Tuesday, 02 August 2011

The splendour of science

Pumped up about science! Japanese volunteer Akishi Shimizu and Unizul Science Centre Director, Derek Fish teaches pupils of Qhubekani Primary School in Mtubatuba the traditional Japanese art of paper-folding

Science will literally ‘come alive’ at the Unizul Science Centre this week as over 2500 Zululand pupils participate in National Science Week from 1-6 August. With chemistry being the focal point of interactive shows, exhibits and activities this week, parents have been encouraged to introduce their children to the wonders of science from an early age. And adding a unique feature during the chemistry explosion this year, Japanese volunteer, Akishi Shimizu will be demonstrating the traditional Japanese ‘Origami’ - the art of paper folding - to Zululand pupils. Origami, which started in the 17th century, has since evolved into a modern art form. The goal is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Holding a Master’s Degree in Computation Neuron Science, Shimizu will spend the next nine months at the local centre as part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) programme to support developing countries. ‘Origami is an exciting and great experience and children can do it by themselves. ‘I am part of the local Science Centre’s Technical team and will be supporting and offering ideas to the local Centre. ‘As a young kid, I always loved science documentaries on TV and enjoyed experiments because I had a good teacher at school,’ said Shimizu. The Japanese volunteer has assisted three other universities in South Africa over the past two years. ‘South Africa is a quick developing country and has good infrastructure and industry. ‘The South African government has placed major focus on Maths, Science and Technology. ‘As volunteers, we supported Science Centres at the University of Fort Hare, Limpopo and Venda, specifically catering for high school pupils.’

Open Day
Unizul Science Centre Director, Derek Fish has urged parents to attend their Public Open Day on Saturday, 6 August from 9am - 2pm. ‘Children are natural explorers of the world,’ said Fish. ‘Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Peace Prize twice, was introduced to science by her father. ‘Being a science teacher, he would bring his science apparatus home and she was allowed to play with it even though women were not allowed to learn science at the time. ‘Parents must introduce children to Science even before they get to school,’ said Fish. The fun-filled Science Day promises to be an informative blend of entertainment and education for the entire family free of charge. Activities include reptile displays, a SANCA narcotics exhibition, arts and craft workshop for children, dynamic science shows, a fire demonstration, over 200 interactive exhibitions to play and learn from and much more. For further information, contact the Unizul Science Centre on 035 797 3204.