Youth Conference on “Factoring Youth Voices into Critical Issues: Agenda on Environmental Sustainability, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Food Security and Nutrition in Africa”

A cross section of the participants at the conference

The African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) Network, through its Africa Youth Forum for Science and Technology (AYFST) and Africa Women Forum for Science and Technology (AWFST) programs, partnered with the University of Nairobi, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS) and the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST), Kenya to bring together the youth in Kenya and beyond at a conference on the 9 and10 March 2012 at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

The conference, whose theme was “Factoring Youth Voices into Critical Issues: Agenda on Environmental Sustainability, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Food Security and Nutrition in Africa” was aimed at establishing a platform for the youth to interact, build capacity, explore economic, social and technical complexities through science, technology and innovations in tackling the challenges, and to gain better understanding of the need for multi-disciplinary perspectives for solving developmental problems in Africa through innovative research.

Speaking at the Conference, the ATPS Board Chair; Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak challenged the youth to explore various opportunities available in Science and Technology and to diversify from the common fields of Engineering and Technology to other fields such as agriculture. Prof Kevin Urama, the ATPS Executive Director, also urged the youth to actively participate in the ongoing youth and women programs at ATPS.

The conference brought together youth from various parts of Africa, who exhibited their various innovations. Others in attendance included Prof. Agnes Mwang’ombe, the Principal of the College of Agriculture and Vertinary Sciences – University of Nairobi, Prof. Norah Olembo, the AWFST Patron and former chair of the ATPS Board, Mr. Tennyson Magombo, AYFST chair among others.

Full proceedings from the conference will be posted soon.