Students will acquire hands-on lab-based skills from a newly established science center by STEMpower in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Embassy of Israel in Rwanda. Dubbed STEM center, it was inaugurated at the Musanze-based Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences (INES) on Monday, November 29, 2021. The facility has two sections; a virtual lab that is equipped with 30 computers, a 3D printer and an electronic lab is also expected in the near future. According to officials, all equipment will benefit neighboring secondary schools as well as INES students. Edwin Kumfa, the Chief Executive Officer of STEMpower said the new center, among others, was established to help students access quality education. “We are committed to empowering aspirant scientists by providing tools and skills that will help them to learn science by application, which will ultimately lead to innovative projects that will positively impact lives of people in the surrounding community,” he said. STEMpower is a Pan-African non-governmental organization advancing STEM education and FabLabs within academic institutions in several African countries. The center is the second set-up by this organization following the one established in the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology (UR-CST) in May this year. Bishop Harolimana Vincent, the Chancellor of INES –Ruhengeri, thanked STEMpower for availing tools that will ensure students go past theories to practicing what they are taught in class. “The center will be a hub of innovation, industrialization and entrepreneurship especially for the university and secondary school students in the surrounding are,.” He added. Following two STEM centers established in UR-CST and INES Ruhengeri, STEMpower plans to establish six more centers across the country before the end of 2022. The Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda, Ron Adam, who was present at the launch of the STEM center, urged the university to ensure that beneficiaries leverage the facility. “I am happy to witness the establishment of this second STEM center. It is now the responsibility of INES Ruhengeri to make sure that this center will be open as much as possible, for students and the community to use it and benefit from it at the maximum,” he said. Started in Ethiopia, STEMpower has so far set up STEM centers in different other countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. It Includes Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ghana, Somalia, Burundi, Cameroon, and South Africa.
