By Aleksandra Leszczynska, Office of Public Information and Communication

An IAEA initiative in Malaysia is seeking to create greater inclusivity in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education with the support of a regional  IAEA technical cooperation (TC) project on Strengthening Nuclear Science and Technology (NST) Education at Secondary and Tertiary Levels.

The project recognizes the pivotal role that nuclear science plays in achieving several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in health, food security, energy and environmental sustainability, and has the goal of reaching 10 million students in Asia and the Pacific. The initiative will now be extended to other schools in the region with the aim of including more curricular activities for special needs STEM students, marking a significant stride toward universal inclusiveness in nuclear science education.

This month marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on 3 December. Utilizing knowledge and educational resources gained from the IAEA project, chemistry teacher Kuit Vui Ket at the SANZAC school initiated a project in Malaysia — creating greater inclusivity for neuroatypical and special needs students in STEM subjects, an often overlooked aspect of education. The project involved implementing supportive policies and legislation, developing accessible learning materials, and conducting comprehensive teacher training programmes.

The project integrates empowerment and enablement strategies, setting a benchmark for inclusive STEM education. Suriani Sani, a parent whose child participated in the programme, said, “The hands-on learning experiences in the nuclear science and technology programme have been invaluable. Our child has developed practical skills and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.”

Speaking of their experience in the classroom, a student said, “Learning about nuclear science and technology is so much fun! The hands-on experiments and interactive lessons make me excited to come to class every day.”

A key initiative which falls under the aegis of the scheme is the NST-STEMclusive Project, which is centred around special needs STEM students. This project strives to create a learning environment that ensures no student is left behind. In particular, the project focuses on the development of diverse learning materials, tailored to the diverse needs of special needs students. The NST-STEMclusive Project invests in creating adaptable and accommodating materials, ensuring meaningful engagement with the curriculum for every student.

Vui Ket said, “This project acknowledges the unique strengths and potential of special needs students in STEM fields, seeking to unlock their talents and foster their interest in nuclear science.”

The IAEA has been at the forefront of supporting professional training in NST education through various technical cooperation projects, aiming to overcome resource limitations, workforce challenges, and conflicting demands that impact learning and facilitation, particularly in the field of NST.

The IAEA’s engagement symbolizes a commitment to dismantle barriers and create a future where diversity is not only acknowledged but seamlessly integrated into the fabric of education.

Motorola Solutions’ senior vice president of global enterprise sales, John Kedziersknoted that the myriad capabilities of the HALO smart sensor are particularly valuable in locations where cameras are not appropriate as a physical-security tool.

“HALO is a smart sensor that can be cloud-connected to drive insights and intelligence for your facility, and it’s a multi-purpose security sensor that … tells you about what’s happening inside a facility or a safety space that’s not a camera,” Kedzierski said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

“That’s very important, because you can’t put cameras everywhere. You can’t put cameras inside a restroom or a hospital room or inside a hotel room. There are many areas where privacy is a primary concern, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t want your physical-security system to understand what’s happening in that place.”

Motorola Solutions has been a reseller of the HALO smart sensor for years, so its sensor data already is integrated into Motorola Solutions’ systems, according to Kedzierski.

“With our HALO product, we have integrations into our radio-communications portfolio, as well,” he said. “Using our tool called Orchestrate, you could have an event in the physical-security system that automatically sends an audible or text alert to a communications device, such as a MOTOTRBO radio or our WAVE push-to-talk application on a smartphone, so you can close the loop and actually drive an action.”

Such integrations are expected to be enhanced with the purchase of IPVideo, which is the latest of 11 acquisitions that Motorola Solutions has made in the physical-security space within the last six years, Kedzierski said.

Motorola Solutions’ executive vice president and chief technology officer, Mahesh Saptharishi said the IPVideo acquisition is an important step to enhance Motorola Solutions’ vision to deliver end-to-end physical security to entities such as schools, hospitals, hotels and other enterprises.

“With its powerful sensor capabilities, HALO extends our end-to-end physical security offering by integrating a non-video threat detection product into our safety and security ecosystem,” Saptharishi said in a prepared statement. “We see this as an opportunity to introduce additional detection solutions that help our customers protect people, property and places.”

IPVideo President David Antar echoed this sentiment.

“We are excited to join Motorola Solutions and look forward to strengthening the innovative solutions we deliver to our customers,” Antar said in a prepared statement. “Together, we will continue investing in and building upon Motorola Solutions’ leading safety and security ecosystem, equipping customers with advanced ways to protect their people and enhance their operational insights.”

A Motorola Solutions spokesperson confirmed that the IPVideo deal has closed, but no terms are being disclosed at this time.

In recent years, Motorola Solutions had been on a buying spree, acquiring more than a dozen companies that have helped drive the vendor giant’s impressive growth. However, Motorola Solutions had not purchased any companies in 2023—a fact Motorola Solutions CEO Greg Brown noted during last month’s conference call with investment analysts, although he indicated that the company has continued to look for good opportunities at the right price.