Scientist Goes to Village’ programme aims to enrich STEM

By: SITI NURFARMY IBRAHIM, CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIVISION

The Renaissance of Science Educators (ROSE) community organised the ‘Scientist Goes to Village’ programme at Kampung Kuala Wau, Maran on January 2, 2019.

ROSE community consisted of lecturers, students and alumni from Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology (FIST), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and aimed at enhancing literacy and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among the youngsters and local people.

Sixty students from primary and secondary schools from Kampung Kuala Wau were involved in the programme that helped to develop their potentials.

Fifteen teachers, 16 foster families and 70 facilitators comprising UMP students of material technology, industry biotechnology and industrial chemical course also took part in the programme.

Among the guests present were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), Professor Ir. Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Yusoff, Head of School Management Unit, Mohamed Bakri Abdul Malek who represented Maran head education officer, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Wu Headmaster, Saharul Nizam Haji Bahaman, Kampung Kuala Wau Village Community Management Council (MPKK) Chairman, Mohd Zurin Md Jais and Programme Director, Ts. Dr. Saifful Kamaluddin Muzakir@Lokman.

Professor Ir. Dr. Wan Azhar said the university was pleased that the programme took off to a good start and that it was one of the efforts taken to increase students’ interest in STEM.

“The programme indirectly supports the National Education Philosophy. The objective of STEM education is to produce students of STEM literacy who are able to identify, apply and integrate STEM concept in solving problem, creatively and innovatively.

“STEM needs to be strengthened as now, there are a lot of technology applications that involve machines and computers, as outlined in the Industrial Revolution 4.0. This trend no longer focuses on the industrial context but also in all routine and daily operations of a community.

“We will see the creation of all kinds of new jobs with forms not even thinkable yet,” he said.

He hoped that more academicians, technologists, alumni and UMP students would join forces in a move to further develop talents in STEM.

In fact, he hoped that a programme such as this would get the attention from the industries who were also part of the stakeholders in the nation building agenda.

Ts. Dr. Saifful Kamaluddin said in the programme, pupils and students were trained to think in a critical and logical way when conducting science and mathematics experiments using resources found in their homes.

“They are also taught on how to build up their confidence when making decisions by using hypothesis that is based on facts and the importance of having strong virtues such as honesty, trustworthy, sharing of knowledge and leadership,” he added.

The ROSE community has carried out several other programmes such as ‘Lighting Up Community’, ‘Young Scientist Camp’ and ‘Science Hero’ in schools since 2017 that served as an early exposure on STEM subjects and aimed at easing on the common perception about the subjects being difficult and could not be applied outside of classroom.

The country targets an annual intake of 270,000 to take up STEM-related courses as part of the efforts to prepare for the Industrial Revolution 4.0 as compared to 79,200 recorded as of 2017.