Germany looks to remote learning to promote STEM in Africa

When it comes to educating girls in subjects such as math and computer science, the German development ministry is preparing to try something a little bit different.

Partnering with the private sector, the ministry, known as BMZ, is developing a pilot project that will connect primarily girls and young women in classrooms in Africa to technology such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and electronic prototyping equipment in Germany. The new part is that the students will learn how to operate those devices by controlling them remotely.

The ultimate goal of the public-private project is to provide the girls an experience that “enhances their prospects in the job market and facilitates the establishment of their own businesses, thereby strengthening small- and medium-sized enterprises in the African partner countries,” a BMZ spokesperson wrote in an email.