من الخوف الى الإلهام | أ.د. هبه كردي | TEDxPNU

Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Faisal Al Saud

• The story began with the selection of a location by King Abdulaziz in 1902, where he said "I am the light" and from there, the story of the people of happiness started 27s.
• The story is about a distinguished woman named Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Faisal Al Saud, who was an inspiration to King Abdulaziz and a symbol of peace, love, and knowledge 52s.
• Noura was a woman who learned to read and write in an era when it was rare for women to be educated, and she was known for her wisdom, intelligence, and insight 1m7s.
• She was also an inspiration to everyone who knew her and had a progressive mindset, emphasizing the importance of education in improving human life 1m31s.
• Noura allocated funds to encourage girls who memorized the Quran, showcasing her commitment to education 1m41s.
• The story continued with Noura's inspiration until 1970, when the first college for girls was established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was initially called the College of Education 2m4s.
• The story did not end there, as Noura's legacy continued to grow until 2000, when she became a topic of discussion in society, and the world at large, due to the establishment of the largest women's educational institution in the world 2m25s.
• This educational institution was established to represent Saudi women and the Saudi community as a whole, embodying the spirit of knowledge, development, and passion for success 2m50s.
• The story of Noura has not ended, as she has inspired distinguished women in various fields, who have followed in her footsteps and achieved success in wisdom, power, and decision-making 3m17s.
• Noura's story is now present in every student who has been part of this great institution, which was established 100 years ago by King Abdulaziz and continues to be a beacon of knowledge for the Saudi people 3m48s.
• Today, the Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman University will witness and host many inspiring stories of women and men who embody Noura's story, a woman who was a companion of secrets and determination 4m11s.

Dr. Hebah Karkee's Story

• Many people have phobias or fears, and it's possible for these fears to transform into inspiration 4m34s.
• The individual has had a phobia of cats since childhood and initially thought they would outgrow it, but discovered they have a severe allergy to cats 4m45s.
• Instead of avoiding the fear, the individual armed themselves with knowledge, and the fear became a gateway to solving complex technological problems 5m17s.
• This led to achieving more than ten patents as the first Saudi woman to do so, publishing over 120 scientific research papers in the fields of artificial intelligence, and being among the top 2% of the world's scientists in terms of citations 5m35s.
• The individual's fear was transformed into a source of inspiration, and their story will be shared to show how fear can be a gateway to innovation and success globally 5m56s.
• The individual is Dr. Hebah Karkee, who will be sharing her personal story and experiences 6m10s.

From Fear of Insects to Inspiration

• When looking at a picture, people may have different reactions, such as feeling scared, disgusted, or anxious, which are all negative emotions 6m38s.
• The individual used to experience these negative emotions when hearing about insects, not just seeing them, and their fear would change everything 7m14s.
• However, their fear was transformed into a source of inspiration, and their story will be shared to show how this transformation occurred 7m30s.
• The individual's fear of insects started when they were nine years old and found a box of insects in a room, which triggered their phobia 8m8s.
• The individual's phobia was so severe that they would imagine insects everywhere, which affected their life 8m47s.
• The simplest things can evoke strong emotions, such as the sound of nail clippers, which can be pleasant, but also remind one of unpleasant things like locusts and sunflowers, which are considered beautiful but evoke a sense of disgust due to their yellow and black colors 8m54s.
• Fear of insects can be overwhelming, and it can be challenging to coexist with anything that jumps or flies, but this fear can be overcome with exposure and treatment 9m19s.
• Marriage to a doctor who specializes in treating phobias can be helpful in overcoming one's fears, and exposure therapy, which involves confronting the source of fear, can be an effective treatment method 9m33s.
• Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing the patient to the source of their fear, allowing them to become accustomed to it, much like learning to swim by being thrown into the water 9m54s.
• A personal experience of being in a car with two small frogs that jumped in and caused a commotion helped to overcome a fear of frogs 10m12s.
• Despite the fear, one should not be perceived as weak or cowardly, and the presence of insects can be tolerated, even if they are not liked 10m39s.
• Pursuing higher education, such as a bachelor's degree in computer science, can be challenging and time-consuming, taking up to 11 years to complete due to various circumstances, including marriage and relocation 11m10s.
• The journey to completing a degree can be long and arduous, but with perseverance and determination, it is possible to achieve one's goals, even if it takes a long time 11m45s.
• Having a dream of becoming a doctor and being determined to achieve it can help overcome obstacles and eventually lead to success 12m9s.
• The individual earned a bachelor's degree with honors, followed by a master's degree, and then received a scholarship for a Ph.D. in London, which marked a crucial chapter in their story with insects 12m23s.
• Three years after starting their Ph.D. research, they experienced a distressing incident where their young son got stung by a bee in their eye, prompting them to call for emergency services 12m44s.
• The family lived in a villa with a beautiful garden, but the presence of bees became a problem, and the husband contacted the local authorities, who sent a specialized team to deal with the issue 13m38s.
• The team discovered that a beehive was built on a tree branch opposite the son's room, and the individual was shocked to learn that the bees had chosen that specific location to build their hive 14m7s.
• This incident led the individual to reflect on a Quranic verse that mentions God guiding bees to build their homes in mountains, trees, and other places 14m30s.
• The verse had a profound impact, and the individual realized that even the smallest creatures can possess great wisdom and organization 14m48s.
• Researching bees revealed that they have a highly organized social structure, with each individual knowing its role and responsibilities without needing external guidance 15m9s.
• This discovery inspired the individual to develop a system for personal mobile networks, using a bee-inspired algorithm to manage resources efficiently 15m41s.
• The algorithm led to the creation of a patented invention, making the individual the first Saudi woman to receive a patent in the field of technology 16m3s.
• A grant was received from Aram to pursue postdoctoral research in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the world's top university in the field of information technology 16m18s.
• The research focused on a system for unmanned aircraft, also known as drones, to improve their efficiency in search and rescue operations 16m40s.
• The field of unmanned aircraft systems and control systems was new, and the research involved reading extensively to understand the subject, which is related to computer science and artificial intelligence 17m9s.
• A photo was taken in the office at MIT, showing the panoramic window behind the desk and a garden in front with trees and insects 17m22s.
• One day, while sitting by the window and reading, a grasshopper suddenly jumped onto the window and fell to the ground 17m52s.
• The grasshopper's size was similar to that of a locust, and it triggered a flashback to memories of locusts 18m9s.
• However, unlike previous experiences, there was no fear or screaming, and instead, curiosity took over, leading to reading about locusts 18m28s.
• Research revealed that locusts have a unique behavior that puzzles scientists, as they normally avoid their own smell but suddenly change behavior and become attracted to each other, forming large swarms that can destroy massive crops in a short time 19m0s.
• This behavior is exactly what is needed for search and rescue operations, making the study of locusts relevant to the research 20m0s.
• The development of drones for search and rescue operations in disaster areas is crucial, as they can cover large areas quickly and efficiently to locate victims and provide timely assistance 20m6s.
• A system for controlling drones in search and rescue operations was developed, inspired by locusts, and this innovation led to the first Saudi woman to receive a patent in the field of aviation 20m31s.
• After returning to Saudi Arabia, a research group was established to focus on distributed intelligent systems, initially working on insect-inspired algorithms 20m50s.
• The research expanded to include algorithms inspired by other living creatures, such as fish, birds, and animals like chimpanzees and lemurs, revealing that intelligence is not exclusive to humans 21m1s.
• The natural world, including the Earth and its creatures, is full of intelligence, organization, and rules, making them similar to human societies 21m30s.
• Further research expanded to include the entire universe, drawing inspiration from natural phenomena like the tides, islands, and rain, as well as chemistry and the relationships between atoms and compounds 21m52s.
• The human body, specifically the digestive system, was also studied, leading to the development of four patents and the establishment of a logistics company focused on intelligent systems 22m33s.
• Despite the initial fear of insects, the experience transformed into a driving force for learning and innovation, rather than paralysis, and led to the discovery of many valuable lessons 23m14s.
• Three key lessons learned from this experience are: first, do not let negative emotions obscure the truth; second, the enemy can often teach valuable lessons; and third, the importance of not being controlled by fear 23m41s.
• A useful lesson can be learned from transforming the shiver of fear into the dance of the thumb 23m59s.