America
'Indian-American student's Ivy League feat positive for STEM in India'
Kolkata, April 17
The acceptance of an
Indian-American teen into eight Ivy League schools in the US will help
debunk misconceptions about integrated science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) approach to education in India, experts said here
on Thursday.
Virginia-born Indian-origin student Pooja
Chandrashekar, 17, was recently accepted by 14 top US universities,
including eight Ivy League schools. She is known to encourage American
teen girls to participate in STEM programmes, which integrate these four
disciplines for a holistic experience.
"The misconception is
that STEM is only one unpackaged topic - science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. In order to change that misconception, her
(Chandrashekhar) getting into those schools is actually a very positive
message for India," Ryan Cox, a sustainable farming technology
entrepreneur, told IANS.
He was here to talk about the STEM-based laboratory at the STEM World School, near Barrackpore, the first in eastern India.
Cox
said though Indian students are proficient in solving problems, an
inter-disciplinary approach like STEM could foster better careers.
"We
have such talented students here. They have the ability to solve
problems, ability to apply it; so by changing the methodology and giving
them the chance to work in collaboration with peers, we not only create
better students and problem solvers but better careers," he said.
Concurring,
Cynthia A. Bricston, an educationist, said successful careers mean
students were able to solve real world problems and innovate.
"When
you are given a real world problem to solve, you gravitate towards
innovation naturally and that is where the linkage between these four
disciplines comes in handy," Bricston told IANS.
In the US, there
is a projected increase of around 20 percent to 62 percent jobs in
various STEM related fields between 2010 and 2020, while countries like
Turkey, Qatar and Britain have taken serious initiatives in STEM
education.
A recent study by Defence Research and Development
Organisation revealed that in India, just four out of 1,000 young
students opt for a career in science, technology or research.