The Science Museum Joins the K-Era! Busan National Science Museum Embarks on Overseas Aid

First National Science Museum Selected as "KOICA Project Volunteer Agency"
Launch of Science Education Project in Tanzania, Africa

The Busan National Science Museum (Director Song Samjong) has also entered the field of overseas aid projects. It is the first among domestic science museums to be selected as a KOICA project volunteer agency.

The museum announced on the 5th that it has been chosen as the project agency for the "Tanzania Science Experiment Education Volunteer Project," part of the official development assistance (ODA) program run by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency).

The official name of this project is the "Tanzania Zanzibar Secondary School Science Experiment Education Capacity Building and Hygiene Environment Improvement Project Volunteer PMC Project." The Busan National Science Museum, together with the Korea Institute for International Development Cooperation in Education (EDCN, Chairperson Jung Sumi), signed a PMC (Project Management Consultant) contract with KOICA.

This is the first time that a national science museum has been selected as a project agency for a KOICA ODA project. The project period is three years, running from July 2025 to September 2028, with a total budget of $1.21 million (approximately 1.676 billion KRW).

The target sites for the project are about 10 secondary schools on Unguja Island and Pemba Island in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The project plans to strengthen science experiment education capacity, improve hygiene facilities, and provide hygiene education.

Over three years, the PMC will recruit and select 84 volunteers in six rounds, provide specialized training in science experiment education, hygiene environment education, and construction in Korea, and then dispatch the volunteer teams to the local sites.

The Busan National Science Museum will share its expertise in developing science lab management manuals and science experiment teaching materials, creating science experiment programs, and operating science camps and science clubs. It also plans to introduce science-based hygiene education content.

Song Samjong, Director of the Busan National Science Museum, stated, "As a hub institution for hands-on, inquiry-based science education, we will utilize our expertise and experience to promote the spread of K-science and technology culture in Africa." He added, "We will expand the international role of the museum to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Busan National Science Museum built the first elementary science center in Africa (Ethiopia) among national science museums in 2022 through its sponsorship program. Since then, it has continued science sharing activities such as teacher training and the development of customized science content. In Rwanda, it successfully carried out overseas science sharing education, laying the groundwork for K-science museum-style ODA projects.

Teacher Capacity Building Training for the Ethiopian Elementary Science Center conducted by the National Busan Science Museum.

Students of the Ethiopia Elementary Science Center Girls Science Class conducted by the National Busan Science Museum.