Launched today at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) and A*STAR Talent Search (ATS) Awards Ceremony, SAYES will place students in the driver’s seat to advocate science and technology among their peers. Senior student members will take on leadership roles and chart the academy’s direction, with the guidance of adult mentors from science and engineering backgrounds. The Academy will provide members with a wide spectrum of resources at the Science Centre and A*STAR, including open houses, field trips, lectures by Nobel Laureates and top scientists,training programmes and peer group activities. Furthermore, SAYES will work closely with existing school science clubs as well as facilitate their establishment in schools where they have yet to be formed, thereby extending the benefits to more students. Membership to SAYES is an officially recognised co-curricular activity (CCA) and is open to students 15 to 19 years of age, with or without existing affiliations to other science societies or clubs. More details on SAYES and its activities can be found at http://sayes.science.edu.sg.
Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre, said “While science and technology powers a knowledge-based economy, it is people who power the engine of discovery and innovation. SAYES is poised to create a Youth Science Movement and it will be a step further forward strengthening our nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education priorities. Our youth must embrace STEM with passion and conviction, and SAYES will be a start for their professional networking to enhance creativity and develop entrepreneurship.”
The establishment of SAYES is especially timely as Singapore commemorates 20 years of S&T planning and development. Over the years, particularly in the last decade, students’ interest in Science has grown significantly, due to the efforts by A*STAR, Science Centre and MOE, to inculcate a deep interest in science and engineering through activities such as SSEF and ATS. This is evidenced by the high uptake of research activities, record participation in SSEF and ATS this year in particular, and the excellent quality of young talent emerging to pursue scholarships and careers in STEM.
Outstanding projects at 2011 Singapore Science and Engineering Fair & A*STAR Talent Search
This year, SSEF received a record 584 entries, more than five times the number of entries since it first started in 2001. ATS, which receives entries shortlisted from SSEF, also saw a two-fold increase in the number of entries since its inaugural run in 2006. Four participants in SSEF have been selected to represent Singapore in the prestigious Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, USA in May 2011, where over 1,600 high school students from 65 countries across the world will showcase their research to an international audience. See Annex A for ISEF project details.
Dr Lim Khiang Wee, Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy, said “The high quality of the projects submitted shows that our programmes offering hands-on R&D experience have been successful in encouraging critical thinking, communication and creativity amongst our young. The process of asking good questions, exploring how things work, figuring out why they don’t, and creating innovative approaches develops traits important for future careers in Singapore’s knowledge-intensive, innovation-driven economy.”
Eight ATS finalists were selected from 178 entries, and interviewed by a distinguished panel of judges headed by Nobel Laureate Rudolph Marcus, Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology. The top winners for ATS 2011 are:
- 1st Prize: Cheng Herng Yi, NUS High School of Mathematics & Science Project: Composing Right Frusta to fold Axial Symmetric Origami
- 2nd Prize: Jin Chentian, Raffles Institution Project: Molecular alteration of the TRPM5 channel in pancreatic ß-cells and its effect on glucose tolerance
- 3rd Prize: Alan Aw Jin, Raffles Institution Project: The Covering Radius Problem for Perfect Matchings See Annex B for a full list of ATS winners and their projects.
“I am very impressed by the calibre of the students and the quality of their research projects for this year’s A*STAR Talent Search,” said Professor Rudolph Marcus, “The students were eloquent in the discussions of their research projects and demonstrated a depth of understanding far beyond their age and experience. It is really a very promising picture of the insightful developments in education in Singapore.”
About Singapore Science and Engineering Fair & A*STAR Talent Search
The Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) and the A*STAR Talent Search (ATS) are flagship science outreach programmes jointly organised by A*STAR, Science Centre and the Ministry of Education. Both competitions have for over a decade provided students with opportunities to showcase their stellar research work and encourage them to further explore science and technology.
SSEF is an annual competition for students in secondary schools and junior colleges to showcase their research projects. Selected winners go on to compete at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college science competition. ATS is an initiative that identifies top young scientific talent from amongst students aged 15 to 21 years old with a strong aptitude for science & technology. The projects are reviewed by an extensive network of scientists from local and international universities, defence and medical research organisations, and A*STAR research institutes. ATS finalists present their work to a distinguished panel of judges, headed by an internationally eminent Chief Judge.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centres, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About Science Centre Singapore The Science Centre Singapore is a non-formal educational institution dedicated to the promotion of science and technology among students and members of the public. As a leading Science Centre in the region, the Science Centre Singapore has twelve exhibition galleries with more than 1,000 exhibits, and another 18,000 sq metres of outdoor space showcasing the Waterworks, Ecogarden and the Kinetic Garden exhibits. The Centre also houses the Omni- Theatre — Singapore’s only dome-shaped, 5-storey high theatre with a capacity of 248 seats. The Science Centre, with Omni-Theatre and Snow City, received more than 1.46 million visitors for FY2010/2011.
For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg.
For media queries, please contact:
Jasmi Kishore Ghariwala
Band Public Relations
DID: 6324-0385 HP: 9180-9282
Email: jasmi@bandpr.com.sg
Eunice Choy
Science Centre Singapore
DID: 6425-2372 HP: 9656-6703
Email: ekm_choy@science.edu.sg
Adela Foo
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
DID: 6826-6218
Email: adela_foo@a-star.edu.sg
