Building Interest in STEM: IAEA Helps Secondary Schools in Asia and the Pacific Improve Nuclear Science Education

During the workshop, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Philippines’ Department of Education and the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. The MoU provides a framework for cooperation in implementing project activities nationwide. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, who previously visited two schools participating in the pilot phase of the project, attended the signing ceremony as guest of honour. In his remarks he noted “I am a great believer in the vital importance of science and technology for development. I very much welcome the commitment of the Philippines to increasing the role of nuclear science and technology in the academic curriculum as reflected in the MoU.”

Teachers and students who participated in the pilot phase delivered testimonials at the MoU ceremony. A number of these teachers are now themselves trainers, and are helping to promote better understanding of nuclear science in their home countries and throughout the region. Reflecting on his experience working with schools involved in the pilot projects, Dr Takeshi Iimoto (Associate Professor, University of Tokyo), was impressed by how pilot countries adapted the IAEA Compendium activities from their original Japanese context to suit the needs of different cultures: “I am proud that Japanese knowledge and experiences accumulated over a long period of time, and tools developed in Japan, are effectively used in their activities.”

Scheduled for implementation between 2018 and 2022, the project will include focused training for science teachers and the development of educational and learning resources in a variety of formats. This builds on the success of an earlier TC regional outreach project[2] in which Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates pilot tested various strategies.

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[1] RAS0079 ‘Educating Secondary Students and Science Teachers on Nuclear Science and Technology’

[2] RAS0065 ‘Supporting Sustainability and Networking of National Nuclear Institutions in Asia and the Pacific Region’