Scientific Secretary, Government of India launches ChemAmaze Gamification Platform and honours WEnyan Scholarship Awardees & Mentors – A Joint Initiative by BASF and Pune[...]

• WEnyan Compendium, a showcase of the accomplishments of awardees and mentors unveiled
• ChemAmaze aimed to promote game-based teaching and learning as well as making STEM education interactive and accessible

Pune, India March 06, 2024: BASF in India and Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) honoured the recipients of the WEnyan Scholarship and their mentors at an event held at the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune. WEnyan is a research scholarship program for women by women in Maharashtra. Dr. Mrs. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of the PSA to the Government of India, graced the occasion as the guest of honour and launched the WEnyan Compendium and ChemAmaze, a gamified learning platform in chemistry. The Strategic Alliances Division under Office of the PSA to the Government of India has been instrumental in facilitating and supporting the partnership between BASF and PKC.

Launched by BASF India Limited as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program in collaboration with PKC, IUCAA Pune and IIT Madras, ChemAmaze offers a collection of engaging games designed for students and teachers across India, promoting game-based teaching and learning techniques at schools. This innovative initiative seeks to make STEM education interactive and accessible, enhancing the learning experience in Indian schools, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Speaking at the launch event, Dr. Mrs. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of the PSA to the Government of India said, "Office of PSA is happy to be a flagbearer of programs like WEnyan and ChemAmaze, which not only align with the SDGs 4 and 5, but also showcases the commitment of the Office of PSA towards creating a sustainable and inclusive society, that contributes towards bringing about a visionary change in STEM education and helps India in becoming the third largest economy in the world."

Alexander Gerding, Managing Director, BASF India Limited & Head - BASF Group Companies in India said, "We are pleased to see the outcome of the WEnyan program. Over the past two years, 49 women from 16 colleges and 18 districts across Maharashtra have received scholarships, establishing it as a leading scholarship program for women in the State. As we continue in our endeavour towards making a fundamental shift in teaching and learning processes, we are excited to launch ChemAmaze aimed at nurturing critical thinking, encouraging an interest in chemistry, and explaining difficult concepts through gamification to school students."

"PKC is happy to collaborate with BASF for STEM education initiatives like WEnyan and ChemAmaze. WEnyan is a 'for women, by women' initiative, in which women in leadership positions from academia as well as industry are involved in the selection, mentoring, and monitoring of the grantees, giving them an opportunity to contribute towards the society and nurture fresh talent. Further, we are excited to launch ChemAmaze with BIL marking an important step in our journey towards implementing gamification pedagogy at schools and making classroom learning more engaging, informative, and interactive." Dr. Priya Nagaraj, Chief Executive Officer, PKC highlighted at the event.

WEnyan is a comprehensive scholarship initiative in Maharashtra, where women in leadership roles in scientific fields actively participate in selecting, mentoring, and monitoring other female candidates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The name 'WEnyan' symbolizes Science ('विज्ञान'), with 'WE' representing Women in Education and 'nyan' ('ज्ञान') signifying knowledge.

For more details about the WEnyan Program, please write to: [email protected]

For more details about the ChemAmaze Program, please write to: [email protected]

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