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To commemorate the World Science Day 2020 and as a response to the pandemic, UNESCO supported an online workshop entitled “Scienteen Festival: When the Power of Youth and the Magic of Technology Combined Against COVID-19” on 10 November 2020. The workshop was the opening event of a series of Scienteen Festival activities organized by Nano Center Indonesia during November and December 2020.

With the participation of more than one hundred students and teachers from all over Indonesia, the first speaker, Prof. Nurul Taufiqurohman, Head of Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials - Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), delivered a presentation on nanotechnology development and the emerging roles of youth in the nanotechnology sector. The second speaker, Dr Ir Syarif Hidayat, MT, an associate professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics - Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) elaborated the current Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) development in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the lectures, Mr M. Farhan Maulana, the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Ambassador to Asia, moderated the discussion session. Questions from participants were mostly on the problems and obstacles in dealing with nanotechnology in Indonesia. The resource persons addressed the issues are due to limited funding and unfavourable regulations to foster the development and advance of STI. They were encouraged the youths to raise awareness and educate the public on STI development to improve the national research on STI. The young engineers, scientist and researchers should contribute to the society by developing functional and applicable technology, including hardware, software and even human-ware or STI based policy to solve problems.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Taufiqurohman concluded that there are wide-ranging applications of nanotechnology in human’s everyday life. He also highlighted the necessity to improve STI education and the need for the government to provide supports in fostering innovative researches. Dr Hidayat closed the session with remarks on the importance of inventing applicable innovations that can solve everyday problems rather than expensive inapplicable innovations where the users are limited. He also encouraged the youth to cultivate their big dreams and make them happen.

The activity is contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, especially on Goal 4 (equality access on education especially for youths), Goal 5 (gender equality especially in access on STI) and Goal 9 (build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation).

For more information, please contact Ai Sugiura (a.sugiura@unesco.org).