboard the International Space Station by an astronaut Shannon Walker on behalf of the students in Kuwait. Nada excitedly told us that more than 75% of the team managing the project were women.
As for QMR-KWT, it was years in the making and is an educational space mission that is already inspiring and empowering students to become the future professionals in the space sector. The main education mission is ‘Code in Space’, an opportunity for students to develop and test new software solutions by writing software code to be uploaded and executed on the satellite’s onboard computer – for the first time ever. “We have been receiving proposals from students around the world and we invite students from everywhere to challenge themselves and connect with this unique opportunity. We have just commissioned QMR-KWT mission control and ground station at DTEC in Dubai, as part of our collaboration agreement with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) under the umbrella of MBRSC Space Ventures for startups,” Nada says. These initiatives and programs provide people with access to literal space that was never available before.
But Nada doesn’t have to go too far to do good and community changing work, she has also been a part of the TED and TEDx family for many years and has worked with a wonderful small team in Kuwait to make the local conferences happen. “TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and to me it is like a free but very valuable learning opportunity. It is a wonderful platform to shed light on the innovation, invention and discovery going on in Kuwait, including Abdulaziz Alateeqi’s focused research into Makkan history, allowing us to travel in time; Jassim Al-Awadhi’s project ‘Kuwait Commute’, an initiative on public transportation systems; Maryam Aleisa’s ‘Refood’, dedicated to saving food from being categorized as “waste”; Nasser Al-Azmi’s innovative farming techniques in the desert environment, Abdullah Al-Mikhyal’s environmental activism through documentary film supporting native people across the Globe, and many others. Ours is an active and engaged society, and it’s our responsibility to share these ideas with the world,” Nada elaborates.
She is not even close to being done. “We have exciting space missions coming up in the next couple of years, we are aiming for the moon! I am continuing to work through MAPP Education on a field guide on the creative technology of citizenship and still continuing to do things one step at a time, looking forwards towards dreaming big, and working with students to help them excel at whatever they choose to do,” Nada said. We’re glad that someone is out there opening doors for young people to pursue disciplines and fields that are exciting and interesting and to inspire others to reach for the stars even when they seem too far away.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
What do you most value about your friends?
Integrity.
Which living person do you most admire?
My mom – hands down – she single handedly brought up nine of us, and lived to tell the tale!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Coconut ice-cream and hanging out with my nieces and nephews.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Living in Dubai.
What is your most treasured possession?
Mine and my loved ones’ health.
What is your greatest fear?
Regret.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Unequivocal optimism.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Teleportation.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
Adaptability.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Ignorance.
What is it that you most dislike?
Profiteering.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
You are awesome!
What are your favourite words to live by?
You are awesome!
Where would you most like to live?
Amongst loved ones.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Explorer in Chief.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Inspiring thousands of students over the years and being a witness to their happiness and success.
What do you hope for in the future?
Good things to come.
Follow @mappkuwait on Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date with their news and visit mapp.education and orbital-space.com for more details.
