THE STEM Showcase 24, scheduled to be held at UoW Batu Kawan on May 3 and 4, is expected to draw over 10,000 students and visitors from Penang and neighbouring states.
Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, who also holds the position of chairman for the state Human Capital Development, Science and Technology Committee, said the event will be the largest STEM gathering in Seberang Perai, offering 2,800 slots for workshops, with 1,200 slots available to the public.
“For Penang, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is extremely important to inculcate interest in science and technology among the youth.
“We are not only having this showcase but also many other programmes. Tech Dome Penang, Penang Science Clusters and Penang Maths Platform, for instance, are working very hard toward this goal,” Jagdeep said during a press conference at his office in Komtar today.
STEM Showcase 24 is jointly organised by Tech Dome Penang, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti), and UOW Malaysia KDU, with Greatech as the executive sponsor.
“From STEM workshops, STEM Experience & Discovery, six STEM competitions including maze car, water rocket and quiz for Standard 1 to 6, to industry exhibitions, STEM Showcase 24 promises to ignite the passion for STEM in all participants.
“We’ve 35 STEM partners and at least 15 industry partners participating in this programme.
“I urge interested students to register for the workshops through Tech Dome Penang’s website as soon as possible,” Jagdeep added.
He disclosed that Penang and Mosti are currently engaged in a collaborative effort on a programme called Technical Skills Learning (TSL) which he envisions as a successful initiative that could be expanded nationwide.
Also present at the press conference were Mohammad Fikri Romli, senior assistant secretary (Culture Unit, Mosti); Khoo Boo Wooi, chief executive officer of Tech Dome Penang; Koay Lin Lin, chief financial officer of Greatech Integration (M) Sdn Bhd, along with representatives from STEM partners and industry collaborators.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting