M Mangena: Eskom Expo for Young Scientists

30 September 2006

Programme Director
Chairperson and Board Members of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists
National Manager of the Expo for Young Scientists
Representatives of Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) and other sponsoring
organisations
Representatives of Education and other government departments
Distinguished guests
Young scientists
Ladies and gentlemen

This Expo for Young Scientists National Finals comes on the heels of the
International Science, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INSITE) that was
held a few days ago in Sandton.

Apart from showcasing South Africa's talent and potential, INSITE 2006 was
also aimed at informing and inspiring our youth to follow careers in science,
engineering and technology. The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists provides our
youth with an opportunity to display their talent and potential as future
researchers, scientists and innovators. Indeed, the enthusiasm and
innovativeness that I have come to associate with the Expo participants, holds
definite promise that many of you will go on to do great things in the fields
of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. All of you here today are
blessed with a talent you have clearly managed to capture in your exciting
projects. It is a real pleasure for my Ministry to be associated with this
event. We are determined to intensify our efforts to address the challenges we
still face in the development of science and technology careers and
opportunities.

We acknowledge and celebrate the effort and energy that you, the learners,
have put into your projects. We also acknowledge and thank those special people
behind the scenes who have contributed their time and effort to making this day
a reality. Parents and educators play a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of
our learners. We salute and commend those dedicated parents and educators, who
through their patience, insight and commitment, have made it possible for our
children to persevere and excel in Science, Technology and Mathematics.

As parents, our role is to support and guide our children to assist them in
applying their skills and talents to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
However, we need to strike a careful balance between challenging our children
to reach greater heights and pushing them to win at all costs.

The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is not only about winning. It is about
developing the passion for scientific research and discovery, and promoting
scientific awareness. Whilst we may be able to see a stark difference in the
visual quality of presentations coming from different learners, I must stress
the importance of looking at the scientific thinking behind the work against
the aesthetics. Many top scientists today come from rural and impoverished
backgrounds, and they have managed to show their understanding and application
of scientific principles and concepts. This is what is required to become a
true researcher and scientist.

I am truly pleased with the effort and partnership that has resulted in
South Africa winning the bid to host the Expo Science Internationale (ESI) in
2007. From 8 to 13 July next year, Durban will be the destination of prominent
scientists, educators and thousands of young scholars who will participate in
this exciting exhibition to celebrate the wonders of science. Securing the
event is a great honour for the country and an opportunity to showcase South
African talent, progress and hospitality. I urge all interested parties to
support this important event. Beginning with my department, I invite public and
private sector companies, research councils and academia to dig deep into their
pockets to enhance the quality of this noteworthy international event.

Winning the bids to host international events is becoming a common feature
in our country and particularly our science system. In addition to hosting the
ESI 2007, we also won other bids to host the 3rd International Conference on
Science Centres in Developing Countries in 2008, and the Pan African
Mathematics Olympiad in 2009. Through these events, our learners and education
practitioners will get an opportunity to interact with their international
counterparts. We hope our youth will seize the opportunities provided by these
international interactions to reach for the stars.

In November last year, the President launched the Southern African Large
Telescope (SALT) in Sutherland in the Northern Cape. SALT is the most powerful
optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, and has the capacity to detect
the equivalent of a candle flame flickering on the moon or a two rand coin at a
distance of ten kilometres. SALT is a prime example of the opportunities that
science can create. Even more exciting and inspiring, is that this powerful
African eye to the sky embodies our country's talent, innovation, creativity
and strong will to aspire to new levels of excellence.

However, despite the vision, and pursuit of excellence and creativity by our
scientific workforce, we are still a long way towards producing enough
scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians to establish a firm
foundation for South Africa's scientific advancement. Science is a global
endeavour, and if we are to remain competitive within the global market, we
need a workforce that is innovative and forward-looking. We need a large number
of young women and men to pursue their studies and enter into careers in these
areas of scarce skills. We also need to arrest the brain drain from our science
system by retaining our skilled human resources.

Role models and mentors are important in encouraging young people to persist
in their scientific studies. You form a very important component of the type of
role models we are looking for. What better way is there to make sure our
learners are encouraged to take Mathematics, Technology and Science than to
hear their peers explain just how wonderful scientific research and discovery
is?

Though still inadequate, my department has established a number of science
centres in all the provinces to encourage our learners to learn how to apply
their scientific knowledge to find new and effective ways of doing things. For
those living near such facilities, please make the time to visit the science
centres regularly and try out some scientific projects of your own. You will
soon discover how easy it is to create new and exciting products.

South Africa is celebrating 2006 as the "Year of the Women" to mark the 50th
anniversary of the women's march to the Union Buildings, which took place on 9
August 1956, to protest against unjust pass laws. Those thousands of women of
all races who descended on the Union Buildings 50 years ago began a movement to
uplift and empower South African women. And the best way of honouring their
courage and resolve to better the lot of women is by having more girls and
women following and succeeding in science careers. The science system will be
all the richer if all South Africans pooled their drive, energy, creativity and
innovation to address many of the problems that plague our nation.

My department is committed to enhancing our association with the Eskom Expo
for Young Scientists. We are currently considering extending our sponsorship to
the Expo for Young Scientists and hope to report good news in the not too
distant future. We firmly believe that events such as these are exceptionally
important for identifying and nurturing talent and potential in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. For this reason, we have developed and
commenced with the implementation of the National Plan for Olympiads,
competitions and camps. This is an important first step towards synergising the
Olympiads, competitions and camps that are already featuring dominantly in some
schools but are still inaccessible to many others.

May I, in closing, take this opportunity to commend the vision and
dedication of the organisers that has always been second to none. I trust you
will continue to contribute selflessly towards building our country's
scientific workforce that is also second to none.

I am truly inspired by the quality of the projects produced this year. It
has become increasingly obvious that excellence and innovation are not bound by
age and experience. There is no limit to the heights that our country can rise,
if we continue to produce learners of your calibre. I trust you all will
persevere in your studies. I wish you all the best in the future, and look
forward to hearing more about your achievements.

Isaac Asimov, a Russian biochemist claims that, "the most exciting phrase to
hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not 'Eureka!'
but "That's funny"; I will leave you to ponder this statement at your
leisure.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
30 September 2006
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za)