عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

NEOM Celebrates Student Excellence and Innovation in Chicago

High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
TT
TT

NEOM Celebrates Student Excellence and Innovation in Chicago

High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)

High-performing students from the Tabuk region, on scholarship at US universities, have been honored by NEOM, the sustainable regional development taking shape in northwestern Saudi Arabia, at a special event held in Chicago, US, according to a press release from NEOM.
Led by NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr, the occasion celebrated the educational achievements of the 130 participants in NEOM’s 2023 Scholarship Program, which sponsors Tabuk students who pursue their tertiary studies, as well as seek valuable work experience abroad, SPA said on Wednesday.
From the 2023 cohort, 118 students made their way to Chicago, where they were feted for their educational accomplishments. Forty-nine of the students were honored for their academic excellence or innovative contributions. The event enabled students to showcase their achievements, connect with NEOM leaders and discuss future collaboration.
This most recent activity of the annual scholarship program built on the success of last year's gathering in Washington, D.C. This year’s Chicago event featured three presentations by students, which offered insights and perspectives into the key NEOM projects of Trojena, Oxagon and ENOWA.
Notable figures from NEOM, including Founding President of NEOM University Professor Andreas Cangellaris, head of Health and Wellbeing Dr. Mahmoud Alyamany, and head of NEOM Digital Media Academy Nada Alshaibani, attended the event alongside the NEOM CEO.
Al-Nasr said: "This event celebrates the remarkable achievements of our scholarship recipients. NEOM takes great pride in being a catalyst for these bright, young minds by fostering academic excellence and vital community involvement. In addition to their studies, the students take part in field trips and internships at NEOM offering them invaluable practical exposure to our diverse sectors and operations. We aim to cultivate a generation that not only excels in their respective fields but actively contributes to Saudi Vision 2030 – building a dynamic society, fueling economic prosperity and shaping an ambitious nation."
The NEOM Scholarship Program targets Saudi students and high-achieving school leavers. Since its inception in 2019, the program has supported 740 undergraduate students and recent graduates.
Students enrolled in the program study at renowned institutions in Saudi Arabia, UK and US. Upon completing their studies, scholarship recipients are offered positions within NEOM's sectors, their knowledge and skills aligned with the expertise required for NEOM's future development.
The initiative underscores NEOM's commitment to nurturing talent, driving innovation, and building a dynamic workforce to realize the ambitious goals of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Should You Stretch before Exercise? After? Never? Here’s What to Know

Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
TT
TT

Should You Stretch before Exercise? After? Never? Here’s What to Know

Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)
Philadelphia Eagles stretch as they get ready during practice at NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP)

For many people of a certain age, high school gym class began with reaching for their toes. Then, over the years, we were told it was better to stretch after exercise.

It turns out, both those things can be true, but the differing advice has created some confusion.

Stretching can help make you more flexible, improve range of motion in your joints — and feel good. David Behm, who researches human kinetics at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Canada, offers this advice on when to stretch and how to do it safely:

Warm up first

It’s almost always good to stretch, but it’s better if you warm up first, said Behm, author of "The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching." He recommends a light aerobic activity such as jogging, walking or cycling for five or 10 minutes.

Follow that with some static stretching, the traditional way of reaching and holding a position (think back to that gym class). You can then do activity-specific dynamic stretching, in which you warm up the muscles with repetitive movements like leg lifts.

Behm says one minute is "the magic number" for how long to do static stretching per muscle group without fatigue.

Expand your definition of 'stretching'

Should you always stretch before exercising? If it's traditional stretching, not necessarily.

The better question, Behm says, is, "Should people increase their range of motion? Should people have better flexibility? And that is yes, because it helps prevent injuries. It helps with health. But you don’t have to stretch to achieve that."

Resistance training, for instance, can be an effective form of stretching, he said. Doing a chest press increases range of motion in your deltoids and pecs, whether with barbells, dumbbells or machines, so there is no need to stretch beforehand. Just make sure to start with a small amount of weight to warm up and then add more to train.

"You probably don’t have to do extra stretching unless you’re a gymnast, a figure skater, or even a golfer who needs a great range of motion through that swing," Behm said.

Nor do you need to stretch first if you’re going for a leisurely run. Simply start with a slow jog to warm up and then increase the pace.

Don't do it if it hurts

After exercise, "light stretching is OK, as long as you don't reach a point where you're feeling pain," Behm said. Since your muscles will be warm by that point, overdoing it makes you more likely to injure yourself.

Foam rollers can help with muscle recovery and have been shown to increase range of motion as well as stretching.

Do some static stretching before sports

If you’re playing a sport, Behm said, static stretching beforehand helps reduce muscle and tendon injury.

"If you’re going to do an explosive movement, change of direction, agility, sprint, any of these explosive activities that involve your muscles and tendons," he said, "you’re going to be stronger if you do static stretching."

People can especially get in trouble when they go back to a sport they used to play, whether it's tennis, surfing or any sort of team activity.

Also, stretch both sides equally. Lacking flexibility on one side also can lead to injury.

Sounds simple. Why all the confusion? Different studies over the years have either encouraged or discouraged stretching before exercise. Behm says that partly because some studies didn't reflect real-life conditions, or were designed with elite athletes in mind, not regular people.

"If you’re Usain Bolt, it makes a difference," said Behm. Not so much for the rest of us.