BY MICHAEL D.ABAYATEYE
Ghanaian-based Organisation ‘All Sciences Olympiad Foundation’ in partnership with Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) has launched the Africa Science Olympiad on Tuesday.
The programme is aimed at advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education through competition and capacity building initiatives.
The platform would provide mentorship, scholarship opportunities and internship opportunities for students.
It would also include a teacher workshop to build the capacity of STEM teachers.
According to Bernard Annan, Executive Director of the All Sciences Olympiad Foundation and the Founder of Africa Science Olympia, the maiden edition ended in Rwanda on Sunday.
Rwanda as the first official host country for this Olympiad he said, would ensure that students and teachers were equiped with science and technology education that responds to social-economic problems in the future.
“The competitions will be taking place every year by ensuring gender inclusion and the outcomes will shine the entire continent as more Olympiads will born in coming years,” she stated.
“The Africa Science Olympiad is a unique opportunity for our brightest young minds to come together and compete in the fields of STEM,” he added.
The platforms he said, would build bridges and promote peace between African countries by fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
“I believe that science has the power to unite us. It is a universal language that we can all understand. And it is through science that we can find solutions to the challenges that we all face. I am confident that the Africa Science Olympiad will play an important role in developing Africa’s scientific and technological capacity. The competition will help to identify and nurture the next generation of African scientists and engineers. It will also help to promote a culture of innovation and creativity in Africa,” he noted.
Also speaking at the launch, the Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO, represented by Dr Marie Christine Gasingirwa said the role of STEM education in addressing inter-continental challenges especially among African youth cannot be overemphasised.
“This Olympiad means a lot to Rwanda and the entire continent. This seems to be much more fruitful to the whole continent because we shall be sharing resources and good practices so that our kids will not be limited here, they will be competitive not only at continental level, but also at the global level,” she said.
Caption: Mr Annan(right) and Dr Gasingirwa holding a flag to launch of the event
