Bloodhound and FameLab at South Africa National Science Festival
Bloodhound and FameLab are representing the UK at South Africa National Science Festival
BLOODHOUND Supersonic Car
Scifest Africa is South Africa’s National Science Festival, and the UK will be well represented again this year. The British High Commission, through its Prosperity Fund in South Africa, is sponsoring the Bloodhound SSC Education Team to attend and hold workshops at the festival.
Following their success at last year’s event where they won first prize in the category Best Curriculum Workshop, as voted for by visiting educators and Education Department officials, the Bloodhound SSC Education Team will continue to raise awareness of the importance of science, technology, education and maths subjects. Throughout the festival, which runs from the 12th to 18th of March in Grahamstown, the team will conduct a series of “Build a Rocket Car” workshops, give presentations on the car and on the progress towards the World Land Speed Record attempt in South Africa. The team will also visit schools in the neighbouring Irhini Township.
The British Council will also return to Scifest to bring FameLab for the second year in a row. FameLab is an international science competition – like ‘Idols’ for scientists - running in over 23 countries around the world. The national finals will take place at Scifest Africa, where the winner will represent South Africa at the International Grand Final in Cheltenham in the UK.
The UK’s involvement in Scifest through the British Council and the Bloodhound team’s promotion of GREAT British innovation underlines our continued commitment to partnering with South Africa in science and research. Earlier this week, the UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, announced a R2bn additional contribution to the Square Kilometre Array telescope, which South Africa (with eight partner countries throughout Africa) will be co-hosting with Australia and New Zealand. This announcement is part of a wider UK government investment of £300 million to support growth and jobs in UK science.