KUCHING: The Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development has expressed its commitment to establishing the STEM Trailblazers event as an annual occurrence, recognising it as one of the ministry’s flagship initiatives.
Minister Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn acknowledged the current event’s scale and impact and challenged the organisation to host an even larger-scale event next year, potentially involving multiple divisions concurrently, and expressed support for this endeavour.
“We are guided by the Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030). Through PCDS 2030, we have identified six economic sectors and determined seven enablers.
“PCDS 2030 has also introduced concepts such as the hydrogen economy, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), renewable energy, floating photovoltaics, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and many more,” he explained.
“It is an honour that my ministry is recognised as one of the enablers within the Education and Human Capital cluster. Under this cluster, we have developed catalytic initiatives through strategic partnerships with industries and stakeholders.”
Reading from Sagah’s speech, Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis stated that the goal is to create a science-literate society and address educational quality disparities.
Today’s event, he said, is a part of the broader vision of achieving a thriving society driven by data and innovation in Sarawak, where everyone enjoys economic prosperity, social inclusivity and a sustainable environment by 2030.
Meanwhile, ministry permanent secretary Azmi Bujang added that the three-day event, scheduled for July 6 to 8, will take place simultaneously at two educational institutions in Sarawak – Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, and Curtin University Malaysia, Miri.
“This first-of-its-kind initiative, executed on such a grand scale, aims to showcase the best talents Sarawak has to offer and underscores our Ministry’s unwavering efforts to develop our human capital,” he stressed.
He further explained that the STEM Trailblazers event would consist of two major programmes – the Raspberry Pi Forum and the STEM Festival. The Sarawak government has distributed 9,436 Raspberry Pi computers to all primary schools throughout the region.
“The Raspberry Pi Forum will feature international experts in coding and computer science, and our teachers who have undergone Raspberry Pi training will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative applications of this tool alongside their students.”
The event is expected to draw over 2,000 students and 200 teachers, and it is open to the public.
