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Revitalising science centres in Africa in the age of ICT:Case of Zimbabwe and South Africa

By

Collence .T. Chisita and Nomusa Keninda

“Only by venturing into the unknown do we enable new ideas and new results to take shape”

Margaret Wheatly (1994)

The Information and Communication Revolution has permeated all aspects life including

Education and Science and Technology. The paper seeks to find and recommend an

alternative Science Centre model for African countries. It will seek to find and recommend

an eclectic model that is driven by Information and Communication Technologies with

regards to facilitating interaction and engagement with communities and other science

centres. The critical role of Science Centres in promoting public awareness of Science and

Technology through making provision for convenient inquiry-based learning and an

opportunity to actively engage with and experience the science and technology of the lived

world in which the people of Africa. The paper will highlight the need for developing

appropriate Science and Technology models for Africa given its socio-economic background.

It will examine the extent to which science centres can contribute towards enhancing

scientific literacy and awareness among the citizen using methodologies that are deeply and

widely rooted in indigenous and modern scientific practices that put Africa at the

epicentre of the new trajectory of Science and Technology development thrust .

Key words: Science centre; Indigenous knowledge; Exploratorium model; networking;

Science centres play a key role in public engagement and knowledge transfer and education

through attracting young people to science subjects and science careers, for example they

assist in supplementing the formal science education system by way of offering experiment-

based learning ambience. The future of Africa lies in developing appropriate science centre

networks to provide the solutions to Africa’s current challenges regarding food security,

water management, clean energy, integration of renewable technology and protection of

biodiversity. Africa Science Consolidated Action Plan (2005) places emphasis on developing

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an African system of research and technological innovation by establishing networks of

centres of excellence dedicated to specific Research and Development and Diffusion and

capacity building programmes.

From a phenomenological perspective an appropriate model of a science centre in Africa

should totally eliminate the lacunae between daily lives and experiences of the people

and Science and Technology because it will be designed in manner which make people

identify with it and value its role in realising their potential as citizens in a world

characterised by cultural variations and cultural universals. Science centres should

interpret basic industrial process that is involved in manufacturing, design and consumption.

Science Centre development should build on from “Exploratorium” models which were

designed for hands-on exhibits which afford visitors direct experience with natural, physical,

and technological phenomena. The main purpose of a Science Centre is to advance and

enhance public understanding of Science and Technology. However, it appears the current

models of Science Centres are inconsistent of the ideology or ontology of science centres

which requires rethinking the appropriateness of Science Centres given the socio-

economic background of Africa.

The absence of science centre network cutting across the national, regional and

continental divide is a serious challenge which will derail the continent’s capacity to

reposition itself on the global science landscape as well as global science race. The

development of Science Centres should be anchored on eclectic models that adapts and

adopts through borrowing from the best , valuable and applicable and affordable in the

West or East but retains the best in terms of authentic African perspectives of Science and

Technology as well as combining people centred programmes and interactive centred

activities that engage the visitors psychomotor , cognitive and affective domains for

example hands on exhibitions.

In South Africa , The Department of Science and Technology(DST) undertook a study in

1999 to audit activities in Science Centres in line with the requirement of the White paper

on Science and Technology(1996).The inquiry revealed challenges with regards to uneven

distribution of science centres; human capital , inadequacy of resources to support

educational institutions and schools to make science accessible to all. These engagements

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and findings gave birth to the National Norms and Standards for a Network of Science

Centres in South Africa (2005).The Department of Science and Technology in 2007

acknowledged the critical role that human capital play in success of science and innovation

“All these goals require a qualitative and quantitative expansion of South Africa’s human

capital and knowledge base in science and technology. Without these, there can be no fresh

winds of innovation”.DST(2007)

The provision of Bachelor of Science and Technology in Indigenous Knowledge and the

incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in the curriculum as well as the creation of a data

base of Indigenous Knowledge are commendable inititiative which will further

strengthen the drive to create appropriate models of Science and Technology reflecting the

multifaceted aspects of development. This is strengthened that both Zimbabwe and South

Africa now have enacted Traditional Knowledge Bills with the former being the pioneer

with its Traditional Medicine and Practioners Act (2002).In line with the Second

Science Policy, Zimbabwe , aims to develop a database on Indigenous Knowledge Systems

in an endeavour to add value to it through modern Science and Technology.

The DST noted that it had established the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office

(NIKSO), to nurture national IKS priorities through proactive engagement in the field of

science and technology, to open up academic opportunities, to promote and protect

intellectual property rights (IPR) of communities and ensure equitable sharing of

resources.Similarily Zimbabwe Science and Technology thrust aims to ppromote research

on potential applications of IKS to future national developmental challenges and develop

incorporate IKS into the school curricula. South Africa’s National Norms and Standard

for a Network of Science Centres in South Africa (2005), articulates on four strategic goals

through which science centres in South Africa respond to the needs of local communities;

1. To promote science and technology literacy among youth people and the general

public.

2. To contribute to the enhancement of learners participation and performance in

science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM)

3. To identify and nurture youth talent and potential in science, technology, engineering

and mathematics

4. To provide career education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

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In Zimbabwe the development of scientific and technological capacity as the nerve centre for

social and economic development has been a key priority area for government as outlined in

its Science and Technology Policy. Mathema(1994) notes that during the colonial era

Science and Technology served the interest of commercial agriculture with less emphasis

on the country socio-economic and cultural life and independence era marked a new trend

towards assisting ordinary people and making it more accessible to all sectors , for

example , education, research , health, agriculture and security “Research and

Development must be based on actual and anticipated needs of the economy, it must help our

people raise their standards of living”

Zimbabwe and South Africa should build on from already existing Science networks like

Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC) SAASTEC

and South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement( SAASTA ), Southern

African Network of BioSciences (SANBio) and other initiatives within the context of

Southern African Development Community (SADC’s) Science and Technology Protocol

(2008) which aim to strengthen and develop networks for innovation and steward

sustained socio-economic development and the rapid achievement of the goals of the SADC

common agenda including poverty reduction and eradication. The new alternative models of

Science and Technology should be anchored on a network between Universities, Research

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institutions , government and industry to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing

.The two countries can build on the virtual networks developed and maintained by

Universities and Research agencies to facilitate open access to Information. Regional and

continent-wide networks of centres of excellence are the social capital that will help to

catapult African countries on the global science map and also assist in developing science

centres to meet the growing needs of local indigenous people who for years have had the

indigenous knowledge systems disparaged because of positivist inspired colonial thinking.

Zimbabwe boasts of a number of Science Centres including the Biotechnology Research

Institute of Zimbabwe, Scientific Industrial Research Centre (SIRDC) , Research Council

Of Zimbabwe, Network of Libraries, Museums and galleries and Archives. These Science

Centres are also networked to Educational and Training institutions to support education at

all levels. Science and Technology is also an issue on the agenda of the new government

blueprint for socio-economic transformation known as Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable

Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset). The implementation of this Plan will rely on

the a number of Key Success Factors (KSFs), for example, strong collaborative

partnerships among Government agencies, the private sector, citizens and other stakeholders,

Human capital development programmes to enhance the acquisition of requisite skills and

Scientific research and development. This should provide an opportunity for scientist and

science practioners to lobby for funding to develop people and activity centred science

centres whereby people are engaged in practical or real life activities.

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It is critical to overcome paradigm paralysis through looking beyond and provide alternative

to Exploratorium models which tend to be elitist and anachronistic and far removed from

the majority of the people who scientifically illiterate. The adaption and development of

appropriate models African Science centre networks will help to make science

comprehensible, apprehensible and useful thus debunking the myth that science is an

activity that takes place in esoteric brick and mortar edifice like University, College or

School. In line with Ivan Illich’s concept of “ Deschooling Society” , it is imperative , to

rethink science by viewing science as everything and viewing society as a learning

University and laboratory free from the fetters of institutionalisation and providing an

ideal environment for human beings to interact with nature and discover and rediscover

themselves and invent solutions to overcome the challenges of the technology, knowledge

and consumerist driven life in the twenty-first century. The appropriate Science Centres

model for Africa should fit in to the category of third space by providing a congenial

atmosphere for teaching, learning, interaction, leisure and instilling in people’s minds that

science and technology have a role which is deeply rooted in human values and aspirations.

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The Development of appropriate science models in Africa should be regarded as a priori to

ensure relevancy, accountability and accessibility to knowledge to develop and sustain a

culture of scientific literacy and prevent society from relapsing into a precarious predicament

of scientific literate illiteracy. The ideal Science centres in Africa should build on the

indigenous intellectual and social capital of Africa oral shaped society to create

conditions for independent learning in flexible de-institutionalised environs. John Mugabe

(2012) from NEPAD posits that the emergence and growth of institutions dedicated to

scientific research and technological innovation has the potential to give African countries

national and regional competitiveness as well as sustainable development. However, there is

need to strike a balance by using science centres to promoting both modern scientific

knowledge and indigenous knowledge to broaden the interpretation of science beyond the

classroom definition. “…Culture is an integral part of development efforts of the continent.

Consequently it is essential to protect and effectively utilize indigenous knowledge…and

share this knowledge for the benefit of humankind…special attention…. the protection and

nurturing of indigenous knowledge…inventions and all other tradition based innovations and

creations.”

Ogbu(2002) bemoans that Science and technology are eternal terms characterising the

African development discourse among our policy makers as reflected by Lagos Plan of

Action of 1980, the Kilimanjaro Declaration of 1987, the Khartoum Declaration of 1988, the

Addis Ababa Declaration of 1998, Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology2003,

Consolidated Plan of Action in 2005 African Year of Science in 2007, and many others, yet

there is a huge gap between the continent and developed countries as reflected by lack of

pragmatic science and technology programmes in the socio-economic development of the

continent.“ All these goals require a qualitative and quantitative expansion of South Africa’s

human capital and knowledge base in science and technology. Without these, there can be no

fresh winds of innovation’ (DST, 2007: 34).

Generally the rapid changes and developments in science and technology requires a

holistic approach with concerted effort from all stakeholders to develop science sciences

that complement formal and informal learning and helps to sustain a science literate society

Science centres are sources of informal learning meant to demystify science and make it

accessible to the common person rather than having it being perceived as an anachronistic

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and elitist field. Science centres science hubs that emphasize a hands-on approach,

characterised by facilities or opportunities for interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to

experiment, explore, discover, share and learn. These centres are critical for the socio-

economic transformation of Africa and the world over governments are investing in

science and Technology to enhance development. It is through the development of vibrant

and vibrant science centres that society is able to communicate or network with schools,

research centres, universities and other social spaces. Overally the development of Science

Centres in Africa should be based on people centric models that connect them with all

aspects of learning , knowledge and development through providing opportunities to;

1. improving people’s understanding of scientific issues,

2. Changing people’s attitudes, awareness and perceptions;

3. encouraging children to pursue careers in Science Technology Educations

4. Developing appropriate solutions to create an inclusive society

5. Using science to popularise learning and indigenous knowledge system

Durranti(2011) posits that as Africa endeavour to eradicate poverty and achieve education

for all under the Millennium Development Goals, there is need for science centres to

stimulate a love of learning and motivation for generating technological knowledge through

hands-on engagement and inspiration. The Cape Town Declaration (2011) recommended

the development of science centres, promote Science and Technology investment, promote

partnerships with key stakeholders, address cross generational sciences and encourage public

participation in such endeavours, develop programmes to promote or leverage the

multidimensional aspects of science with reference to indigenous knowledge, promote and

further research and dialogue between scientists and general public in order to capture and

incorporate public opinion in Science and Technology development and promote a culture

of creativity and invention. The recommendations of the declaration can only succeed

through the establishment of science centres that are connected to academic institutions

“[Science] academies are usually the homes of the grandfathers and grandmothers, Science

centres are the places that delight the young. Linking these is key to creating solutions that

will sustain us across the generations." Hassan (2008).

Science centres promote multimodal or trans-literacies which encompass enhanced

scientific literacy to help members of the public to make informed decisions and partake

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socio –economic development. “ The right to access information from libraries , archives,

museums , galleries as part of the democratic process … If scientists and industry lack the

capacity, or the incentives, to understand society’s needs, we will be less able to use science

to help improve our lives”

Hove and Zinyama(2012) noted that the challenges in the development of Science and

Technology was attributed to lack of synergy, integration and coordination among the

Science and Technology institutions , for example , Universities and Research Centres. The

authors recommended the need for harmonization and synchronization of institutions to

prevent institutional fragmentation. This is in line with the modern mode of knowledge

production as espoused by Gibbons (2006). However such proposals would only succeed

if there was adequate funding for Science and Technology and developing of built in

mechanism within institutions to ensure transparency, accountability and responsiveness to

the sentiments expressed by the Science and Technology stakeholders to move Science

ahead.

“It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and

illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to

waste, or a rich country inhabited by starving people... Who indeed could afford to ignore

science today? At every turn we have to seek its aid... The future belongs to science and

those who make friends with science.” Jawaharlal Nehru(1948).

Generally in Southern Africa there is greater need for government build on the progress

in development of science centres Higher and Tertiary institutions and Research centres as

well as industry. The success of science centres is hinged upon close collaboration

between government, research, industry and communities .The success of such centres is

also dependent upon initiatives to promote public-private partnerships, increase funding for

frontier areas of scientific research; democratisation and debureacritisation and

demystification of science and Technology. The Department of Science and Technology

regards the National Network of Science Centres as an ideal infrastructure for delivery of

science, engineering and technology (SET) public awareness and SET youth development

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programmes. The department of science and technology has developed the framework to

encourage local science centres to be conscious of service quality and the need of service

quality. It uses accreditation and quality assurance to guide the establishment and

maintenance of a national network of science centres to uphold excellence and to contribute

in achieving the four strategic goals outlined by the National Norms and Standards for a

Network of Science Centres in South Africa (2005).

In Zimbabwe Science Centre models are based on inter-institutional and interdisciplinary

collaboration, for example, the activities of Galleries, Libraries, Museums and Archives

(GLAM) incorporates public engagement and dialogue into exhibits where people are

presented with ethical issues related to developments in medical science, and invited to write

down the implications of technological advances. Science centres reconnects people to their

environment by featuring the plants that are used every day for food, fuel, medicine and

materials and assist people to start exploring how their actions affect the environment. It is

through the interaction with science centres to acquire knowledge to help them develop their

communities and interact harmoniously with their environments. science centres should be

able to develop programmes that engage communities in an interactive way, for example,

Southern Communities have a rich oral culture which can be exploited by science centres

and other research infrastructure for the benefit of society through knowledge generation ,

building and enhancing social capital and promoting social cohesion and scientific literacy.

Galleries, Libraries Museums and Archives (GLAM) are engaging communities through

Publicity and Outreach programmes ,education and Training , family reading , children story

reading sessions, book launches, Continuous Professional Development and Workplace

Learning(CPDWL), Digital Literacy, intergenerational and intercultural dialogue and meet

scientist .

Mugabe (2012) recommends that African countries should take advantage of the panoply

of digital technologies and its opportunities to develop their Science and Technonology and

Innovation centres and systems through adapting home grow strategic interventions to

develop Science and Technology centres that contribute towards wealth creation and

eradication of poverty of information and food . An alternative to the Exploratorium model

would be an adaptation of an eclectic approach that borrows from both the West and East but

retains an authentic Afrocentric originality. Such models should be developed through a

participatory approach that involves the local people or communities to make in put in the

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development of high activity oriented exposition than artefact oriented thematic

presentations.

Ogbu(2002) and Mugabe(2009) posit that Africa has an opportunity through the NEPAD

process to acquire, indigenize and sustain its science and technological capabilities through

science and technology development programmes rooted in African scholarship and global

knowledge.Africa’s population is highly concentrated in rural areas and such communities

are widely dispersed and this calls for innovative services through Outreach/ Mobile

Science Exhibitions which will conduct thematic exhibitions on scientific topics relevant to

the life of those who live in villages, for example, environmental management, indigenous

knowledge, capturing fading memories through oral tradition among others. Currently

libraries in Zimbabwe have been experimenting on mobile library projects through Rural

Library Development Programme and such initiative should be used to prop up mobile

science exhibitions which are augmented by science films, shows, science demonstration

lectures, ICT Literacy programmes, intergenerational dialogue and psychomotor driven.

These are continuously monitored and upgraded by the regional network of science centres

and quite often, the demand for a MSE in villages exceeds the supply capacity.

With the advent of Information and Communication Technologies(ICT’s),Sscience

communication activities will take place in virtual environments and this implies calls for

adequate preparation in Africa with reference to development and maintenance of ICT

infrastructure, capacity building and extending digital literacies to users and visitors of

science centres as well as knowledge and skills to produce and procure e-content for science

centres. Networking is important because it is consistent with the requirements of the twenty

first century which call for transition from exclusivity to inclusivity and from ownership to

sharing of resources within science centres. The ICT Sector is critical researching into the

creation of Information Technology platforms for innovative deployment of data and

knowledge for use in various sectors of the economy as well as enhancing competence for

computer hardware, software engineering and cyber security. Universities in the region have

developed networked databases of Electronic Thesis and Dissertations to enhance access

to scholarly material by researchers and scholars.

The prospects for developing Virtual Science Centres offering access to virtual exhibitions

and shows and other activitities will be hampered by digital divide with regards to

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infrastructural development in rural and urban locations in Africa. In the pursuit of ideal

or appropriate models of Science Centres for Africa, technology should be used to

communicate and overcome problems of space and distance and to undertake

information mediation and consolidation or repackaging to make it appeal to the common

people who are part of the communities where Science Centres are located. This calls for

incoperatetion of storytelling, discussions, inter-generational and inter-cultural road shows,

demonstrations and indabas or debates among others. “Science centres vulgarize knowledge

to make it palatable to the masses, or sugar-coat science with gratuitous hands-on interactions

to arouse visitor curiosity.” Bradburne(1998).

An eclectic model which takes into cognisance the aspirations , conditions, capacities ,

opportunities , preferences of Africa as a continent should be taken into consideration in

the development of an appropriate cost effective model that will leverage Africa’s

potential in science and technology for socio economic development in the

knowledge/wisdom economy. The rich cultural embroidery of oral traditions, indigenous

knowledge and the African Art of conversation combined with modern technology should be

fully exploited in the design of relevant and vibrant model of Science Centres in Africa.

Science centres in Africa should adapt hands on rather than confining themselves to hands

off models of displays that go beyond providing visitors with opportunities to also view but

to interact instead of reacting to phenomenon and ultimately being part of the

experience. The ideal Science model should exploit Information and Communication

Technologies to enable access to information and services to visitors and its design

should not be anachronistic or elitist .Those who are in charge of such facilities should

descent from their ivory towers of excess and promote science and Technology centres

that view people as active rather than passive recipients in the struggle to shape the

focus and trajectory of Science , Technology and Education. It should view people as pro-

active and innovative originators of scientific models knowledge.

References

Africa’s Science and Technology consolidated Plan of Action, NEPAD,August 2005.

Bradburne, J.M.(1998) Museum Management and Curatorship. 17(2), 119-137.

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Department of Science and Technology – Framework for the Promotion of Excellence

in a National Network of Science Centres.

Department of Science and Technology (DST) (2007), ‘Innovation towards a

Knowledge-Based Economy. Ten-Year Plan for South Africa (2008-2018)’, Draft. Pretoria:

DST.July 10.

Department of Science and Technology- National Norms and Standards for a Network

of Science Centres in South Africa, 2005

Durranti, G.(2008) Africa needs Science Centres.IN:The Herald, November 15 , 2011.

Mathema, N.C.G. (1994), ZANU (PF) and Economic Independence, Harare: Mathema

Publications.

Mbeki, T.Africa: The role of higher education. IN: New Africa. April, 2005.p.66.

Hove, H and Zinyama, T. The Challenges of Zimbabwe Science and Technology Policy

Formulation from 1980 to 2002. IN: International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

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Jawaharlal Nehru,J.; Gopal,S. and Hasan ,M.(2008) Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru:

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Kampala

Ogbu, O.(2002) Can Africa Develop without Science and Technology? Nairobi: The

African Technology Policy Studies Network.Paper published in the East African Standard

on June 28, 2002 to commemorate the 2002 Scientific Revival Day in Africa.

The African Model Law for the protection of the rights of local Communities, Farmers

and Breeders and for the regulation of access to biological resource in Relation to

International Law and Institutions, 2002.

Traditional Knowledge systems and Health .IN: The Sunday Mirror, 12th.February, and

2006.p.8.

Wheatley, M. J. (1994). Leadership and the new science: Learning about organization

from an orderly universe. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset):

October 2013 - December 2018.

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