17 May 2016

Mathematics and Science are fundamental foundations for engineering and technology, according to Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) pre-university academic programmes director, Dr Haniso Motlhabane.

Speaking at the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) festival press briefing, Dr Motlhabane said science and mathematics were perennially problematic in Botswana.

He said the problem was not indicative of the national genetic potential, which would be tragic if it was. Dr Motlhabane noted that among other causes was a general phobia for mathematics and science that tended to be rampant with reference to a problem of an environment devoid of appropriate mind stimulants.

He said the fundamental to removing phobia for science and mathematics and therefore stimulating interest in them was flooding of the living environment with real life STEM oriented phenomena, science centres, science circuses and STEM festivals.

The festival, he said, highlighted and buttressed the relevance and criticality of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by celebrating STEM and STEM innovations and inventions, hence the theme ‘STEM for Development: Creating A Future For Botswana.’

The university’s pre-university academic programmes coordinator, Ms Leapotswe Bantsi, said the objective of the STEM festival was to allow institutions and industries to showcase their peculiar STEM niches on which their business leverage as they contribute to national socio-economic betterment.

She said the other objective is to buttress the relevance and criticality of BIUST by celebrating STEM and STEM innovations and inventions and allow students and researchers to showcase their dreams and have those dreams celebrated.

She said the festival would also help learners and the public appreciate what science, technology, engineering and mathematics could do. ENDS