600 STUDENTS APPLY FOR 2019 YST EXHIBITION

The Executive Director and Co-Founder of Young Scientists Tanzania (YST), Dr Gosbert Kamugisha, during a press briefing today Thursday, April 18, 2019 in Dar es Salaam on this year’s YST exhibition for secondary school students. On his left-side is Mr Yusuf Karimjee, the Executive Director of Toyota Tanzania Limited/Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation, and to his right hand-side is YST co-founder, Mr Joseph Clowry.

By Daniel Mbega

Dar es Salaam

AT least more than 600 students from different secondary schools in Tanzania have so far applied for selection to take part in the 2019 Young Scientists Tanzania (YST) exhibition, it has been learnt.

The YST Co-Founder, Dr Gosbert Kamugisha, told the press today Thursday, April 18, 2019 in Dar es Salaam that preparations for this year’s YST exhibition were well underway and encouraged more students to apply so as to enable them pick the best scientific innovations that could catalyst not only the students’ innovative skills, but spearhead science and technology development in the country.

“Preparations for the YST 2019 exhibition are well underway and so far we have received 600 applications, but we still encourage more students to apply so that we get the best and high quality innovative projects,” Dr Kamugisha was quoted as saying.

Adding: “All secondary school students who have not applied to participate in the exhibition are encouraged to send their proposals to YST by 25^th April 2019.”

Mainly sponsored by the world’s oil and gas giant Shell Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited and Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation through Toyota Tanzania, the exhibition will feature about 200 students from 100 schools countrywide with good quality projects and it will take place at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam from 31^st July to 1^st August 2019.

Dr Kamugisha said, secondary school students were currently working on their scientific and technological projects under the support of YST science advisors through schools outreach programme.

The exhibition and the schools outreach programme, he said, are being facilitated by the continued generous support of their main sponsors Shell Tanzania and Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation/Toyota Tanzania Limited.

“We are thankful to all other sponsors, their continued support is vital for sustainability to this programme which is a platform for Tanzanian youth to innovate and conduct scientific research on relevant issues for socio-economic development,” he said.

Projects that will be exhibited at YST 2019 will be in various areas of science such as chemical, physical and mathematical sciences; biological and ecological sciences; social and behavioural sciences; and technology.

The scientific projects, Dr Kamugisha said, are geared towards addressing development challenges in health, agriculture and food security, communications and transportation safety, energy, education, environment and climate change.

He said, young scientists with best scientific innovations will be rewarded with cash, medals, trophies, and library refurbishment for their schools.

“KJF will also provide university scholarships to students with top quality projects so as to facilitate them to pursue scientific studies at higher learning institutions,” he said.

He further said that, this year KJF have introduced a new award (Hatem Karimjee Memorial Prize) to commemorate the late Mr Hatem Karimjee who played a vital role since the introduction of YST exhibitions.

However, he said the schools outreach programme and the annual YST exhibitions are providing much needed scientific skills to young people in addressing the socio-economic problems and ultimately building science culture in Tanzania.

“We call upon all teachers, parents, government, corporates and NGOs to support YST programme and secondary students who are currently working on their scientific and technological projects,” he said.

Mr Yusuf Karimjee, the Executive Director of Toyota Tanzania/Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation, one of the main sponsors of YST exhibition event. To his left is Ms Devotha Rubama, KJF’s manager.

On his part, Mr Yusuf Karimjee, the Executive Director of Toyota Tanzania, said they were proud to continue sponsor the YST event because it lies within the KJF’s core mission, which is education.

“This is through scholarships to Tanzanians to study in Tanzania and provide assistance to schools to improve facilities. New initiatives were introduced to give scholarships to science students through the YST Award Scheme, specialized scholarships were given for MSc in Paediatric Oncology and also MSc in Conservation Management of African Ecosystems,” he said.

Mr Karimjee said, last year they pledged their support and commitment to the YST project with US$100,000 donation per annum, for a five-year period and in doing so continue to play a vital role in the development of Science in Tanzania starting with inspiring and nurturing minds across the country.

“In addition to that, we will also provide scholarships to two students who will win in the overall category and two students who will win in the special education category to undertake and complete their university studies after the completion of high school education.

“As for now, more than 70 students benefited from KJF scholarships to pursue undergraduate and post graduate studies at local and overseas,” he said.

He further said, they strongly believed that investment in education would not only help improve the teaching methodology and research in the field of science but also help encourage more students to join the science platforms at their schools and nourish their scientific talents.

Ms Devota Rubama, KJF Manager, said in 2018, after becoming one of the main sponsors, they remitted US$100,000 (about TShs. 226 million) and this year once again they have already provided TShs. 230 million to YST.

“Apart from this sponsorship, in 2018/2019 KJF paid a total of TShs. 31.5 million as university fees for 9 students who won the YST awards,” she said.

She said, KJF is keen to see the teaching methodology and learning practices changed to suit existing demand in the education sector.

Ms Patricia from Shell Tanzania, one of the main sponsors of YST exhibition, during a press conference today, Thursday, April 18, 2019. On her left if YST Co-Found Mr Joseph Clowry.

For her part external relations manager for Shell (Exploration and Production) Tanzania Ltd, Ms Patricia Mhondo said that the model for promoting science used by YST is good as it helps students to learn and practice science rather than a theory learning approach.

She said, they have decided to sponsor YST in order to get young experts who will be trained and recruited for the future as part of a strategy to reduce the cost of importing experts.

“So far Shell (T) has spent total of $1million to fund the project that seeks to lift up the scientific talents of the younger generation,” she added.

Ms Patricia said they are proud to be one of the main sponsors of YST exhibition for the seventh year now as the event provides good opportunity for the upcoming young local scientists who are in a big demand as far as the extractive industry is concerned.

She said, the YST event lies within their STEM theme that focuses on science, technology and education promotion as one of their social responsibility in the local content.

YST Co-Founder, Mr Joseph Clowry, talking to journalists during a press Conference today, Thursday, April 18, 2019.

However, YST Co-Founder, Mr Joseph Clowry, said the YST science exhibition event has helped many young students in Tanzania to like science subjects, saying many of the past winners and participants were already employed in various sectors.

He thanked the government through the Commission of Science and Technology (COSTECH) by starting picking on some of the science projects that could be developed.

“The government has done a very good and recommendable job by starting picking up some of the projects, we now know for sure that our youth potential won’t be lost even for those who can’t get awards,” he said.

YST, a non-governmental organization has opened a room for secondary students to submit their innovative and scientific projects which they think are the best in order to compete with each other.