The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS), which was founded in 2010 by a group of distinguished scholars, is dedicated to contribute to the nation’s development by instilling a culture of science and innovation among citizens so that they become knowledgeable, strive for change, achieve attitudinal change and enjoy better and civilized life style. As an institution dedicated to foster scientific culture, knowledge, and innovation for societal development in Ethiopia, EAS has taken the initiative to establish a Science Center (SC) in Ethiopia, which has been serving as a hub to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the country. To realize the mission and vision of the Academy, the SC of EAS has been implementing different programs in its various units.
Units of the SCEAS and their activities
Informal STEM education center
The STEM education center of SCEAS was established in collaboration with STEMpower Inc. and it was launched officially on the 8th of July 2019.
Physics Unit
Physics Unit of SCEAS is a center where different interactive exhibits which demonstrate various theories and principles of physics have been displayed.
Children’s Science Center
The Children’s Science Center is a center where various scientific exhibits, especially that of physics, are displayed so that children of aged 4 to 10 along with their parents come to the center as visitors and get inspired from the explanation given by a curator.
Geology and Paleoanthropology Unit
Geology and Paleoanthropology Unit is a place where visitors are educated about geological processes, human evolution and major geological and archeological research findings and explorations in Ethiopia through interactive displays.
Aquarium
The aquarium is the center where different species of fish from diverse regions of Ethiopia are displayed to visitors. The aquarium is used to create awareness about the vast fish resources that our country really has; and also visitors entertain watching the movements and behaviors of the different species of fish. Recently, there are only few species of fish; and the Academy is planning to collect additional species of fish from different regions of Ethiopian.
A 10 kW Solar Power System
The 10 kW solar power system has been installed in EAS premises for the purposes of hands-on training and generating alternative power for the Academy electric power consumption. The solar power system is of all-inclusive solar power generation equipment which serves the purposes of training different communities, especially students and young entrepreneurs, and setting up an alternative power source. Now, the solar power system is generating half of the electric power consumption of the Academy.
Industry and Engineering Unit
In this unit different industrial and engineering hands-on exhibits are displayed to educate visitors some concepts of engineering designs and industrial processes. By doing so, visitors will get knowledge on how some technological artifacts are built and operate; and what some industrial processes look like.
Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab)
The FabLab is a laboratory where students, entrepreneurs and researchers get the opportunity to have a maker space to practice on equipment that may normally be difficult to get access to; for innovators and entrepreneurs to build prototype and real products, and test their products on a very small scale without the need for large investments in technology.