Scientific solutions to some of the biggest global development challenges were the focus of a recent showcase hosted at the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.<\/p>
Hosted by Self Help Africa and Irish Aid, the annual science for\ndevelopment event brought together a dozen leading student projects from this\nyear\u2019s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.<\/p>
Ciar\u00e1n Cannon, International Development Minister, launched the event by congratulating the students on their achievements, and lauded their efforts to find solutions to global challenges. \u201cAll students here today are committed global citizens who care about the planet and the people that are on it,\u201d he said.<\/p>
Speaking at the event, the founder of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Dr. Tony Scott praised the participating projects for their application of science to achieve a better and more sustainable world. <\/p>
Projects ranged from a cost-effective water\nfiltration system to an App designed to detect and predict crop disease, and a\nsolar powered device delivering education in refugee camps. Representatives\nfrom development, education, science and technology sectors interacted with\nstudents to learn about their projects and give their expert advice to help\nthem improve their inventions.<\/p>
This year\u2019s Science for Development Award winner\nS\u00e9an Byrne displayed his award-winning project: an eggshell filtration system\ndeviced to remove pollutants from water: \u201cthis event is a great opportunity for\nme to learn from the speakers, and from the other students. I\u2019m really enjoying\nit,\u201d he said.<\/p>
Each year, the winner of the Science for\nDevelopment Award wins an Irish Aid sponsored bursary to go on a study trip to\nAfrica with Self Help Africa. Timothy McGrath, who won the award last year and\nsubsequently travelled to Uganda, spoke to the crowd about his recent trip which\nhe described as \u2018eye-opening\u2019.<\/p>
Concluding the event, Self Help Africa’s\nCEO Ray Jordan encouraged the students to continue with their development focus,\nsaying that they had the power to create change on a global scale.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"