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Khadidiatou Sall, next einstein forum ambassador 2018

Sep 4, 2018 | Role Models and Experts | 0 comments

[Published on nef.org]

Khadidiatou Sall

NEF ambassador Senegal

Khadidiatou is a young Senegalese molecular biologist who studied in France at Pierre and Marie Curie University and in the United States at Oregon State University. Dr. Khadidiatou SALL has worked in the field of science promotion among young people within several scientific organizations: Les Petits débrouillards and Planètes sciences in France and CodingKidz in the United States.

She taught there and produced educational content for universities, high schools, elementary schools, the Interdepartmental Syndicate for the Sanitation of the Parisian Agglomeration (SIAAP), science museums (Cité des sciences de Paris and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland). Through his journey, she has developed an international network in the field of the promotion of science education and in the world of open source and innovation. Aware of the major interest of such activities for the emergence of Senegal and Africa, it created SeeSD to share its experience and know-how with young people by adapting it to the Senegalese context. It is indeed convinced that teaching science and technology to young people, from an early age, based on practical examples, is the best way to familiarize them with these fields and to encourage many vocations. she created SeeSD to share her experience and know-how with young people by adapting it to the Senegalese context. It is indeed convinced that teaching science and technology to young people, from an early age, based on practical examples, is the best way to familiarize them with these fields and to encourage many vocations. she created SeeSD to share her experience and know-how with young people by adapting it to the Senegalese context. It is indeed convinced that teaching science and technology to young people, from an early age, based on practical examples, is the best way to familiarize them with these fields and to encourage many vocations.

COUNTRY PROFILE

The education system in Senegal is modeled on the French system. It begins with kindergarten, followed by primary, then secondary and ends with university or the grandes écoles, after obtaining the baccalaureate. About 55.7% of the population is literate. Senegal has a long way to go to fight against inequalities and guarantee education to each individual. Among the literate population, only 8% of the population who should have gone to university were enrolled in 2008. Of the 8% who reach university, only 17% follow a science course. This critical lack of scientists is due to a government policy influenced by a colonial system that favored literary streams for years. So,

We live in a digital age driven by the knowledge economy. New information and communication technologies, biotechnology, and other technical revolutions, have not finished revolutionizing our daily lives. Many jobs will disappear in the near future, due to the digital revolution. Scientific skills will therefore be useful and necessary to be able to survive and innovate in this world. However, many Senegalese are not aware of certain technological advances, or do not yet have access to them. There is a digital and technological divide and a serious disparity in science education. Many projects that require scientific skills, such as the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) are carried out by foreign companies, sometimes because of the lack of local skills. Agricultural yields are low, the agricultural system is still rudimentary and technology is relegated to the background. Health also suffers from this lack of proven scientists. The most privileged people go abroad to receive quality care. In the context of globalization and globalization, Senegal must take up the challenge of the international competitiveness of its economy thanks to the increase in the productivity of all its agents and factors of production and thanks to the increase in the productivity of its buoyant sectors, in particular those based on the primary sector (agriculture, livestock, fishing, forestry, etc.), the tourism sector and the development of small and medium-sized industries and the service sector.