Date: 09/12/2011

Source: The Department of Science and Technology

Title: SA: Pandor: Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, at the international junior science olympiad awards ceremony, Durban

The Programme Director;

Prof (Dr) Masno Ginting, President of the International Junior Science Olympiad;

Committee members of the International Junior Science Olympiad;

Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, Cllr. James Nxumalo;

Mr Robin Naidoo, Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee for IJSO 2011;

Distinguished members of the Scientific Committee;

Team leaders and their deputies;

Students from all participating countries;

Teachers and Parents;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I’m delighted to be here at the closing ceremony to see who will win the 8th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO).

Olympiads stimulate interest in science. They encourage young people to become scientists, to become physicists, chemists, biologists. They encourage youngsters to choose science as a career and that choice assists all of us to develop and prosper.

In a very real sense an Olympiad shapes lives. It’s something you never forget. It’s something you dream about both before winning and after winning. It gives you a wonderful sense of satisfaction.

I’d like to congratulate Professor Masno Ginting for his vision in establishing of the Olympiad 8 years ago.

First, he convinced Indonesia to support the IJSO idea. Then, he convinced South Africa to host this prestigious event this year, at which some 42 countries are represented.

Under the leadership of Mr Robin Naidoo, the Local Organising Committee has been instrumental in making the 8th IJSO on our soil a success.

The Municipality of Durban is to be congratulated for hosting the event, while the Scientific Committee of the IJSO is to be applauded for its work, which includes preparing the Olympiad questions.

I’m sure a lot of research has to go into this critical aspect of the Olympiad so that learners from different learning backgrounds compete on anequal footing.

I hope the Olympiad questions and associated tasks not only tested your knowledge depth of biology, chemistry and physics but also helped you to think creatively.

I’m impressed by the manner in which the IJSO is configured, particularly its focus on the 15 year olds and younger.

Usually most of the activities that are intended to stimulate young people’s interests in sciences accommodate learners who are in their later years of schooling.

Sometimes it’s a question of not realising how much such an approach disadvantages the process of building a pipeline for the development of science, engineering and technology professionals.

If the learners are introduced to exciting and challenging science at an earlier age, it is likely that more of them could be attracted to science-based careers than it is currently the case.

The IJSO is designed in such a way that it helps learners to achieve what some experts refer to as a shift from “memory-based learning to thinking-based learning”.

More similar activities are needed to prepare young people for future science and technology careers.

The 8th edition of the IJSO took place in this city of Durban, South Africa at the same time as the COP 17 Climate Change Conference.

Cop 17, as we are all aware, brought together countries to tackle the challenge of climate change.

Although this conference includes both countries’ leaders and experts on the subject, delegates do not necessarily have all the right answers for the challenges brought about by climate change.

I believe that the young and talented science learners present here today will find some better solutions in the near future.

Enhanced by the hospitality that Durban and its people offer, there is no doubt that the experience will remain in your minds for years to come.

However, I would like to encourage you to look at the potential study opportunities that South Africa offers in science and technology.

South Africa has some state-of-the-art researchinfrastructure.

A case in point is research infrastructure for astronomy, which has made our country an international astronomy research destination.

I would be delighted if some of you returned to this country to use these facilities to explore the universe as part of your postgraduate studies.

We also have research councils that are the envy of the world. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Agricultural Research Council, the Medical Research Council, Council for Geosciences and MINTEK are ideal places to start your science careers and progress to world-renowned researchers and scientists.

Science and mathematics olympiads and competitions are not just for learners.

They are also for us in government. Olympiads and similar competitions are central to the implementation of our Youth into Science Strategy.

The Strategy is part of our work to build, at school level, a pipeline for the development of the country’s science, engineering and technology technicians and professionals.

Like most other countries in the emerging world, South Africa needs to train more researchers in science and technology.

I would like to congratulate all the participants for qualifying to take part in the IJSO.

A special word of congratulations to the winners, your effort and hard work has been rewarded with this recognition. I wish you well with furthering your studies and sincerely hope that you will follow a science career.

Please remain in contact with the friends you have made here in Durban.

Let me conclude by wishing Iran well as its representatives here today receive a baton to host the 9th IJSO in 2012.