NCST donates to 2022 Annual Girls’ Science Camp
National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) has challenged girls in Malawi to take science subjects as core subjects, stressing that time is gone when male students used to dominate sciences.
NCST Chief Technology Transfer Officer Isaac Chingota said the Commission is keen to see women featuring highly among science and technology innovators.
Chingota made the remarks when he handed over a donation towards this year’s Annual Girls’ Science Camp to be held at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).
He said science and technology are key in Malawi’s pursuit for a self-reliant and industrialized nation as espoused in the Malawi 2063 agenda.
“Apart from this support activity, we are also taking part in supporting other activities as in November this year we will also be supporting the National Researcher and Dissemination Conference whereby we are bringing together scientists and researchers to showcase to the country research results that have been developed that could solve various challenges that the country has,” said Chingota.
Chingota added that NCST will also be establishing a technology transfer office at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS).
He said this office will promote results of research that come from the university.
“So, there are a number of activities happening on the ground as we are looking into promoting science related programs in the country,” said Chingota.
MUST Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Jonathan Makuwira commended NCST for the donation, saying it will go a long way in inspiring female students to take science subjects.
Makuwira said the university has a big role to play in grooming more secondary school girls as well as those in remote areas with STEM subjects to embrace science subjects.
“Through the camp, we give girls a culture and desire in science fields. So, the funds brought in by NCST will have an impact that will give them a chance to accommodate more girls during this year’s program,” he said.
Added Makuwira, “The program always give girls exposure to the University and also it allows them to express themselves to various activities in science related fields, there is more impact that have been noted out as there is a an increase in registration number, which means parents and these girls are seeing an opportunity towards the programs, this is giving us more energy to continue with the program.”
In his remarks, Head of Department at MUST, who is also the Chairperson for Girls Science Camp for this year, Dr. Atikonda Mtenje Mkochi, said preparations are at an advanced stage and that all the logistics are being sorted out.
Mkochi said the students will this year have an opportunity to take part in doing different science projects practically in their labs and they have also organized to bring in motivational speakers and they will also be taking girls into industries to see science in action.
MUST introduced the Annual Girls Camp in 2016 as one part of equipping secondary school girls across the country with Science and Technology Engineering Mathematical (STEM) programs in order to motivate them to have passion in science related fields as they are going beyond with their studies.
The theme for this year’s camp is: “Science Technology and Innovation Beyond the Pandemic.”
The camp will target 100 girl students drawn from across the country.
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