The
Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and technology, His Excellency Dr.
Martial De-Paul Ikounga addressed an
eminent gathering of distinguished young African scientists and outstanding
thinkers and stakeholders from around the world at the Next Einstein Forum in
Dakar Senegal, held from 8th to 10thMarch
2016.
The Commissioner was
speaking at the event opened by the President of Senegal, Dr. Macky Sall,
supported by the President of Rwanda, Mr Paul Kagame, accompanied by several African
Ministers responsible for Education, Science and Technology.
Commissioner Ikounga
stressed the need to ensure that mathematics and science are demystified
through appropriate progressive pedagogies that can present Mathematics simply
as a universal language that can be learnt from the earliest age and by
everybody, and not just by a few specially talented.
This, he said, is
necessary if we are to increase the numbers of children and youth excelling in
STEM to provide a rich pipeline for researchers and career scientists in order
to harness Africa’s demographic dividend for achieving a prosperous Africa.
Commissioner further
explained that in order to generate science that solves Africa’s challenges and
generates wealth, it is imperative that the quality of education and training
be improved through a paradigm shift that involves student centered approaches,
links of education and training programmes with the productive sector, and
inculcation of competences and skills for entrepreneurship, innovation and
inventiveness.
He said that these are
spelt out in the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) as well
as the continental strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and
Training, and for Science, Technology and Innovation (STISA 20-24).
The President and
initiator of the Next Einstein Forum, Dr. Thierry Zoumahoun quipped that
the next Einstein will be a young woman from Africa, in reference to the need
to ensure that women are equally provided with opportunities to excel in the sciences.
He stressed that
although some of the cutting edge research of the Next Einstein Forum
Ambassadors is world class and fundamental, the programme is not elitist but
provides opportunities for young Africans from all walks of life, and many of
the students carry out applied research directly relevant to current African
challenges.
The Next
Einstein Forum (NEF), an African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
initiative in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, is a new global forum
for science in Africa intended to strengthen Africa’s position on the global
scientific stage, promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) in Africa and nurturing the next generation of Africa’s intellectual and
scientific capital, in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
Ministers from Senegal,
South Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon were present, as well as chief executives of
international organizations involved in scientific research and its funding.
To mark the
international women’s day, the event held this week was preceded by a workshop
on Women in STEM, organized by AIMS. The workshop was presided over by the
Executive Vice President of NEF, Ms. Dorothy Nyambi who called for enhanced
partnerships for promoting women and girls in STEM.
She said that the work
of AIMS seeks to address the aspirations and goals expressed in the continental
vision of Agenda 2063. The workshop was addressed by Dr Beatrice Njenga, Head
of Education Division, who called for expanding opportunity horizons for girls
and women in education by moving beyond stereotypical careers.
She said that STEM was
important not only for women’s careers in research and scientific fields, but
also for scientific and technological literacy that women require in order to
be substantive contributors to and beneficiaries of technological advancements.
Otherwise, she said, when the hand-held hoe is abolished, African women may be
unable to utilize the higher level technologies that will be available.
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