Top young scientists get top honours
Eskom held its 43rd Expo at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. Young scientists showed off their inventions and received prizes.
At this year’s Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF), young scientists reaped the benefits of their hard work and ingenuity, receiving full and partial bursaries, cash prizes, laptops, tablet computers and opportunities for work-based exposure during their school holidays.
The fair that brought together the brightest young scientists from across South Africa and various countries around the world was at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg during the first week of October.
The title sponsor, Eskom, awarded 23 full bursaries valued up to R450 000 each and four special awards to the best female, best development, best energy and best innovation projects selected amongst entrants in the energy category.
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The Eskom Special Award winner in the best female category was Likitha Chundru, a Grade 11 learner from Bryanston High School in Johannesburg.
Chundru, who also won the Meiring Naudé Award for the most inspiring project, used a novel method to increase the germination and growth of non-legume plants using Rhizobium spp. Bacteria.
Amogelang Mampane, a Grade 12 learner from Soshanguve Automotive School of Specialisation in the Northern Gauteng Region won the Eskom award for the Best Development Project. Mampane impressed the judges with his technical knowledge of electric cars.
Keerthana Nair from Bryanston High School in Johannesburg won the Eskom Award for the Best Innovation Project. Nair found a quick and easy way to detect tuberculosis in sputum.
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Her innovation will be most significant for early tuberculosis detection in areas with limited medical resources.
Sithembile Hlehliso and Kabelo Sekoere from Senakangwedi High School in Bloemfontein in the Free State received the Eskom Best Energy Project award.
This Grade 12 team investigated ways to improve the efficiency of solar panels.
Eskom Development Foundation Acting CEO, Mologadi Motshele, congratulated these young scientists who have displayed exceptional talent and a steadfast commitment to scientific inquiry and innovation.
“The achievements are a testament to hard work, dedication and their boundless curiosity.
“We are ecstatic to see a growing number of young women scientists emerging as true change agents in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Innovation (STEMI).”
Eskom Expo executive director, Parthy Chetty, thanked the many partners and sponsors who share the expo’s vision of promoting STEMI education by rewarding deserving young scientists for their hard work and dedication.
“All finalists are already winners by making it to ISF. Some will walk away with rewards, but all will leave this event enriched with new experiences during the week, new friends from across the world and will now be expo ambassadors back home,” he said.
Through their sponsorships, Siemens Pty Ltd, Innomotics and Siemens Energy supported previously disadvantaged schools at the ISF with their prizes while FFS, Babcock International, Ekurhuleni Drums, Trisim Logistics, Berea Plumbers and the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NIThECS) supported learners with laptop computer sponsorships.
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Universities like the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria and the Durban University of Technology provided academic support in bursaries and mentorships.
Siemens Energy awarded two full bursaries worth close to R1m that included tuition fees, textbooks, accommodation, meal allowances and a laptop for winners to study towards a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at any South African university of their choice.
The winners were Kabelo Sekoere and Simthembile Hlehliso from Senakangwedi Secondary School, who represented the Bloemfontein region.
Lethabo Molobi from Zinniaville Secondary School, who represented the Bojanala region, was awarded the University of Pretoria/Dr Derek Gray Memorial Award for the research project entitled, ‘Can humans recognise text produced by AI chatbots?’
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 the sciences or engineering at the University of Pretoria, provided she meets the required criteria.
