The Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), a global initiative dedicated to advancing hands-on biotechnology education, achieved the incredible milestone of reaching one million secondary school students worldwide. As part of a series of ABE celebrations across the globe, a special event attended by Simon Harris, taoiseach (Irish prime minister), and Bob Bradway, Amgen CEO, took place this week at Temple Carrig School in Greystones, Ireland.
Since its establishment in 1990, the ABE program has now reached over one million students across 16 countries, helping to bring biotechnology out of professional labs and into classrooms.
“For ten years, students right across Ireland have been introduced to the excitement of scientific discovery thanks to this excellent initiative, Harris said at the event. “The importance of this experience to students cannot be understated, with many students getting their first taste of biotech from the program.”
Addressing the students, Bradway encouraged them to seize the opportunities offered through ABE. “Remember, every great scientist started somewhere – often in a school just like this one, with a teacher just like your own and with a curiosity about how things work. Keep pushing the boundaries, keep asking questions, and keep believing in your potential to change the world.”
Bob Bradway, Amgen CEO and Simon Harris, taoiseach, (Irish prime minister) pictured with Liam Goff (17) of Temple Carrig School Greystones as the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) celebrates reaching one million students worldwide at a special event in Greystones.
Through ABE’s support of science teachers, students in Ireland and across the globe are gaining hands-on experience with professional-grade scientific equipment. Participating teachers benefit from rigorous professional development to deliver practical lessons in DNA analysis, gel electrophoresis and genetic engineering, helping students connect classroom theory to real scientific challenges.
In closing, Emily Razaqi, chair of the Amgen Foundation, said, “We are dedicated to unlocking the potential of students around the world through our science education programs, because everyone needs science and science needs everyone. By giving students the chance to perform advanced experiments and work with cutting-edge technology, we’re helping them see the potential of biotechnology and its role in solving real-world problems.”
Emily Razaqi, Bob Bradway, and Simon Harris, taoiseach (Irish prime minister), enjoying a moment together at the ABE event in Temple Carrig, celebrating innovation and collaboration.
The celebrations in Ireland were echoed around the globe with ABE celebrations also taking place in Türkiye, Singapore, China, Australia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, California, Brazil, Canada, Kentucky, Ohio, Tampa, the Netherlands, San Francisco, Rhode Island, France, Massachusetts, Hong Kong, and North Carolina.
About the Amgen Biotech Experience
The Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) is funded by the Amgen Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Amgen Inc. The program provides professional development and curriculum, materials as well as loaned research-grade equipment and reagents at no cost to participating schools. Click here for more information.
About the Amgen Foundation
Since our founding in 1990, the Amgen Foundation has committed over $450 million to nonprofits dedicated to impacting lives in inspiring and innovative ways, with $270 million going towards science education initiatives to provide best-in-class programs free of cost to teachers and students. In 2023 alone, our signature programs reached over 25 million students and educators worldwide, and the Foundation seeks to continue expanding access to high-quality learning experiences and advancing equity in STEM around the world. For more information, visit www.amgenfoundation.org.
