Chemists Without Borders
(Congo Brazzaville, India, Ivory Coast, Morocco)
Chemists Without Borders (Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Ivory Coast, Morocco)
The French association "Chimistes sans frontières" (ChSF), founded in February 2018, leads and participates in international solidarity actions that require chemistry skills. The experienced members of ChSF bring their skills, networks and willingness to engage with and support disadvantaged populations or developing countries.
In 2021/2022, the Eurofins Foundation provided a grant to support a virtual reality chemistry project for pupils in underdeveloped areas.
The initiative aims to promote the dissemination of chemistry knowledge among young people in disadvantaged areas through virtual reality education. The project will develop a prototype that shows two chemistry experiments using active pedagogy (Inquiry-Based Learning).
The prototype's specifications have been established by students of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Supérieure de Chemistry of Montpellier (FR), with academics from African countries and volunteer experts from ChSF. This educational tool will be used in schools in Sub-Saharan Africa and India.
The prototype tool has been created and is currently under evaluation. It has also been proposed to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Education of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the local UNESCO office and the French Embassy for use and further validation.
ChSF), vision is to use this project in a global movement to improve the realisation of practical work in education.
In 2023/2024, the Eurofins Foundation renews its support to ChSF and the VR.e.Lab.
The prototype, received and transferred to Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville in July 2022, allows the students to immerse themselves in a virtual chemistry laboratory and carry out two experiments (titration of the acidity of a vinegar by colorimetry and pH -metry).
The tests carried out in France and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the various presentations to UNESCO, the FGL (Fédération Gay Lussac) and the ENSCM (School of Chemistry of Montpellier) led to particularly positive evaluations: a realistic and enriching immersion in a laboratory, carrying out instructive experiments, etc.
ChSF has therefore decided to develop and distribute the VR.e.Lab on the basis of the prototype. This project will integrate 8 new experiences into the application, develop an adapted pedagogy and ensure its dissemination in disadvantaged regions.
This project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
