STEM Education Initiatives

500 students share one computer in Niger. Yet they're conducting advanced physics experiments that students at elite schools can't access. The secret? WebAR turning basic smartphones into portable STEM labs. Think about that. In Sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 10% of schools have internet. Student-to-computer ratios hit 500:1. Yet mobile subscriptions jumped from single digits to 80% in a decade. Students already carry the infrastructure—we just weren't using it right. Traditional EdTech Reality: ↳ VR headsets: $300+ per student ↳ Heavy apps requiring 5G speeds ↳ Labs costing millions to build ↳ Rural schools: permanently excluded The WebAR Revolution: ↳ Runs in any browser, optimized for 3G ↳ No app store, minimal storage ↳ Science scores improving 10-15% ↳ Every smartphone becomes a laboratory But here's what grabbed me: A physics teacher in rural South Africa has one broken oscilloscope. No budget. Her students scan printed markers, and electromagnetic fields pulse across their desks. They run experiments infinitely—no equipment damaged, no reagents consumed. One student told her: "Engineering is for people like me now. The lab fits in my pocket." What changes everything: ↳ Mobile-first matches actual connectivity ↳ Browser-based works offline ↳ Teachers need training, not new buildings ↳ Inequality becomes irrelevant The Multiplication Effect: 1 teacher with markers = 30 students experimenting 10 schools sharing content = communities transformed 100 districts adopting = educational equality emerging At scale = STEM education without infrastructure gaps We spent decades waiting for labs that won't arrive. Now any browser becomes one. Because when a student in rural Africa explores the same 3D molecules as someone at MIT—using the phone already in their pocket—you realize: WebAR isn't shiny technology. It's a quiet equaliser making world-class STEM education fit into 3G connections and $50 phones. Follow me, Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld for innovations where accessibility drives transformation. ♻️ Share if you believe quality education shouldn't require perfect infrastructure.

Collaborating on Credentials The future of the workforce and the future of education lie in collaborative models where industry and academia work together to create relevant, practical learning experiences. Whether through advisory boards, design challenges and projects, or comprehensive microcredential programs, these partnerships are reshaping how we prepare talent for tomorrow's workforce. On a recent podcast, sie.ag/443UxN, I connected with Michael J. Readey and Christy Bozic, PhD, PMP, CPEM to discuss the transformative power of industry-academia partnerships. Together, we have been collaborating on credentials and sustainability to improve the circular economy digital mindset. Here are some insights we discussed that every education and industry leader should consider: The Traditional Model is Evolving: The "degree-only" mindset is shifting as we recognize the growing importance of continuous, skills-based learning. With the majority of credential-seekers being full-time professionals, the demand for flexible, targeted upskilling is clear. Industry-Academia Partnerships Matter: We must continue to invest in partnerships that bridge the critical gap between classroom theory and rapidly changing workplace demands. Together, we can enable faster identification of emerging skill needs and create timely real-world learning opportunities through immersive experiences. This provides learners with early and direct industry exposure. The Rise of Microcredentials: We're seeing a trend of professionals who actively seek, learn, and collect badges and microcredentials for career progression. Agile learning formats offer just-in-time education and experience for quick adaptation to industry needs, and flexible learning paths can address immediate and targeted skill application. Learn more about what hiring managers look for, how to build industry-relevant learning pathways, and what the future holds for collaborative academic-industry relations. I remember when I started in this industry, the focus was on how we could break down the walls between CAD and CAM. There are still walls between academia and industry we must break down. The collaboration we experienced with Michael, Christy, and the University of Colorado Boulder gives me hope for a new path forward. Listen to the full episode and share your perspective below: sie.ag/443UxN.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 A few days ago, I shared a message for new graduates entering #healthcare - encouraging them to lead with curiosity, not just credentials. To build not just a resume, but a mindset. That reflection stayed with me. India’s #pharmaceutical and #biotech sectors are on the rise - with innovative therapies, vaccine breakthroughs, AI enabled digital health platforms and so much more, shaping the future. This pivot from volume to value puts one thing front and center: talent. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞? ▪️ 𝐀𝐈/𝐌𝐋, 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 - powering precision medicine ▪️𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 - trial design, real-world evidence ▪️𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 - navigating global frameworks ▪️𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 - enabling complex therapies ▪️𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 - adaptability, collaboration, and lifelong learning 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞? 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - Expand skilling programs in universities and vocational centers - Launch fellowships, apprenticeships, and industry-linked internships - Offer incentives for firms investing in workforce development 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚 - Modernise curriculum to reflect today’s science and tomorrow’s needs - Enable joint industry-academic projects and global faculty exchanges - Focus on real-world readiness through placements and hands-on labs 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 - Build internal academies and experience hubs like NEST by Novartis Development India Hub - Co-design early-career programs across R&D, regulatory, and supply chain - Promote digital fluency through open workshops and national challenges To professionals, educators, and policymakers: Let’s come together to nurture the minds that will build tomorrow’s cures. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 India is evolving from a ‘generics powerhouse’ to an ‘innovation-first life sciences leader’. This evolution needs to be backed by a talent ecosystem that’s not just skilled - but future-ready. #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #SkillingIndia #WorkforceDevelopment #STEMCareers #TalentFirs

I am thrilled to announce our partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to launch a brand new STEM education outreach program for primary school children in the Tottenham area. This kicks off in April and aims to boost the children’s STEM skills across energy efficiency, robotics, and sustainability. Schneider Electric’s STEM ambassadors will support the learning in person. Such initiatives dovetail perfectly with our drive to invest in early careers and the local communities in the UK where we do business. Please check-out our Making an Impact podcast featuring Marc Leckie👋, CEO of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Marc talks about the important work the Foundation does, the importance of the Club fostering strong community ties and how it connects fans’ passion for football with meaningful causes. Thank you to the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club team for being Impact Makers and truly making a difference in your local community. It’s an honor to support you on this journey. Find out more: http://spr.ly/6049LttJN #STEM #Education #Innovation #Sustainability #ImpactMaker #THFCFoundation Check out the full episode of Making an Impact with Marc Leckie here: http://spr.ly/6040LMhXA

Today the government released a statement in response to the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review. https://lnkd.in/gE7bSsrs As Chair of the Review I welcome the Australian Government’s comprehensive statement and acknowledge the commitment to embed equity and inclusion across its entire agenda. The acceptance, in principle, of many of the Review's 11 recommendations is a critical first step in achieving the systemic and cultural change Australia's STEM sector desperately needs. The commitment to hold grant recipients and suppliers accountable for safe and inclusive workplaces (Rec 5) is particularly powerful, ensuring public funds only support organizations dedicated to eliminating bullying and discrimination. I also applaud the major new steps to elevate First Nations Knowledges (Rec 10), notably the new $250,000 Prime Minister's Prize, and the initiatives to streamline pathways for skilled migrants (Rec 6). However, the response must now address the structural and cultural architecture required for long-term, coordinated success. The Missing Pieces: Coordination and Strategy The most critical gap remains the lack of commitment to an overarching, whole-of-government long-term strategy and to establish a dedicated Advisory Council(Rec 1). Without a strategy and a central coordinating body with expert advisors to draw from, the existing and newly funded programs risk remaining fragmented, diluting their collective impact, and failing to effectively address intersectionality—the overlapping barriers faced by diverse cohorts. Furthermore, while programs like Superstars of STEM are funded, a formal, national Communication and Outreach Strategy (Rec 11) is still missing. We must coordinate efforts to actively shift the ingrained public perception of who belongs in STEM and clearly communicate the breadth of career pathways available. The Mandate for Industry and Academia The government has activated strong levers, and now industry and academia must meet this commitment with equal urgency: - Accountability is Mandatory: Every STEM employer must immediately stop viewing safety and inclusion as optional compliance. They must adopt transparent, measurable action plans—like the Workplace Action Framework (Rec 4)—to proactively attract, retain, and promote diverse talent. - Invest in Culture: Businesses must invest in cultural transformation at every level, ensuring that diverse individuals not only enter but remain and thrive in safe working environments (Rec 3). The onus is now on all of us to ensure the spirit of this Review translates into a thriving, diverse, and world-leading Australian STEM sector. Mikaela Jade FTSE Hon Dr Parwinder Kaur MLC Tim Ayres Ed Husic MP Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering

Addressed the Confederation of Indian Industry I had the opportunity to address the '#CII India Edge 2025: Policies for Competitive India' alongside NITI Aayog Member Dr. Arvind Virmani, Shri sanjay kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education, Dr. Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association Of Indian Universities, and Dr. Atul Chauhan, President, Amity University. The focus of the panel was '#Education to #Employment: Human Capital for 2047'. A key focus area was the urgent need to scale Academia-Industry Interface and Partnerships. I listed 6 ways for #Universities and #Industry to collaborate for win-win outcomes: 1. Collaborative Academic and Translational #Research - In developed economies, the private sector contributes 65-75% of research investment. In India, industry investment in research is about 35%. #India Inc. can collaborate with leading HEIs for research projects that enrich academia and positively impact industry through products and platforms. Nearly 30% of the US$780 million Institutional Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2022 was funded by industry and non-profits. 2. #Internships and #Apprenticeships for Students - By 2035, nearly 6 crore students will be pursuing 4-year undergraduate programmes. Presuming that 50% of the 4th year students would opt for internships, industry will need to absorb ~75 lakh students for credit-based internship and apprenticeship embedded degree programmes. 3. #ExecutiveEducation and #Management Development Programmes - Leading global #BSchools attract substantial resources and talent through these programmes. There is a big opportunity for #Indian BSchools to build expertise in these areas to meet industry requirements. 4. Professor of Practice and Adjunct Faculty Roles - Practitioners can bring their experience across #STEM and non-STEM areas into the classroom by committing time and can even co-create courses delivered through industry collaboration to improve students' #skills and employment potential. 5. Mentorship for #Innovation and #Entrepreneurship - Most #colleges and #universities desirous of nurturing a #startup culture need guidance and handholding from industry #leadership for designing #strategy and achieving scale for their ideas. Industry can engage with #incubators and #accelerators in their regions and provide mentorship to students, faculty and scholars in translating ideas to products and ventures. 6. Financial Support - As India's #HigherEducation system grows in size to achieve GER of 50 by 2035, brownfield and greenfield infra expansion would provide industry an opportunity to build world-class institutions through #CSR and philanthropic contributions. Suppliers of talent and users of talent need to work in tandem to co-create world-class #humancapital that can power the #vision of #ViksitBharat @2047. Often, this opportunity is lost in the waiting game of who will take the lead in forging these partnerships. (Views are personal.)

𝐖𝐞𝐛-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. Think about millions of students who struggle with: 📘 Limited lab access 📶 Low internet bandwidth 💻 Outdated infrastructure 🔬 Complex science concepts that are hard to visualize WebAR changes everything. With nothing more than a basic smartphone and a browser, students can: ✨ Explore 3D molecules ✨ Visualize physics simulations ✨ Interact with biological structures ✨ Learn engineering concepts hands-on No apps. No expensive devices. No heavy bandwidth requirements. This is how you bring world-class STEM education to places where traditional resources simply don’t exist. WebAR is not just a tool — it’s an equalizer. If you’re building EdTech solutions and want to integrate scalable, low-bandwidth AR experiences, WebAR is the most practical path forward. Let’s make STEM learning immersive for every student, everywhere. This proof-of-concept from 3DforScience - Global Scientific Communications shows how a simple 2D illustration can evolve into a living, animated, sensory 3D object. We’re not there yet, but interacting with our environment this way is closer than ever. #virtualtryon #3d #webar #augmentedreality #stem

I actually uttered the words “I wish I was back in high school" when I visited this ExxonMobil STEM facility. The company's Teen Engineering and Tech Center in Houston provides a four-year after school curriculum for students in the area, with 100% of the students being eligible for free and reduced-price school lunch program. The hands-on facility covers all types of STEM topics and technologies, including engineering, design, fabrication, chemicals, robotics, laser cutters, 3D printers, and even professional development courses. The Exxon Mobil Foundation covers all of the cost and supports students in efforts to get into college, pursue STEM degrees, and get jobs in STEM fields after college. The centers — there's also one in Spring — are clearly a passion project of foundation president Alvin Abraham. It was fascinating to see it in progress, and I even wished I was back in high school and had access to an opportunity like that! You can see photos from the Houston center and everything I learned about what Exxon is offering with it at the Houston Business Journal: https://lnkd.in/gJQEkuFp #STEM #education #Exxon #highschool