Africa Science week 2019
Africa Science Week (ASW) is an initiative of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) comprised of concurrent week-long science engagement events that take place in 35 countries across the continent. The 2019 Kenyan edition of the event, Africa Science Week - Kenya (ASW-Kenya 2019) took place between November 4th – 8th, 2019, under the theme of ‘Girls and Women in Science.’ ASW-Kenya 2019 was coordinated by a team led by Dr Rose M. Mutiso, Mawazo Institute CEO, with major funding from Next Einstein Forum, Government of Rwanda and the Mawazo Institute.
2019 Highlight Videos
Women in Science Leadership Breakfast
On the morning of November 4th, we held a breakfast for women in science, featuring a moderated panel discussion with senior women professionals sharing their experiences and insights from their careers in science. Our panellists for the day were: Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg (Director, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Mrs Catherine Nyambala (Chief Engineer Quality Regulatory Affairs Division – KenGen), Dr Evelyn Gitau (Director of Research Capacity Strengthening at Africa Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and Dr Leah Mwai (Research Specialist, DFID East Africa Research Hub). The conversation was moderated by Dr Rose M. Mutiso, Co-Founder and CEO of Mawazo Institute.
Girls In STEM Career Day
On November 6th, we invited high-school girls from Nairobi and its environs for a one-day career expo highlighting women and careers in STEM . The event featured informal presentations, meet-and-greets, and participatory science activities for students. The one-day expo provided an opportunity for the young girls to interact with local female Kenyan scientists, institutions, and corporations working in STEM, who provided practical guidance for students who may be considering careers in STEM.
Breaking Barriers in STEM (E-book)
In relation to this year’s ASW-Kenya 2019 theme ‘Girls and Women In Science’ we compiled the Breaking Barriers e-book which featured six female scientists, 30 and under, who are breaking barriers in the various fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the e-book, we share stories of how these women are using science, technology, and innovation for socio-economic development. We also hope to help to build broader public awareness of the exciting scientific work in which young, Kenyan women are engaged in locally.
Visiting the Travelling Telescope
On December 18th, we held the second Girls in STEM Career Day which was focused on astronomy and robotics and was held in partnership with the Travelling Telescope and Let Maasai Girls Learn initiative. The Travelling Telescope houses Kenya’s first public planetarium, and activities for the day included; a planetarium show, a three-hour Airbus Little Engineers Robotics Program, and a viewing of the Sun through a telescope. For our students, drawn from rural Maasai land, this was an important chance to expose them to new knowledge and have them experience the power of science firsthand using advanced technology.
Mawazo Ideas Night
Science and Tech Mixer: Working On It
Ideas are the essence of creativity, the spark to innovation and the call to research. During Mawazo Ideas Night (MIN), we offer local researchers, scholars and other self-identifying nerds an informal and engaging platform to present their ideas to the public. As part of ASW-Kenya 2019, Mawazo presented a Mawazo Ideas Night event called ‘Working On It’.
On the night of November 7th, we held an informal event at the K1 roundhouse targeted at local scientists, academics, scholars, researchers, techpreneurs, innovators, and the general public. The event featured several five-minute lightning talks with local thought leaders whose field of work is re-shaping Kenyan society and culture and providing solutions to local challenges. The speakers were: Professor Bitange Ndemo (Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Nairobi), Dr Eddine Sarroukh (Senior Advisor for Innovation and Technology, United Nations SDG Partnership Platform), Samuel Gikandi (CEO of AT Labs, Africa’s Talking), Marilyn Ronoh (Part-time Lecturer and Doctoral Student in Mathematics, University of Nairobi), Melisa Allela (Assistant Lecturer and Doctoral Student, Technical University of Kenya), Dr David Kimiti (Head of Research, Lewa Conservancy), Moina Spooner (Commissioning Editor, The Conversation Africa).
