MOTIVATE younger students with stimulating and playful learning.

EXPAND the pool of future STEM professionals with inclusive programs.

AWAKEN vocations with learning focused on experimentation and the search for solutions to real problems.

In an already complex world facing rapid technological, economic and demographic change, the pandemic has reinforced the need to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) a priority in order to build resilient societies. But interest in STEM is still not there among students of all ages, in particular girls. Leticia González, Rocío Millán, Steven Mackenzie, Inés Sánchez and Carlos Sentís, discussed what changes need to take place to inspire younger generations to choose a STEM career taking advantage of the current momentum in the debate for innovation in education.

While the internet has had a phenomenal impact on education since the beginning of the pandemic, the next generation of digital technologies could revolutionize educational activities especially for engineering and STEM learning. Arancha Martínez, Carlos Jambrina, Israel Cañamón and Arturo Hidalgo discussed how digital technologies could improve student´s skills and employability, and what changes still need to take place to open the doors to innovation.

Engineers will be in high demand in the future, but interest in Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) is fading. Careers are decided at younger ages, but students doubt STEM´s usefulness. On the other hand, when it comes to teaching STEM in primary and secondary schools, there is more attention to the M and the S than to the E and the T which are mainly overlooked despite the jobs’ prospects in a technology-focused world. Andrea Brose, Gesine Liese, Julia Freudenberg, Olaf Zeiske, Sebastian Staacks and Alexander Penn centered on how to promote STEM programs that will motivate the next generation of STEM professionals taking advantage of innovation in the classroom.

Broadening the network of skills among college students for a better engineering workforce is a priority. Project-based, or inquiry-based, learning is increasingly a necessary tool in today’s STEM education as it enhances transversal skills most valued by companies such as entrepreneurship, teamwork and creativity. In 2018, Ain Shams University was the first Egyptian University to formally join CDIO, an international initiative to put practice and problem solving back at the
center of formal engineering education. Phoebe Koundouri, Adel Elsabbagh, Mohamed Anis, Rania Hafez, Tamer Elnady and Amr Elbanhawy argued how the implementation of a project-based learning approach can be a game changer for STEM education, and especially in a world where the nature of future jobs is in constant flux, making references to Project WESET.

Today’s students will perform in a technology-based society where economies must reinvent themselves to be sustainable, mainly through innovation. But many students lack motivation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), fields that will make this transition possible.
This roundtable provided a panoramic view of STEM education and the challenge of strengthening the value chain –from value adders like teachers and institutions to value drivers such as real problem-solving activities– in the learning experience from early childhood to adulthood in order to build the necessary science capital to address our current challenges. The speakers who participated were Katherine Richardson, Camilla Hansen, Emilie Normann, Olav Geil and Frederikke Tømmergaard.

Perhaps never before in recent history has the role of higher education been so intricately tied to the economic, social and environmental fabric of the modern world”. As the provider of human capital for innovation, universities are starting to shift toward a model where practice and solving real societal challenges is central.
This roundtable with Elena Arzaluz, Graciela Rojas, Luis Rodríguez, Julio Palau and Aristarco Cortés argued on the role of universities in innovation ecosystems, and the formula for quality interactions between universities, companies, governmental agencies and other public organizations.