Opinions and Perspectives Archives - SeeSD

‘Build what you love’ is the theme of the inaugural class at Fiocruz Bahia

admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Marking the beginning of the academic activities, on March 11th, at 09:00 am, the inaugural class of the graduate programs in Biotechnology in Health and Investigative Medicine (PgBSMI), in Human and Experimental Pathology (PgPAT/ UFBA-Fiocruz Bahia) and in Clinical Research ( PPgPCT ). The lecture entitled “Build what you love” will be given by the biologist, Khady Sall. The event counts with the participation of the director of Fiocruz Bahia, Marilda Gonçalves, who will welcome the students, and the Deputy Director of Education of the institution, Claudia Brodskyn, who will close the meeting.

the speaker

Khady Sall has a PhD in seed dormancy genetics and drought tolerance from Oregon State University in Corvallis – USA (2017). She is the founder of the non-profit Science Education Exchange for Sustainable Development (SeeSD) to promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) in her home country of Senegal. She directs the newly created Ubbil, an innovation laboratory and Virtual University of Senegal, in Dakar. Click here and access Nature’s article about the speaker.

Q&A: too much theory in science teaching

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

By Bilal Taïrou for Scidev.net

The African scientific world is increasingly enriched by women determined to actively participate in making science the driving force of the continent’s development.

Khadidiatou SALL, molecular and cellular biologist, ambassador of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) for Senegal and founder of the association Science education exchange for sustainable development (SeeSD) since 2016, is part of this new generation of determined women.

With her association, this young woman is committed to promoting science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM – Science, Technology, Engeniering, Art and Mathematics) to young people.

“When you give a child a mathematical problem in French, they can’t solve it. However, it solves the same problem, posed in local language”

Khadidiatou Sall, NEF Ambassador in Senegal

This year alone, she has already mentored over 200 students through hands-on workshops on biology, physics, chemistry, 3D printing, coding and electronics.

SciDev.Net talks to Khadidiatou SALL about her journey, her research and the obstacles she had to overcome to get to where she is today.

What were your motivations for embracing a scientific sector?

I was a little girl who was curious and loved to discover new things. As a small child, I often had fun making my own toys, and as I grew older, I realized that I had biology skills, which turned out to be a subject that wasn’t difficult for me. That’s how I became a biologist after that.

What is the basic need for your research?

I am much more focused on climate change and my research addresses the need to create plant varieties that are resilient to drought and climate change. That is why the theme of water is of paramount importance to me. I think that in the years to come, the water content will continue to decrease. It is therefore necessary to find genes that can be modified to create plants that are much more tolerant to certain stresses, especially drought.

What follow-up do you hope will be given to your research?

What I’m looking for is more collaboration from governments and the private sector to develop and use that research. What we often do is basic research that can nevertheless be used to create concrete things. The goal of doing this type of research is to advance science, and at the same time, solve problems.

You talked earlier about genes that could be changed. Given the general reluctance of the populations in the face of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), are you not afraid that your research will encounter resistance to their large-scale deployment?

That is quite possible. But I think that in Africa, the problem with GMO-based research lies in the fact that these technologies are brought in by foreign companies. Most of the time, African populations have not contributed to the elaboration of them and they are only consumers. And I think that in order for people to adopt this type of technology, we should change the approach and proceed in such a way that the community feels that it is engaged, that it is part of the research and that it is for it. Starting with, for example, developing research institutes based in Africa…

Isn’t there also a communication problem around GMOs?

It is certain, and that is why the popularization of science is also very important, by showing people from a young age, for example, how to develop GMOs.

What about your role as an ambassador for the NEF. How did you get to that level and what is that role really?

I became an ambassador of the NEF while I was doing my doctoral studies. It was an opportunity that I took. I want to clarify that I had already created the SeeSD association. The fact that I have already had experience in promoting science through this association and also by having worked, while I was in France, for associations that were popularizing science, allowed me, in addition to doctoral studies, to become NEF ambassador for Senegal.

The role is valid for two years and consists essentially in the popularization of science in his country, especially through the organization of the African Science Week. In short, take initiatives aimed at popularizing science in the country for which we are ambassador and submit them to the NEF to be accompanied in the implementation of these initiatives or projects. Finally, we must obviously participate in the meetings organized by the NEF. We need to know that it is an opportunity to have a network in Africa to promote science and to know other scientists so that we can collaborate on certain projects if possible.

Quels sont les obstacles que vous avez rencontrés dans votre parcours secondaire et universitaire ?

It is not easy to establish a scientific track for a woman. Generally speaking, there is a gender problem in science. To my understanding, this is due to the fact that girls are discouraged at an early age. In addition, they lack confidence and often think that science is difficult. The other obstacle I have encountered is related to the language in which science is taught. Science is complicated because it is not taught in national languages. For example, when a child is given a mathematical problem in French, he cannot solve it. However, it solves the same problem, posed in local language. Finally, it should be noted that there is too much theory in teaching science in Africa.

Have you had to face, in any way, the cultural challenges that prevent women, generally in developing countries, from feeling powerful and capable of doing the same things that men do?

Cultural and above all gender challenges are found throughout society. Women have less time than men, to devote to studies because they have to do domestic work, and many other things. I was therefore the victim of a lack of encouragement and of an attempt by my teachers to orientate towards the literary fields in high school. I remember when I was going from third grade to second grade, I wanted to do a scientific stream and the people at my institution wanted to direct me to a literary stream. I had to oppose, and with the support of my family, I was able to do science.

What is your view on the evolution of current trends in terms of girls’ interest in science?

Even if trends change, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of orientation to the scientific fields. For example, I was talking to Senegal’s Minister of Higher Education, Professor Mary Teuw Niane, who said that Senegal lost 1% every year in scientific series. So there is a trend that needs to be reversed. And for me, to do that, you have to completely change the education system. We tend to copy the systems of the Westerners, while they also realize that there are gender problems at home. Instead of relying on certain things to remember and on exams that have no interest, we must instead teach students how to learn. What is currently happening is that with robotics, artificial intelligence, there are professions that will become obsolete. And to survive, you have to be open and be able to develop skills, which the system doesn’t allow here.

Which scientist inspires you the most? And why?

I did not go to science by following a model; it was because I found it interesting. However, there are many women scientists who have contributed to the advancement of science and who have remained in the shadows or have been erased by history. We have Rosalind Franklin, who was to receive the Nobel Prize in 1962. We have Mileva Marić, Einstein’s wife.

We should all stand up for science!

admin — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 07:37:00 +0000

By Khadidiatou Sall for Scientists Speaking Up

Do we live in an age of alternative facts? It appears people are forgetting the difference between facts and opinions. The two are not the same. One is based on hard evidence while the other is just a personal value judgment. For example, consider climate change; it is all too frequently portrayed as a subjective debate. However, there is overwhelming evidence that climate change is a real phenomenon.

Climate change is clearly a threat to biodiversity, health, agriculture, and security. It is leading to political instability, drought, wildlife fires, sea level rise, the spread of diseases, and famine. With the world population exceeding 7 billion in March 2012 and being expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, it is imperative to develop more sustainable ways of living. Science is essential to that. I became a scientist because I wanted to help and contribute to making this world a better place for me and for the upcoming generations. My motivations are not unique. In fact, many of my colleagues or peers became scientists for the same reasons.

As scientists, we strive to build accurate knowledge that reflects the laws of nature. This understanding helps us develop tools and technologies that improve our standards of living. Science has brought us electricity, agriculture, sanitation, vaccines, space programs, internet and many technological revolutions, which changed our life for the better. It is not a surprise that in many countries, billions of dollars are invested each year in scientific research. However, it is hard to understand that after all science has done for us, many people still hold an antiscience rhetoric. Many deny the existence of climate change and/or evolution; the myths that vaccines cause autism and genetically modified organisms are hazardous to health are still highly pervasive. Thousands of scientific studies have demonstrated over and over again that these claims are simply not true.

Still, people persist and maintain their opinion without having any scientific evidence. I usually call this phenomenon the “this is how I feel movement”. For many people, emotions matter more than facts (if the facts matter at all). As the social psychologist Leon Festinger suggested, “A man with a conviction is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.” When feelings become more important than the facts we need to question the system that enabled such a mentality. Who is to blame? the scientists? the politicians? the fake newsmongers?

As a scientist, I will put part of the blame on us. We do science for the people. We are funded by the people. We need to communicate to the people. We need to share our research and demonstrate how it can affect people’s lives. We need to get a seat at the table to vote for science driven policy. We need to promote scientific literacy and critical thinking starting from a young age. We need to stand up for science when it is belittled. As scientists, we tend to feel too comfortable in our world, discussing with our peers in scientific meetings, writing our grant proposals or just performing research. We give a little importance to communicating outside our field. For controversial topics, you will often hear scientists say, “I am a scientist, not a politician!” or “that is beyond the scope of my research.” It seems many scientists have given up the right to be vocal outside their research field. Even worse, being vocal about one’s research is frequently seen as a waste of time and may even be discouraged. The consequences of this lack of outreach are an uninformed populace, which translates into regressive policies from the elected antiscience politicians. Scientists Speaking Up is to make sure that we, as scientists or science enthusiasts stand up for science. Science has given us an opportunity to be an active member in our society, now is the time to give back and protect it.

Fund what in Africa? The outdated westernized education system

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

By Khadidiatou Sall in medium

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) conference took place in Dakar, Senegal on February 2–3, 2018. The conference, themed “Financing the future,” was co-chaired by Senegalese President Macky Sall and French President Emmanuel Macron. More than 2 billion dollars were raised to fund education in the GPE’s developing countries partners. Many promises were made, and hopefully they will be kept. I really believe in the power of education, so I praise and have much respect for President Macron’s, President Sall’s, Rihanna’s, the GPE’s engagement as well as the countries that have participated. However, as a trained scientist, I have many questions. Will these engagements really contribute to effecting significant changes in the Senegalese education system and improving the education of our people? As the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Ado said “If we make our policies dependent on other people, when their policies change we will suffer. But, if we make the policy for ourselves, then it means that, at all times, we will be in control of our own destiny.” These statements were the highlight of the meeting.

Our school curricula are so underdeveloped and based on an a colonial system that no longer exists. Hands-on activities, local languages and digital education are neglected. Scientific knowledge is learned in a purely theoretical context without a hint of experimentation. However, it is essential that students see the relevance of what they are learning in everyday life. Therefore, curricula have to be modeled to the needs of the community by integrating relevant local knowledge and should be taught in a language that the community understands.

Sometimes, the seemingly well-intentioned policies of developed countries do not necessarily align with our best interests. For example, the Senegalese government is receiving funds from France, a country that is very committed to advocating use of the French language in Africa. If we receive funds from them, there are strings attached. Strings that can act to the detriment of our people/culture/country/society. How much flexibility do we have in spending it on programs that truly have the potential to impact the future of Senegalese students? Are we permitted to use these funds to teach and create learning resources in our native languages? After all, UNESCO released a report titled “Mother Tongue matters : Local language the key to effective learning.” We Africans know it does, especially those of us involved in education. While French is the primary language of instruction in our schools and academic institutions, French is spoken by less than 32% of the Senegalese population. In contrast, Wolof (our native language) is spoken by an excess of 90% of the population. It is ironic that our own native language is being neglected.

I started a not-for-profit organization named SeeSD (Science Education Exchange for Sustainable Development) in Senegal to promote STEM education. For us, it is much easier to teach scientific concepts using Wolof than French because students simply understand better and pick up on said concepts faster. If you have doubt, I challenge you to go to a school in Senegal and ask several random kids to separately solve a math problem. Phrase the problem either in Wolof or in French for a given student. You will find that kids(/students) will give you the correct answer much more frequently when the problem is phrased in Wolof, our native language. This means that many children are spending time at school and thinking they are bad at math and do not have proper logical skills, when they are really only facing a language barrier. I used to be that child. I had to work very hard to overcome those barriers. Now, I have a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology, but not many people who look like me do. What if this upcoming generation does not have as many barriers as I did growing up? What if we can just make it easier for them? I beg our institutions to give credit to us Africans who have been through the educational system and have overcome it. Our input can really help shape policies that will make our education more fun, practical, inclusive and culturally relevant.