Excitement filled the air as the 44th Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) opened its doors, welcoming young scientists with an electrifying line-up of activities, including robotics and coding workshops and riveting science shows. The ISF recently saw 326 young South African and international scientist peers compete at the Convention Centre at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park.
The youngsters also had a visual treat when they experienced Africa’s rich heritage at the Origins Centre at the University of Witwatersrand. This boasts an extensive collection of rock art, fossils, artefacts and ancient stone tools depicting the origins of humankind in Africa. The young scientists also visited Museum Africa and the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, where they interacted with exciting science, technology and 4IR exhibits, before presenting their research projects to the judges. These tackled a wide range of topics, not only addressing issues that mattered to them personally, but also presenting solutions with the potential to make a meaningful impact in their schools, communities and beyond.
An array of exciting prizes from full bursaries to cash prizes, laptops, and tablets were awarded to the top-performing innovators. Eskom awarded four special awards of R10 000 in cash to the Best Female, Best Development, Best Energy and Best Innovation projects. Babcock International, the University of Pretoria and Siemens Energy awarded six full bursaries for winners to study towards a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at any South African university of their choice. Various partial bursaries were also up for grabs. These bursaries had a total value of over R3,6 million. Generous monetary prizes up to R75 000 cash were also awarded, along with laptops and tablet computers. Additionally, Siemens provided valuable prizes to previously disadvantaged schools at the ISF. Universities further contributed by offering academic support through bursaries and mentorship programmes.
The prizegiving ceremony concluded with Tahir Ousman, a Zinniaville Secondary School learner being awarded the prestigious University of Pretoria/Dr Derek Gray Memorial Award for his research project entitled: ‘Twin prime conjecture and its significance in number theory’. The award consists of the Derek Gray Gold Medal, attendance at the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar during Nobel Week, and a three-year study bursary in science or engineering at the University of Pretoria.
Eskom Expo Executive Director, Parthy Chetty said: “This prestigious event celebrates the innovative work and achievements of tomorrow’s leaders, showcasing their contributions to advancing knowledge and solving real-world challenges. These young researchers are reshaping the future of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) and fostering a more diverse and inclusive scientific community, ultimately leading to the betterment of South Africa. Join us as we honour these brilliant minds, whose ground-breaking research and creative solutions are shaping a better future.”
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