Dubai: Team UAE was felicitated in a glittering ceremony on Saturday following their historic victory at the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge held in Panama City from 28th October to 1st November 2025. The students brought home the Gold Medal, competing against teams from 193 countries marking a proud moment for the nation and reaffirming the UAE’s commitment to nurturing scientific talent and innovation among youth.

The competition, widely regarded as the Olympics of Robotics, gathered some of the world’s brightest young minds to solve global challenges through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Representing the UAE with distinction, the eight-member team demonstrated creativity, perseverance, and technical excellence throughout the challenge.

The team comprised Riya Mehra (Dubai College), Aarya Parekh (Delhi Private School, Sharjah), Aarush Pancholi (GEMS Modern Academy), Aditya Anand (New Millennium School, Al Khail), Krithin Satya (Dubai College), Simran Mehra (Dubai College), Sreya Binoy Nair (GEMS Modern Academy), and Aryan Goyal (DIA Emirates Hill), a diverse group of students who together spent over 300 hours in rigorous preparation for the international challenge. Their intensive training was supported by Unique World Robotics, the official training partner for Team UAE, which played a key role in guiding the students through technical, strategic, and design aspects of the competition.

Coach Muhammed Mukhtar said, “This victory is a testament to the extraordinary dedication and ingenuity of our young innovators. They have made the nation proud and shown that UAE students can compete at the highest level on the global stage.”

The team’s winning project, STASH, is an innovative biopreservation system designed to protect endangered species such as the Ghaf tree without relying on freezing or electricity. Using sodium alginate hydrogels, STASH encapsulates living cells in portable, low-cost beads that maintain viability for 3–5 days, enabling safe transport even to remote areas. Integrated with AI-based cell viability analysis and supported by a 3D-printed field kit, STASH provides an eco-friendly, globally inclusive method for preserving life, one cell at a time.

The project was evaluated by a distinguished panel of experts, including professors from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), USA, and scientists from Lam Research, who recognized the innovation and global applicability of STASH.

Reflecting on the journey, Team Captain Aarush Pancholi said, “Winning Gold was the result of countless hours of collaboration, experimentation, and teamwork. We are proud not just of the medal, but of creating a solution that can truly make a difference for biodiversity and communities worldwide.”

Bansan Thomas George, National Organiser of FIRST Global Challenge UAE, praised the students’ achievement and said, “Team UAE’s victory reflects the nation’s long-standing commitment to STEM education and youth innovation. Their work on STASH demonstrates not only technical brilliance but also a vision for sustainable solutions that can benefit the world.”

Team UAE’s accomplishment stands as a symbol of the UAE’s investment in its future innovators, inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and environmental pioneers.