Bernard Annan (R) during the official launch of the Africa Science Olympiad
ALL SCIENCES Olympiad Foundation, a Ghanaian-based organization, in partnership with Rwanda and Ghana National Commissions for UNESCO have launched a new programme to advance education on the African continent.
Dubbed the ‘Africa Science Olympiad’, the educational programme is instituted to mainly help in the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in education, through capacity building and student competitions.
Speaking at the official launch of the programme in Rwanda, Bernard Annan, Executive Director of the Foundation and founder of Africa Science Olympiad, said the event would serve as a platform to provide mentorship, scholarship and internship opportunities for students, adding “It will also include a teacher workshop to build the capacity of STEM teachers”.
Mr. Annan announced that the maiden edition of this unique platform would commence in Rwanda and is slated for 6-15 October 2024 and it would rotate to other African countries in the years ahead.
“Rwanda as the first official host country for this Olympiad will be able to equip students and teachers with science and technology education that responds to socio-economic problems in the future”, he told the DAILY GUIDE in a telephone interview.
The competitions, he also stated, would be taking place every year to ensure gender inclusion.
“While this educational event is a year away, we believe the preparation starts now. This event will be a momentous occasion for our continent.
“I’m 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”, Bernard stated and called on Africans to support the event and to own the flagship initiative.
The launch of the Africa Science Olympiad in Rwanda has seen an official handover of a flag to the Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO, represented by retired consultant and CNRU Board Chairperson, Dr. Marie Christine Gasingirwa.
Dr. Gasingirwa embarked on the role of STEM education in addressing inter-continental challenges, especially among African youth.
“What this Olympiad means to Rwanda is the same as the entire continent, but 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,” Dr. Gasingirwa said.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi