June 11, 2002
 
 

Press Release: 'Under African Skies' Conference makes Science Fun for Students and Addresses the Role of Science & Technology in Sustainable Development.

On Monday , June 17^th the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and Cosmos Education - a US based NGO - will open the second annual Under African Skies conference. Hosted at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, the 5-day conference will involve students, teachers, professors and researchers from Nairobi and throughout the world. The theme for our 2002 Under African Skies Conference is 'Science & Sustainability - Applying Appropriate Solutions for a Global Society'. 

The opening ceremony on Monday will include welcoming addresses from UNEP’s Paul Okwaro, the UNDP’s Elias Xavier and a keynote address by Nairobi’s Deputy Mayor Joe Akech. In addition, music will be performed by Cosmos Education team members Clement Dlamani of Swaziland, Vivian Nchogu of Kenya, and Nzeyimana Felicien of Burundi. 

The conference is divided into two sessions. The first 3 day session (Monday ? Wednesday) will have three concurrent tracks: 1) a track for research presentations by professors, professional scientists, and university students, 2) a track for teacher training and hands-on science and technology education and curriculum development, and 3) a track for secondary school students to participate in hands-on learning projects and science experiments. In addition to hands-on science education, the student track will also focus on projects that foster teamwork and aid in empowering young girls in science. Attendance will be approximately 500 secondary school students and teachers at the conference.

The final two-day session (Thursday and Friday) is a symposium for university students, professors, secondary school teachers, and NGO staff to brainstorm on future directions for science and technology in Africa. The topic of the two-day symposium is the role of science and technology in the future of sustainable development. We will be working together to establish a framework for the future of science education in Africa. In particular, we will be addressing the role that such education will play in the future of sustainable development. Our work will be incorporating issues to be addressed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and we intend for the proceedings of our symposium to serve as an aid for the September World Summit in Johannesburg.

Partners in this initiative include the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNEP, NASA, The Musk Foundation, The Tillenius Charitable Fund, Astrium, Lockheed-Martin, WorldSpace and the African Scientific Network. More information on Cosmos Education and the Under African Skies project can be found on our web site: http://www.cosmoseducation.org.