Ministerial prize-giving marks National HE Stem Programme success

During The Wales Celebration Event for the National HE STEM Programme event  held in Cardiff Bay recently, a Bangor University student received Second prize of the Wales HE STEM Cutting Edge Research Poster Competition.  Huw Waters, of Bangor University’s School of Electronic Engineering was congratulated by  Edwina Hart Hart AM, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science for his poster explaining his research on ‘New polymers and oligomers for printing of next generation solar cells’.

The afternoon event at the Wales Millennium Centre saw the launch of a new publication Embedded employability: A guide to enhancing the university curriculum  by Professor Noel Lloyd, former Vice-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University, and Dr Robert Leese, Director of the Industrial Mathematics Knowledge Transfer Network.

Taking part in the afternoon event was Professor Alan Shore of the School of Electronic Engineering. Prof Shore, Professor of Electronic Engineering, discussed User-driven Photonics Skills Improvement via Life-long Learning (UPSKILL) at an afternoon presentation on Up-skilling the workforce:

In a short address on Higher Education and STEM by Edwina Hart AM, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science said: "I am delighted to see the innovative work being undertaken in Wales by higher education institutions in promoting and delivering programmes of study within the STEM subjects.

"The Welsh Government’s new science strategy ‘Science for Wales - a strategic agenda for science and innovation in Wales’ highlighted the need to build a strong and dynamic science base that supports the economic and national development of Wales.

"We need people with advanced skills in these disciplines to help drive forward the knowledge economy in Wales and ensure businesses can recruit high calibre staff to remain competitive, create jobs and wealth. I am therefore delighted to participate in the Wales Celebration Event for the National HE STEM Programme."

 Professor Phil Gummett, Chief Executive of HEFCW, said: “We have been immensely proud to have been able to support the National HE STEM programme. It’s been excellent to see all the universities in Wales that offer STEM courses get together to run collaboratively more than 80 projects, which students from all backgrounds have benefited from. I am very pleased to be part of the event that celebrates how those who work in Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics education have engaged to deliver activities that promote the value of STEM subjects, boost recruitment and up-skill the workforce.”

The National HE STEM Programme supports higher education institutions in the exploration of new approaches to recruiting students and delivering programmes of study within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. 

The Programme is hosted centrally by the University of Birmingham and delivers its activities regionally through Universities in England and Wales, with the Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (WIMCS) as the partner in Wales. 

 The reception was sponsored by David Rees AM and hosted by Professor Richard B Davies, Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University, on behalf of the Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences.

Publication date: 26 June 2012