Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya, the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) sent a delegation to visit the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) to exchange views on future talent cultivation in the two countries on December 14, 2023.

Xin Bing, director general of the Children and Youth Science Center (CYSC) of CAST, and Norbert Mahout Hounkonnou, president of the NASAC, signed a memorandum of cooperation on behalf of each side.

In the future, the two sides will deepen cooperation in promoting scientific and cultural exchanges, co-construction and sharing of science education resources, capacity building of science instructors for quality curriculum delivery, and weaving cooperation network between the two countries.

The two sides declared to promote more cooperation projects to achieve practical results, drawing a new chapter of friendship between China and Africa.

Established on 13th December 2001 in Nairobi, Kenya, NASAC is a consortium of 29 merit-based science academies in Africa and aspires to make the “voice of science” heard by policy and decision makers both in Africa and worldwide. NASAC is dedicated to enhancing the capacity of existing national science academies and collaborates with other academies inside and outside the continent as well as with regional and international organizations concerned with African issues.

The CYSC has woven a cooperation network in the field of science education with 120 international and national organizations in more than 80 countries.

It launched brand programs including the Belt and Road Teenager Maker Camp & Teacher Workshop and held serial seminars since 2017 to enhance openness, mutual trust and win-win cooperation with its international peers.

On October 18, 2023, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRFIII) released 458 achievements, among which the Belt and Road Teenager Maker Camp & Teacher Workshop received wide attention for it shed light on teenagers’ participation in the BRI.

It is expected that this visit will inaugurate some practical programs to contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

During its stay in Kenya, the delegation held work talks with the Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS), Young Scientists Kenya (YSK), and the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) to find more cooperation opportunities in the future.

Tag: Children and Youth Science Center of CAST, Science Education