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Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie (PTUK) won the National Best Prototype Award at the STEAM IT Educational Innovation Competition for University Students, organized by Al-Quds University in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and funded by the Belgian Government through the Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, under the Quality Education and Learning to Enhance Students’ and Teachers’ Skills in STEM project.
PTUK’s Wisal Team received the award for its project, “Wisal Inclusive Learning Platform,” an innovative educational solution that harnesses artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students, enhancing their access to educational content and participation in the learning process.
The team comprised Baraa Hamdan from the Department of Computer Science – Data Science, Dalia Barbour from the Department of Technology Education, and Rana Badran from the Department of Mathematics, under the supervision of Dr. Reham Salhab from the Department of Technology Education.
The Wisal Platform is designed as a smart learning environment that addresses communication barriers faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing students. It integrates technologies for speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and two-way sign-language translation, helping enhance classroom interaction and improve students’ access to educational content.
The project applies the STEAM approach in a practical and visual manner by integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to develop an innovative, scalable educational solution. In doing so, it translates academic knowledge into practical solutions that respond to real-world community needs.
Under the slogan “Their silence does not hold them back… Wisal gives them a voice,” the project reflects the team’s vision of harnessing artificial intelligence and technology to promote more inclusive and equitable education and provide equal learning opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students across Palestine.
The competition brought together 66 students representing 22 teams from nine Palestinian universities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and encouraging students to apply their knowledge and expertise to innovative educational solutions addressing real-world challenges and community needs.
PTUK's participation also included students from both its main campus and Al-Aroob Branch. Students from the main campus included Suwar Fawaz'a, Aya Jalboush, and Maryam Jawabra, while Sarah Al-Hroub, Roaa Al-Hreini, and Noor Ghayatha represented the Al-Aroob Branch, reflecting the University's broad student engagement in innovation and national competitions.
This achievement highlights PTUK students' ability to transform academic knowledge into practical and innovative solutions. It also reflects the University's commitment to fostering creativity and innovation, promoting interdisciplinary teamwork, and harnessing technology and artificial intelligence to address educational and societal challenges.
PTUK congratulates the winning students, the Wisal Team, and their supervisor on this distinguished achievement and reaffirms its commitment to supporting student innovators, providing an enabling environment for developing their ideas into impactful projects, and strengthening PTUK's presence in national scientific and innovation competitions.
