The need for STEM [Infographic]
No, this is not about stem cells. This is all about STEM as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This is also about politics, given the strong relation of the term to the various educational programs and strategies developed by nations governments. And, of course, it's about how a nation views and builds its own future, providing access to a high level of education, about efforts made to prepare itself for new challenges, about the way it makes sure that its citizens become skilled professionals able to perform in a competitive world. Ultimately it's about individuals and the way they think and act now to make sure sure that tomorrow they'll be smarter.
Some people are just fooling themselves. If, unfortunately, they gain some political status they also start fooling other people around as well. It's easy to think "well, I don't know much and yet, my oh my, I've become a senator. Now let's make sure no smart guy will ever come up and claim my warm, comfortable seat". And yet, even such a narrow minded politician has some sort of natural defense mechanism. Even if they don't give a dime about their own education, they always make sure their children get to learn from the best. They don't waste their time and money to develop their own countries educational programs. Their children are sent abroad, in schools and universities where some other people and some other governments have a very strong, very sharp and very different point of view about education. In the end it wouldn't be such a waste if these children ever come back and participate to their own country development. But no, most of them never look back. They don't have any reason to look back. By that time their country will still be lead by their mothers and fathers and ... well... we already know how this story ends.
Where is this STEM coming from ? According to tiesteach.org "in 2001, Judith A. Ramaley, a former director of the National Science Foundation’s education and human-resources division was credited by many educators with being the first person to brand science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum as STEM. Since then the concept was swiftly adopted by numerous institutions of higher education as well as the scientific communities as an important focus for education policy focus and development."
So, while some are dangerously playing with their future as a nation, others pay good money and spend valuable time to create workforce with deep technical and personal skills. Yes, they spend a lot but these are not considered to be a loss. It's a price they are happy to pay because they know it will come back and help them become smarter and stronger.
With or without state's involvement strong companies invest in research about STEM. As an example below we have the results of a recent study, performed by a company named Harris Interactive on behalf of the giant Microsoft corporation. Well, we all know Microsoft ;-). The image though is self-explanatory and very useful.
