The student of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is one of the five winners of the International Final, held in Berlin

Ahlam Oulad Ali, student of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the URV’s Faculty of Chemistry, was one of the five competitors in the international final of the European Youth Debating Competition to receive an award during the prize-giving ceremony on 3 October in Berlin. The ex-secretary general of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, the director of the INEOS Group, Tom Crotty, and the President of the European Petrochemical Association gave out the prizes. She was the only winner from Spain, the other four coming from France (2), Poland and Germany.

During the final debate, the 18 year-old from Tarragona impressed the judges with her rhetorical ability in an impassioned debate about the future of the petrochemical industry in the digital era. The jury for the International Final was made up of figures from the industry, the media, NGOs, international organisations, academia, the EPCA, the Young EPCA Think Tank and PlasticsEurope. Ahlam Oulad Ali was one of the 3 winners from the Spanish final in May.

The competition provided the students with a chance to put forward their arguments in an open and balanced debate on the subject of “People, Planet, Profit in the Digital age: with or without petrochemistry and plastics?” The national finals took place in 7 countries (Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom) from May to September earlier this year. The 5 winners were handed their prizes by Karl-H Foerster, executive director of PlasticsEurope and Caroline Ciuciu, CEO of EPCA. According to Karl-H Foerster, “We launched this initiative to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and the importance of science, as education in these fields are crucial for the future of our industry and the overall competitiveness of the European Union”.

EPCA and PlasticsEurope organise this competition for young people which aims to promote the study of STEM and to provide students with the knowledge and skills to participate in the exchange of opinions regarding the contribution of the petrochemical industry and plastics in the digital era. For the industry, it is an opportunity to learn about and listen to the opinions and expectations of the next generation of leaders. The technological dimensions of this new era, such as sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, intelligent living and social welfare are key ingredients for the future of both industrial sectors and the global competitiveness of the EU.