In recognition of Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee and Bengali New Year, the Embassy and local educational partner RoboLab organized a STEM competition and mentor discussion to encourage Bangladeshi women and girls to pursue STEM education and careers. More than 200 female students participated from across the country.DHAKA, April 18, 2021 – Deputy Chief of Mission JoAnne Wagner joined local STEM educators and students to inaugurate the 2021 “STEM Olympiad for Girls” competition and discussion program to encourage young women and girls to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineer, and mathematics (STEM) fields. During the two-day virtual event, funded by the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section and in partnership with RoboLab, more than 200 middle school, high school, and undergraduate students from all eight divisions completed STEM challenges and quizzes, participated in mentor discussions with female Bangladeshi scientists and engineers, and celebrated their achievements in an awards ceremony.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Olympiad, Deputy Chief of Mission Wagner encouraged participants to pursue careers in STEM and to study in the United States saying, “Women have and will make amazing contributions in STEM fields in Bangladesh, the United States, and around the world. You belong in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and the world needs you there.”
The 2021 “STEM Olympiad for Girls” project is one of U.S. Embassy Dhaka’s many initiatives during the year of Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee to strengthen and expand people-to-people ties and educational linkages between the United States and Bangladesh, engage marginalized communities, ensure gender parity, and provide women and girls with opportunities to contribute to creating sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity in Bangladesh and a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
RoboLab is the Embassy’s implementing partner for this project. RoboLab is a Dhaka-based for-profit educational organization focused on helping children and young adults develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and logical analysis skills through age-appropriate STEM-based education, including robotics and computer programming. – US Embassy press release
