Qatar has a clear and ambitious vision: to prepare young people with the capabilities they need to thrive in a world that is becoming more complex and changing faster than ever before.

Education, innovation and technology sit at the heart of this, supported by significant national investment and a growing focus on developing future-ready skills. Since launching in 2019, Shell NXplorers Qatar has played an important role in helping bring that ambition to life, equipping young people with the critical thinking, systems thinking and problem-solving skills needed to navigate an evolving world.

A foundation for lasting change

One of Qatar’s key strengths is the sustained investment in education, complemented by long-term partnerships that are helping to create meaningful and lasting change across the education system.

That change can be seen at every level:

• Learners leave the programme with greater confidence and stronger critical thinking skills.

• Educators take new approaches and methodologies back into their classrooms, applying them year after year.

For many learners, Shell NXplorers provides valuable opportunities to further develop systems thinking and innovation skills. In Qatar, the programme has been designed with a long-term focus, building strong partnerships and becoming increasingly embedded within the wider education ecosystem.

From ideas to impact

The value of the programme is reflected not only in what learners learn, but also in how they apply that learning to think differently, explore challenges and develop solutions.

Shell NXplorers helps learners strengthen their problem-solving capabilities by examining systems, questioning assumptions and exploring practical ways to create positive change.

Before joining the programme, many learners could clearly describe a problem. With Shell NXplorers tools, they learn to go further and begin asking deeper questions:

• Who is affected?

• What are the root causes?

• Is a solution practical?

• What unintended consequences could emerge?

• How can it be improved?

Learners develop the confidence to generate ideas, test them, refine them and challenge their own thinking. Learners carry this mindset into other aspects of their education and daily lives, applying the same curiosity and critical thinking to new situations and challenges.

Change means more than having a good idea. It means having the discipline, confidence and resilience to turn ideas into meaningful action.

From pilot to national STEM agenda

Shell NXplorers Qatar began as a pilot programme launched in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in 2019.

What followed was a programme that evolved continuously through collaboration, feedback and a shared commitment to improvement. Year after year, the programme adapted to meet the needs of learners and educators, strengthening both its quality and its impact.

Today, Shell NXplorers has become part of Qatar's wider national STEM agenda. This milestone reflects years of trust-building and collaboration between Shell, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and delivery partners. It demonstrates how a programme that began as a small pilot has evolved into a recognised contributor to national educational priorities.

The impact extends beyond learners. Educators describe the programme as practical, interactive and highly effective at engaging learners. Each carries the methodology into future classes and cohorts, extending the programme's reach far beyond direct participants.

Educators engaged in Shell NXplorers training session

Every trained educator can continue applying systems thinking and problem-solving approaches throughout their teaching practice. Since 2019, Qatar School for Science and Technology for Boys has integrated Shell NXplorers into its academic curriculum, dedicating one hour each week as part of learners' formal education. This reflects the school's belief in the programme’s educational value and its role in developing learners' skills.

Change in action

The true impact of Shell NXplorers becomes visible through the projects learners create by tackling local challenges, exploring the relationships between systems and considering environmental, economic and social factors together when developing solutions. Some stand-out examples in Qatar include:

• Green Loop

The Green Loop project tackled waste management through the principles of the circular economy. Instead of viewing waste as an endpoint, learners explored how materials could be reused, recycled or repurposed to extend their value.

Their proposal included initiatives to encourage waste segregation, increase community awareness, and create partnerships between schools, businesses, and local organisations.

• Smart water conservation

Another project focused on smart water conservation, examining the connections between water consumption, energy use and urban sustainability. After analysing patterns of water usage and identifying inefficiencies, they proposed an integrated solution combining smart monitoring technologies, behavioural awareness campaigns and policy recommendations to encourage responsible consumption.

These projects reflect the core philosophy of Shell NXplorers: empowering learners to explore challenges holistically, identify underlying causes and design solutions that can contribute to meaningful, long-term change.

Shell NXplorers learners presenting their ideas

The partnerships behind the programme

From the beginning, collaboration has been central to the programme’s success in Qatar, with Shell working alongside partners to strengthen STEM learning, innovation and problem-solving within the education ecosystem.

The programme equips learners and educators with practical methodologies, systems thinking tools and habits that can be applied to challenges across multiple disciplines. A key part of this comes through Shell volunteers who support learners by mentoring teams, evaluating projects and sharing real-world industry perspectives. Alongside mentors, local facilitators receive training and support, helping strengthen STEM delivery capability throughout the country.

Perhaps the strongest evidence of this partnership's success is the growing engagement from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. This year marked the first time a senior Ministry representative attended the programme's event in person, reflecting increasing institutional support and confidence in the programme's contribution to national priorities.

What Qatar can teach the global NXplorers community

The story of Shell NXplorers Qatar demonstrates the value of sustained partnership and long-term commitment. Learners leave with a different way of thinking, the confidence to ask better questions and the ability to approach challenges with creativity and critical thought.

Qatar demonstrates the value of continuous evolution and sustained collaboration. The programme has strengthened over time through the shared commitment of partners, building on experience and working collectively to enhance its reach, relevance and impact.

Most importantly, Qatar's experience highlights how meaningful change happens when people work together. Through collaboration between learners, educators, schools, industry and government, Shell NXplorers Qatar has grown from a pilot initiative into a nationally recognised programme helping shape the next generation of problem-solvers.