Top-performing Australian students strive for gold

Twenty-three of Australia’s exceptionally talented high school science, mathematics and informatics students will strive for gold medals when they represent their country at the UNESCO-sanctioned International Science and Mathematical Olympiads in July this year. These Olympiads are annual worldwide competitions for secondary school students from more than 100 countries and represent the pinnacle of achievement in each discipline.

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, announced the Olympians and presented them with their Australian team blazers at a special ceremony in Parliament House, Canberra.

Teams for biology, chemistry, informatics, mathematics and physics were selected through an intensive training and selection process. They will compete against similarly gifted students in competitions taking place in the Netherlands (Mathematics), Taiwan (Biology), Thailand (Informatics and Physics) and Turkey (Chemistry).

The training and selection for the Olympiad programs is run by two not-for-profit organisations: the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT), under the Trusteeship of the University of Canberra, for Mathematics and Informatics; and Australian Science Innovations (ASI) for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These programs provide high-quality training for top-performing students to develop their talents in science and mathematics, enabling them to become the next generation of Australia’s scientists, engineers and medical researchers.

Professor Peter Taylor, AMT’s Executive Director, said the Olympiads provide the most comprehensive program in Australia to help talented students stretch beyond the school curriculum to reach their potential in science and mathematics. “Although all students don’t have equal talent, all should have equal opportunity to develop their talents. The Trust’s aim is to enthuse Australian school students about mathematics and informatics and encourage them to undertake further studies and careers in these crucial areas,” Professor Taylor said.

Lillian Lesueur, Executive Director of ASI, said the International Science and Mathematical Olympiads are a fantastic opportunity for these students to strengthen and hone their skills. “The competitions will expose them to exciting new developments in the science arena and allow them to build networks that will be invaluable in their future careers as scientific leaders. In earning themselves a place in the team, these students have proved themselves to be the best of the best in Australian science and mathematics. They are now going to be challenged against the best in the world at what are highly prestigious international events,” Lesueur said.

The Australian Mathematics and Science Olympiads are supported by the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Monash University supports the Science Olympiads.

The Australian team members for the International Science and Mathematical Olympiads are:

Biology - Taipei, Taiwan (10-17 July)

• Callum Gray, Year 12 Pittwater High School NSW
• Darcy Gray, Year 12 Pittwater High School NSW
• Nathan Isaacson, Year 12 North Sydney Boys High School NSW
• Phillip O’Riordan, Year 12 University High School Vic

Chemistry - Ankara, Turkey (9-18 July)

• Peter Hall, Year 12 University High School Vic
• Thushan Hettige, Year 12 Scotch College Vic
• Jonathan Lay, Year 10 Newington College NSW
• Lachlan Vom, Year 11 Sydney Grammar School NSW

Informatics - Pattaya, Thailand (22-29 July)

• Michael Chen, Year 8 Scotch College Vic
• Eliot Courtney, Year 12 Como Secondary College WA
• Evgeny Martynov, Year 12 James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW
• Robert Newey, Year 12 Cobar High School NSW

Mathematics - Amsterdam, Netherlands (16-24 July)

• Nancy Fu, Year 11 James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW
• Declan Gorey, Year 12 Sydney Boys High School NSW
• Timothy Large, Year 12 Sydney Grammar School NSW
• Colin Lu, Year 12 Melbourne Grammar School Vic
• Yanning Xu, Year 11 St Peter’s College SA
• Angel Yu, Year 12 Perth Modern School WA

Physics - Bangkok, Thailand (10-18 July)

• Justin Cheung, Year 12 Sydney Grammar School NSW
• Jinghang Luo, Year 12 James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW
• Emilio Pace, Year 12 St Peter’s College SA
• Thomas Pearson, Year 12 Burgmann Anglican School ACT
• Katherine Quail, Year 12 Roseville College NSW