NYANZA - 10th November 2022: Today in Nyanza District Rwanda joins the world to celebrate World Science Day was celebrated under the theme “Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development”. The celebration which took place at Nyanza Stadium was presided over by Dr. Bernard Bahati Director General of National Examinations and School Inspection Authority (NESA) who represented Minister of Education Dr. Valentine Uwamariya in the ceremony.

Oraganised in partnership with National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) and Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU), the celebration event was also attended by Rose Baguma Director General of Education Policy Analysis in the Ministry of Education, KAYITESI Nadine, Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs in Nyanza District and other officials in different institutions.

During World Science Day celebration, secondary schools and Higher Learning Institutions students exhibited innovative projects which show the contribution of scientific knowledge to solving societal problems through hands-on experience or discoveries generated from the application of basic and applied sciences.

World Science Day aims at bringing science closer to society by highlighting some key scientific aspects and possible solutions provided by science, technology, and innovation to major global challenges society faces. It was globally celebrated first in 2002 and 2009 in Rwanda.

In his remarks, Dr Bernard Bahati thanked all parties involved to organize the event and revealed how science and technology contribute to the country development.

“We encourage leaders, private sector students and media personnel to work together and support science and technology to improve our lives. The government of Rwanda also believe that STEM can play a big role in supporting Rwanda to achieve vision 2050 which is in the education development aspect centered on quality education, science, technology, and innovation. They many ongoing interventions to back this concept including detecting students who are talented in STEM to promote their talents, supporting research institutions, and increasing number of STEM students in Public Higher Learning Institutions.”

The celebration of the WSD was recommended during the World Conference on Science that took place in Budapest in 1999. It was recommended that the WSD be celebrated annually at the international level on the 10th of November. The first celebration was held in 2002 and subsequent years each having a specific theme. The WSD started to be celebrated in Rwanda in 2009 and has been organized annually by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) and the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST). 

In 2021, the celebration took place on 12th November 2021 and was celebrated virtually due to covid-19 pandemic, under the theme of “Building climate-ready communities’’, which highlights the inclusivity and equality of the sciences and her contribution to vital environmental goals. As UNESCO and the whole world celebrate the 2022 world Science Day, there is a need to engage the wider public in the knowledge of basic sciences which are the basis of fundamental principles that govern our lives.

Despite the progress made in recent years, the World still witnesses great disparities across and within different regions and different countries when it comes to accessing Science, Technology, and Innovations (STI) and enjoying their benefits. To address these disparities and close the existing STI gaps, UNESCO has adopted the recommendations and proposed Governments around the world to annually highlight the contribution of science to sustainable development.