NIBONG TEBAL, 3 July 2024 – Dr. Siti Harwani Md. Yusoff, a senior lecturer in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), has recently been awarded a prestigious grant to establish a STEM Community Centre.
This award is part of an initiative to provide follow-on support to recent participants of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), a programme administered by the United States Department of State and the United States Embassy.
The objective of the programme is to enable participants to leverage and share the knowledge and connections gained during their exchange experience.
Dr Harwani was selected to participate in the IVLP programme entitled "Engaging the Rising Generation of Space Nations" from 8-26 April 2023, which made her eligible to apply for this grant.
The grant will fund her project, entitled "STEM Community Centre", which has the objective of engaging and empowering primary and secondary school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Intuitive-Based Learning (IBL).
This project will be implemented in the local community around the USM Engineering Campus and aims to inspire young people to venture into the field of STEM and shape them into a knowledgeable and visionary generation.
Reflecting on her award, she said that being selected to participate in the IVLP programme was indeed a great experience that I could only have dreamed of.
“I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit a number of STEM education centres and observe first-hand how education is becoming the primary instrument for fostering a creative and innovative society," said Harwani.
Additionally, she hopes that the project will serve as an inspiration for young people to pursue careers in the field of STEM, thereby developing a generation that is both knowledgeable and visionary in this area.
Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/ Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Siti Harwani Md. Yusoff
Credit : www.eng.usm.my
