MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat Communications, supported
by Mindset Learn, have announced a pan-African student competition called the
“DStv Eutelsat Star Awards”.
The aim of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards is to inspire innovative thinking among secondary and high-school students, to
create awareness on how science and technology can be applied to everyday life,
and to show the many ways that satellites already impact on the development of
the African continent.
The awards take the form of a competition open to 14-19
year-old students in 42 countries. Students are invited to write an essay or
design a poster on satellite technology and how it can assist further
development of their communities, country or the African continent. Country
winners vying for the overall prize will go on to compete at international
level, adjudicated on 12 September 2011 by an international judging panel.
The overall winner will be invited to see a live rocket
launch and to visit Eutelsat‘s satellite
installations in France, with the winner of the Second Prize also visiting
Eutelsat in France. Merit award winners will win a trip to Johannesburg to see
DStv’s technical facilities and television studios at the MultiChoice Africa
offices. They will also tour the Mindset education broadcasting facilities.
The information society opens a myriad of opportunities
for emerging countries to accelerate their economic development on an equitable
basis. Working with MultiChoice and Mindset Learn on this new Award is a way
for Eutelsat to show our commitment to encouraging African students to engage
with new technologies.
Over half a century since Arthur C. Clarke developed his
vision for using satellites to connect the world, space still represents a
field of adventure which can stimulate the minds of students. We are honoured
to launch this joint initiative with MultiChoice and, together with our
longstanding partner, to demonstrate our commitment to developing digital
services in Africa,” said Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat Communications.
By TelecomLead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com