Opinion: Transforming Kenya through science and innovation

 

Science, technology and innovation are increasingly important to our personal life and are fundamental to the economic development of a country.

Though its importance to our daily lives is not always obvious, we make many choices each day based on good science. Science and technology influence the food we choose to eat; the products we purchase at the pharmacy, the way we communicate with our family and friends, the way we interact with the environment.

The development of new vaccines, new forms of renewable energy; safe and efficient mobile money transfer – are all based on science.The Scientific Advisory Board established by the United Nations to advice on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, concluded that if countries wish to break the poverty cycle, they will have to set up targets for investments in Science, Technology and Innovation.

OPPORTUNITIES

Its importance as a driver for sustainable economic development is strongly represented in Vision 2030, the national long-term development policy of the Kenyan Government. Understanding the importance of science, improving the learning environment for science, incentivising children to engage with science are fundamental to achieving the objectives for Kenya’s development. Fifty four years ago, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Two Physics Professors believed that if Ireland took science more seriously it could unlock enormous potential and create huge opportunities for the country. They founded the Young Scientist Exhibition – an initiative which has since become one of the most enduring and successful National Science Competitions globally.

The initiative – now called the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (YSTE), has become the supreme National Science event for secondary schools in Ireland. Following its establishment as a major national event, the YSTE attracted much interest from Government, Third Level Institutes and private industry.

The competition, which has gone from strength to strength over the past 54 years, is essentially funded by private sponsorship but with strong Government engagement and support. YSTE, in Ireland, has hugely contributed to the learning environment for science and the quality of its teaching.

Schoolchildren now want to learn science because it not only helps them to ask questions, collect information, organize their ideas and propose solutions for complex problems; it also greatly prepares them for a university education – and in getting a job afterwards. To-day Ireland has the fastest growing economy in Europe.

 It is one of the most successful countries in the world for attracting foreign direct investment. It hosts 8 of the 10 global ICT companies, 9 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies and 10 of the top ‘born on the Internet’ companies.Much of this success can be attributed to the YSTE and the extent that we now appreciate the importance of science, technology and innovation to a modern and growing knowledge economy.

YOUNG SCIENTISTS

To-day Cabinet Secretary for Education will launch Young Scientists Kenya. YSK will be the premier national schools competition for science and technology in Kenya. It is intended that it will build on, and fully complement, other school science competitions such as the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF), inter-schools competitions in mathematics and in other STEM subjects.

It will build on many of the lessons learnt from the successful YSTE in Ireland and will retain formal links with this initiative. It will provide support for schools and teachers to strengthen the learning of science. It will provide very substantial rewards for students who win prizes in each of the competition categories. There already is interest from sponsors. Blaze Safaricom has confirmed a commitment of Sh20 million to the programme for this year.

YSK will be piloted in 10 counties over the next 12 months before being rolled out as a national programme. Every secondary school will then be invited to submit proposals that will be screened, shortlisted and then exhibited at the YSK exhibition to be held at a major national venue annually. Kenya Young Scientists will be supported to compete and exhibit in international competitions.

 The winners of the competition have been invited to participate at the annual YSTE event in Ireland.YSK is of huge importance to Kenya. Improving the quality of education in the bench sciences and social sciences at secondary level will incentivize the learning of science and will lead to a more innovative and skilled workforce in the future.

Having skilled students and third level courses that better prepare students for the needs of the marketplace in science and innovation will directly impact on Kenya’s social and economic development. It will help attract international investors to locate in Kenya and create jobs for young people.
Young Scientists Kenya will be central to this transformation and will empower young people to take responsibility for the future. Kenya, and its young people in particular, stand to benefit.