Q+A: Syrine Sbaa on global warming, access to STEM for underprivileged communities and sharing your knowledge with others…

If you had infinite time, money and resources to solve just one global challenge, what would it be, and why?

If I had infinite time, money and resources to solve just one global problem, I would pick global warming. Global warning may have already passed an irreversible tipping point, the scientist who led the biggest-ever expedition to the Arctic has warned and so many among us are still unaware of this forlorn fact. Our planet earth has just had the hottest month humans have ever recorded - this July narrowly beat out three previous months in 2016, 2019, and 2020 that had tied for the previous title. The fact that all of this has happened so recently just screams that we have to take action as soon as possible!

How did you get involved in STEM?

I come from a very neglected part of Tunis and so I was never really exposed to STEM, let alone knowing such a word existed. I started looking for opportunities to get me out of my comfort zone and then I stumbled across the term STEM - I did my research and ever since then I’ve been hooked. I undertook my journey to learn about cutting-edge technologies and to teach youth in my community about them too. It started from taking part in an astronomy association in my town to then traveling overseas to grasp concepts such as quantum optics, quantum cryptography, quantum computing and nanotechnology .

If you could share one tip for someone who's new to making a difference through STEM, what would it be?

My tip for a new STEM changemaker would be: share your knowledge wherever and whenever possible with anyone. There are so many brilliant people out there who have never had the chance to express their intelligence or speak their minds just because they’re either underprivileged or way too caught up in their comfort zones. With your icebreaker questions about STEM, you may ignite some passion within them and as a result helping unfold the STEM changemakers in them.

How do you think STEM is impacting your community?

My community is yet to be fully and immensely engaged in STEM-related activities. We still have a long way to go, but on the bright side we’re making a remarkable progress. It was once rare for women to get involved in local STEM programs. Yet nowadays women are about to surpass men in such fields. Youth are undeniably taking massive action in STEM, from quantum computing workshops to astronomy conferences and building robotics during the pandemic to help the medical sector, it feels great to have come this far.

What do you hope that the Youth STEM Summit will achieve in terms of empowering youth globally to tackle the world's biggest challenges, and why do you think this is important?

I am genuinely thrilled to be part of the Youth STEM Summit Design Team. Contributing to making a global summit successful and accessible to all youth from all over the world is both exciting and thrilling. I hope that the underprivileged communities get to take part in the summit, to help them grow mentally and to provide them with a platform where they can feel at ease to speak their minds. We’re looking for a whole generation driven by STEM to save healthcare systems, education and our mother planet.

What are you most excited for about the Youth STEM Summit?

I’m mostly excited about having youth speakers and listening to their experience and how they’ve come this far. It would be amazing to have everyone learn from their accomplishments and always aspire to improve themselves in STEM.