By Mandlenkosi Phulu
A GROUP of three (3) final year students studying Applied Physics at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) have secured a spot among the top six groups in Africa participating at the 2023 International Students’ Competition on the benefits of Nuclear Sciences organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The competition is aimed at creating awareness and to strengthen the knowledge of peaceful application of Nuclear Science and Technology (NST) within young students, and to explore talents within young generation in Africa and motivate them to pursue career in NST,” said IAEA, the organisers of the competition.
The IAEA, which is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is the world’s centre for cooperation in the nuclear field and seeks to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
Tsepiso Ncube (25), Precious Zenda (23), and Faith Sibanda (26) all from NUST are the only Zimbabwean students who made it into the top six of the competition that attracted participants from the whole of Africa.
According to IAEA, one of the challenges of the human resources lifecycle in the nuclear field is attracting and recruiting talented individuals. To foster the younger generation’s interest in NST, the IAEA is holding an international student competition held in conjunction with the Third International Conference on Human Resource Development for Nuclear Power Programmes.
NST plays an important role in addressing issues including energy demand, human health, food security and environmental challenges, and contribute to socio-economic development around the world.
The competition runs under the theme “Role of NST in addressing different challenges in cancer management, climate change, agriculture and the contribution in achieving development.”
Students were challenged to produce videos expressing their views on how NST contribute to addressing different challenges affecting themselves as individuals, communities, countries through innovation and technology in health and climate change.
Precious Zenda said their participation was inspired by the desire to spread awareness of NST and its innovative use in different fields to industrialise Africa.
The video by NUST students focuses on different NST techniques that are solutions to some of the challenges the country and the whole world faces.
“The video brings more knowledge about nuclear science and the various job opportunities that come with nuclear techniques application in the country and beyond,” said Zenda.
Students expressed their exhilaration to be part of the top six in the whole of Africa as this gives them exposure to more opportunities.
“It’s huge. The fact that it was an open competition and universities from all over Africa were called for and we were part of the top six groups, which were selected is exciting and shows that nothing is impossible when you work hard,” said Zenda.
Students with the video that has the most quality content and highest likes will be crowned the Champions of the 2023 Students’ Competition on the benefits of Nuclear Science and Technology.
To watch and like the NUST student video on YouTube, follow this linkhttps://youtu.be/nTN7sTJ7mVE