The call for more Africans to pursue science subjects and take part in global scientific contributions has been renewed as Next Einstein Forum (NEF) celebrates Africa Science Week, an annual week-long celebration of science and technology.

Science Week especially celebrates the role of girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

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Organised in collaboration with the Henry Luce Foundation and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), the 2023 Africa Science Week is marked across 11 African countries under the theme "Breaking Barriers, Inspiring Scientific Excellence.”

Science Week which began on Monday, June 19 and runs until June 22, provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of African scientists to the body of knowledge of science and elicits interest in scientific pursuits among the general public.

In Rwanda, the week-long celebrations have been held in schools, where science students showcased their projects. There are also the Science Expo and the Industrial Visit as part of the Science Week.

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"During the Science Week that started on Monday, we visited science students who presented their incredible projects that will bring solutions to some problems we have today. In particular, we celebrate the contributions and role of women in STEM,” said Marie Claire Mutuyimana, the NEF Ambassador 2023-2024.

"We encourage the students and innovators to find solutions to different problems in society and according to what we have witnessed, they are on the right track. We help them to find partners that can support the projects.”

The NEF Africa Science Week, which promotes the discovery of science and technology on the continent, is designed for all age groups and brims with events, activities including talks, and shows for every age group.

Led by NEF Ambassadors, the signature programme seeks to instil the curiosity of learning and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The event allows young Africans, especially girls, to acknowledge that they too can become excellent scientists and technologists by pursuing STEM fields.

"I am very passionate about science and I strive to make my contribution to the development of the girl,” Delice Munezero, a science student at Liquidnet Family High School at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, in Rwamagana District, said.

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Munezero and her colleagues have a project that uses 3D printing to make educational objects.

"It is hard to study and understand an object like a binocular or a DNA structure without having any physical material. So, my colleagues and I came up with the project to print out the objects that can be used by different schools across the country,” she said.

The Science Week events involve their local communities, partners, and institutions.

"Science is the core of everything we do because architectural design and construction is a technology-based discipline,” said Justin Ndacyayishima, the managing director of Ark Design, an architectural engineering start-up based in Kigali.

There is a big difference between someone who studied more theory and one who has had more practice, said Ndacyayishima, whose firm provides internship opportunities to women pursuing STEM subjects.

"Those with a lot of practice are able to go out and work, but those who have not had the habit of working with projects in real-life situations, trying to solve problems, find it difficult to integrate with the practical work done in the industry,” he said.

The Next Einstein Forum supports projects that seek to provide solutions to problems.

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For Israel Nishimwe, co-founder and CEO of Kwaanda Labs, a start-up dealing in electronic solutions, science will be the backbone of any technological advancement in Africa.

"At Kwaanda Labs, we have made wireless chargers that are already on the market. We are also working on a project that focuses on wireless power transfer, which could help people in remote areas and reduce the cost of electricity in a country like Rwanda,” Nishimwe said.

In Kigali, the Africa Science Week will be closed on Thursday with the Trivia Night, an event that will be attended by start-up founders, science students from AIMS, and organisations that promote girls’ education, such as SheCanCode and Girls in ICT Rwanda.