NEWS IN BRIEF
INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
After being selected for the Australian national team for the 2022 International Junior Science Olympiad ( IJSO ) last year , it came as a bit of a disappointment that Australia would not be participating in the 2022 IJSO , which had been hastily relocated from Ukraine ( which could not host the competition in person for obvious reasons ) to Colombia . In particular , Australia decided against going to Colombia because of safety and security concerns .
However , we were very fortunate earlier this year to learn that Ukraine was willing to host an online alternative to the IJSO , called the International Junior Science Challenge ‘ Science Vision ’. Like the IJSO , it was a competition for students 15 years or younger , and tested our theoretical and experimental skills in biology , chemistry and physics at about a Year 12 level .
Among the 10 countries represented , the Australian national team was placed first overall with three gold medals and three silver medals – a great result for our team of six members . I was fortunate enough to be one of the three Australian gold medallists .
The great thing about this competition is that it fosters international cooperation and friendship , and gives students around the world the opportunity to extend themselves and explore advanced concepts in science . After undertaking this program , I ’ m looking forward to taking my next step in the Science Olympiad pathway – one of the Senior Science Olympiads ( Biology , Chemistry or Physics ). WITTER ONGGARA – YEAR 10 ( GOLD MEDALLIST )
ASIAN PHYSICS OLYMPIAD
I went to Tokyo , Japan in July to attend the Asian Physics Olympiad , where I got to visit historical sites , experience cultural activities such as watoji , a traditional book binding method , listen to Nobel Laureates speak about their experiences and sit for 10 hours of exams . Aside from these experiences , one of the most serendipitous aspects I enjoyed was the verdant beauty and tranquility of the Japanese countryside , just an hour from the busy metropolis of Tokyo . LIAM CHEN – YEAR 11 ( BRONZE MEDALLIST )
INTERNATIONAL LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD
In July , our Year 12 team was invited to attend the International Olympiad of Linguistics in Bansko , Bulgaria after qualifying in the Australian Computational Linguistics Olympiad round . We were unsure of what to expect , but the trip was eye-opening , and introduced our team to the vast world of languages , while also providing the opportunity to make many new friends from all over the world . We had a great time learning about linguistics , participating in the competition , and meeting like-minded people . DANIEL ZOU – YEAR 12
30 Great Scot Issue 170 – December 2023