Culture & Education | Saturday 28 November, 2015 12:19 pm |

The Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed several agreements to boost science and technology teaching at schools.

The agreements were inked by Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammad Al-Saud, president of KACST, and Azzam Al-Dakhil, minister of education, at a recent meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh. 
The meeting was part of efforts to ensure closer ties between the two parties and support national efforts to develop scientific research, technology and innovation, according to a media statement released after the gathering.

Two initiatives, “Twenty by Twenty,” and “Scientists of the Future” were signed during the meeting as well as phase two of the schools’ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) projects. The aim is to enhance the level of awareness and interest in technology and scientific research.
During the meeting, several related projects were reviewed, including the GIS projects, which covered 32,000 schools with KACST’s support during Phase 1. There were also other new nationwide initiatives discussed.
According to the statement, the partnership is important because of the rapid worldwide advancement in technology, which has become a key driver for the development of knowledge economies.

The meeting comes at a time when KACST is getting ready to launching Phase 2 of the National Plan for Science Technology “Marifah II.” This initiative is destined to achieve the “ambitious vision of transforming the Kingdom into a knowledge society, and positioning it among the top advanced industrial countries by 2025.”
At the end of the meeting, Prince Turki donated 20,000 tablet computers to the ministry. Prince Turki and Al-Dakhil also honored several talented male and female students and teachers. Several leading experts attended the gathering.