Директор Кенийского агентства ядерной энергетики призвала интегрировать науку в школьную программу для развития кадров

Dr Anne Michura, an Independent Director of the Kenya Nuclear Power and Energy Agency, spoke to ESI Africa Editor-in-Chief Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl about the importance of early exposure to science and energy education, and the role of skills development in building Africa’s future energy workforce. Michura thinks the biggest barriers that are still limiting women’s participation in the STEM and energy related fields is bias and attitude. As a lecturer at Chuka University in the eastern part of Kenya she still notices the aftermath of the idea that girls may not do as well in hard sciences as boys because the core activity of girls has to do with helping in running the home, doing chores in the kitchen and being involved in social issues. While she is witnessing a shift in this attitude, her professional experience is still that of a lack of female participation in engineering courses such as civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. Find out more Women In Industry Bringing nuclear energy into the future education system in Africa Michura believes the energy sector, and in particular the nuclear sector, needs to become much more active, almost “entrenched”” in the primary as well as secondary school systems. “There has got to be some conversation on it because that’s where we prepare scientists. If we are to increase numbers, for example people in STEM, then this conversation has to go right right down to the beginning. “Then incline the curricula the universities towards energy and have specific programmes for energy and nuclear science which is still not very much embraced within the university. Also, domesticate this programme to the countries. Many of the trainings that we do on nuclear energy is outside… abroad,” explained Michura.