YET ANOTHER SEASON FOR YST SCIENCE EXHIBITION

YST Co-founder, Gozbert Kamugisha (centre) stresses a point to journalist (not in picture) during the launch of new YST season.
 

By Michael Mbughi

Dr es Salaam

Young Scientists Tanzania (YST), a non-governmental organization, hopes to launch a competition for science projects for students in 25 regions in the country.

Speaking to the media at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Dar es Salaam yesterday, YST Co-founder Gozibert Kamugisha said that this year the organization hopes to launch the competition in 25 regions due to the increase in applications for participants. .

Kamugisha said due to the high awareness of students in the country on issues of technology many students have been found to discover and do a lot of research where more than 579 applications have been submitted for science projects.

He said that the increase of number of students to participate in science research and innovation all over Tanzania YST has made an important decision to organize YST regional exhibition in 25 regions in 2021.

Kamugisha said this decision will give the opportunity for many more school students to participate in the YST programme.

He said the regional exhibitions will allow the regional Authorities to work in partnership with YST as the initiative and program is embedded in their regions.

However said this inaugural year for embedding the exhibitions at regional level in July, each region will involve a minimum of 12 projects, whereby he said   more than 300 science projects will be showcased across the country in July this year.

He said a minimum of six quality projects shall be selected from each regional exhibition to participate in the virtual national exhibition in early October this year.

Kamugisha added that the Young Science Tanzania Acadamy Awards to be held in November 2021 in Dar es Salaam will involve the overall winner of the national exhibition of the six science categories in Physical, Chemical, and Mathematical science also Technology and computer science, Agriculture science, biological science, Social science, Climate change and environmental sciences.

For his part, the chairman of Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation (KJF) Yusuf Karimjee said that KJF has been sponsoring the competition organized by YST for more than 11 years.

Karimjee said the aim of supporting the competition is to enable students to enjoy scientific studies as well as to enable them to acquire extensive research knowledge and discover important scientific issues to help society and the government as a whole.

He said that YST is the basis of a program to build the capacity of students and encourage academic motivation where he also said that it provides the necessary opportunities for scientific research and unlocks the best potential for Tanzanians towards creating sustainable development.

"We congratulate YST for continuing this initiative as it continues to play an important role in the development of science in Tanzania and to inspire and nurture the minds of young people around the world," Karimjee Said.

He added that KJF is committed to creating a better future for Tanzanian youth through empowerment education as well as developing the next generation of transformational leaders and designers who will bring productivity to Tanzania and the world at large.

The vice president and chairman of Shell Tanzania Jared Kuehi said his company will continue to sponsor the YST competition as a result of the exhibition in line with their theme of promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM) in secondary schools due to the techniques used in YST programs help students become creative, curious as well as it promote scientific cultures.