MOSTI COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING VARIOUS STI INITIATIVES - CHANG

SERDANG, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- The government will continue implementing various initiatives and outreach programmes involving science, technology and innovation (STI) for the people.

Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Minister Chang Lih Kang said MOSTI programmes, such as the National Science Week Carnival (MSN) in selected states and the Borneo Science Walk (KSB) in Sabah and Sarawak, have recorded very encouraging participation from people of all walks of life.

"This initiative not only strengthens interest in science and technology but also brings the community closer to the ongoing STI progress, towards building a more competitive and innovative country," he said.

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The minister was speaking at the finals of the 2024 National Science Challenge (NSC) here today, 

Chang said reinforcement of formal learning in schools through informal activities such as NSC competitions is an important means of fostering students' deep interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

He said improving talent, especially in the STEM field, requires efforts to instil interest, which must be implemented in parallel with empowering education quality in Malaysia.

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"To ensure the STEM curriculum remains relevant and competitive, it needs to meet the requirements outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan, the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2021-2030, as well as the 10-10 Framework for Science, Technology, Innovation and the Malaysian Economy (MySTIE)," he said.

Meanwhile, Chang said NSC 2024 had gathered 9,689 teams involving 29,067 students nationwide.

"The implementation of NSC for almost a quarter of a century by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) also clearly shows a sharp increase in participation post-COVID-19. It shows the willingness of students to find learning platforms outside the classroom with interesting implementation methods to complete the curriculum applied in schools," he said.

At the 2024 NSC competition organised by ASM, St Joseph's Private Secondary School, Kuching, Sarawak emerged as the overall champion. It took home the Prime Minister's Challenge Trophy, a study tour abroad, educational scholarships, participation certificates and gadgets.

The NSC competition, open to students from Form 1 to Form 4 from public, private and international secondary schools in Malaysia, is a platform for participants to hone their communication skills and spirit of teamwork and develop critical thinking.

-- BERNAMA