Behind IGNITE

Photo: Darshan Chakma

The Daily Star and Grameenphone jointly organised a project to promote science among school children across three divisions. Titled, IGNITE, the secondary school-based science competition, wrapped up recently. In an interview with SHOUT, Marcus Adaktusson, Director of Communications, Grameenphone talked about the initiative.

How would GP evaluate the success of Ignite?
Marcus: In terms of engagement and response we got from the students and teachers, it was very good. We ran the pilot project in a number of schools, some of them nicely worked out while some didn't. My overall impression, especially about Dhaka, is very good. Here students are very engaged in science and technology, and they have passion for science education.
What inspired GP to initiate this campaign with The Daily Star?
Marcus: We have an overall ambition and that is 'Internet for all'. We feel that education, in general, and science education, in particular, can benefit much from the internet. The next generation that is emerging can make the best use of this fantastic tool, and that's why it's so important for us to equip them with the right tools.
The campaign was held in three divisions so far. Does GP have plans to extend it to other divisions?
Marcus: Currently we are evaluating the whole campaign. Besides, we do a lot of other projects to raise awareness and encourage students.
District level participation was quite low in all of the events. How do you see this?
Marcus: Since it was a pilot project, we have a lot of things to consider and there are ways of increasing participation. Overall the number of students engaged in IGNITE was satisfactory. There were some practical issues like summer vacation and the distance, as students had to travel from far to come to the venues. We have many things to learn.
Do you think this sort of programme can bring sustainable change in students' attitude towards science and technology?
Marcus: This type of programme is capable of giving students a strong platform for competition so that they get noticed. It encourages them and rewards them.
Majority of the mobile users don't have internet literacy…
Marcus: It's a big challenge to bring internet literacy in the society. We need to work together with the government and other agencies to work on that. GP is campaigning to raise awareness and encourage local entrepreneurs to develop new services.
How does GP intend to bring about a social change through internet?  
Marcus: We want to promote local content and make internet more popular among the young. There are a lot of global content but we want to encourage more local developers to come up with their own services. If there is no reason for people to go on the internet, things will not change. GP is trying to make it more interesting.
Apart from campaigning solely on social media, what do you think can be done to persuade the youngsters to make the best use of internet?  
Marcus: There is a lot of focus on Facebook and companies want to attract subscribers using this platform. But we need to focus on other areas as well. There are safety issues and children should be educated to make sure that they are using the internet and social media properly.