Kembara Sains Borneo 2024 set to reach participation target of 35,000 students

SIBU (Sept 12): The Kembara Sains Borneo (KSB) 2024 is set to achieve its target of 35,000 students participating in the programme, through the introduction of a science exhibition bus called ‘Trooperz On The Move’.

Organised by the National Science Centre (PSN) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti)’s ‘SciTech4U’ initiative, the KSB itself has already attracted over 27,000 primary and secondary school children nationwide as of Sept 6.

‘Trooperz On The Move’, on the other hand, is a unique exhibition format specially brought by PSN to bring fun and adventure to schoolchildren as well as rural communities in Sabah and Sarawak, where it features various interactive and hands-on learning methods and related activities to get them interested in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and science, technology and innovation (STI) fields.

STI has proven to be able to improve the quality of daily life and this is translated via the slogan ‘Populating Science, Humanising Technology and Mainstreaming Innovation’.

Additionally, KSB 2024 is in line with the goals of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2021-2030 (DSTIN) in driving Malaysia towards becoming a more competitive country through a strong foundation in STI.

A total of 22 schools across 10 districts in Sabah and five districts Sarawak have been selected as the locations for the programme this year.

Among the many interesting activities are games based on science and technology, knowledge-sharing from scientists and industry experts in ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ sessions, ‘Kahoot Science Buzz Quiz’, ‘Let’s Xperiment’, ‘Science Demonstration’, and the ‘STEM Workshop’.

In Sabah, the PSN ‘Trooperz On the Move’ exhibition bus went around for 22 days, launched in Lahad Datu on Aug 1 and ended in Kota Kinabalu on Aug 22.

The locations covered along the way were Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Telupid, Ranau, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Kinarut and Papar.

In Sarawak, KSB 2024 started off in Miri on Sept 2, then proceeding to Bintulu, Sibu and Sri Aman before arriving in Kuching this Sept 15.

According to Mosti secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim, KSB 2024 has successfully achieved its objective of empowering non-formal STEM education among students, especially in the rural and interior areas across Borneo.

“The programme has made a big impact in bridging the STEM education gap between the urban and the rural areas.

“We hope that this programme would continue next year, but that would depend on the budget allocated by the government,” he said when delivering his speech for the programme at SMK Deshon in Sibu on Monday.

The school was one of KSB 2024 locations in Sarawak.

Adding on, Aminuddin noted that the programme had received positive response from the schoolchildren and the teachers at every location.

He also affirmed Mosti’s commitment of ensuring that STEM education would continue to be emphasised, in line with the country’s efforts in producing more talents in the field of science and technology.

PSN and Mosti strategic partners for KSB 2024 consist of government and private agencies, as well as the programme’s main sponsor, Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd.

The strategic collaboration between PSN and Hibiscus Petroleum reflects the dedication and commitment of the private sector in supporting the government’s initiative of fuelling the culture of STI among Malaysians.