| 2005 |
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YEAR BOOK |
DCU, GMIT, NUI Galway, G. Ed. Ctr
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European Union Science Olympiad 2005
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The European Union Science Olympiad (EUSO) is a team competition for EU second level science students who are 16 years of age or younger on December 31st. Students born on or after 1st January 1988 were therefore eligible to take part in EUSO 2005. Each EU country was asked to send two teams of three students and a mentor for biology, chemistry and physics.
The 1st EUSO was held in DCU in 2003 and the 2nd in Groningen University, the Netherlands, in 2004. Belgium, Germany, Spain and Sweden will host the next four EU Science Olympiads.
Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden sent delegations of six students and three mentors to Galway. Three other countries sent observers.
NUI Galway designed Task 1, a four-hour multi-disciplinary practical experiment on "Water Quality". Task 2, "Salinity & Mussel Physiology" was designed by the science faculty staff of GMIT. Both tasks were co-ordinated and managed by the chairman of the scientific committee, Dr. Paraic James (DCU). Michael A. Cotter (DCU) and Bernard Kirk (GEdCtr) were the joint directors.
Other members of the EUSO 2005 management team were chairperson, Tom Hyland; administrator, Anne Casserly; coordinator, Simon Lenihan and graphic designer, Eoin Heffernan.
The Irish teams were selected at the National Junior Science Olympiad held in DCU in January. A panel of twelve finalists was selected and the two teams were later selected and trained in DCU by the Irish Mentors. One Irish team won a silver medal and the other a bronze. The EUSO trophy was won by Slovakia and Germany took the gold medal.
The Irish Teams
Aisling Rooney, Loreto Sec. Sch., Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Aoibheann Brady, Loreto College, Drumkeen, Co. Cavan
Martina Feyzrakmanova, Castleknock Comm. College, Dublin 15
Alana Gibney Finglas, The Institute of Education, Dublin 2
Aman Yadav, St Colman's College, Fermoy, Co. Cork
Sheile McSweeney, Scoil Mhuire, Wellington Road, Cork
The Irish Mentors
Dr. Odilla Finlayson (Chemistry Mentor and Country coordinator), Ms. Janice Cunningham (Biology) and Dr. Eilish McLoughlin (Physics).
EUSO 2005 was part of a larger "Europe Week", the brainchild of the Minister for European Affairs, Mr Noel Treacy TD. As well as two days of science experiments the delegations were presented with a week long educational, cultural and social programme.
The NUI Galway team: Professor Gerry Morgan, Drs. Cyril Carroll, Fawaz Aldabbagh and Gary Gillanders. The GMIT team: Professor Des Foley, Drs. Ian O' Connor, Miriam Pybus, Kathleen Lough, Jim McComb and Gareth Roe. Dr. Paraic James (DCU) was the task coordinator.
Professor Masno Ginting of Indonesia, President of the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO), was also present as an observer.
The EUSO, an Irish concept, grew out of the experience of the International Science Olympiads in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Unlike the Internationals which are for final year students, the EUSO is directed towards students who have not yet decided which subjects to pursue. By preparing for and participating in EUSO they might be encouraged to choose an aspect of science as an interesting area of study and a career choice. The fact that it is a practical competition and a team event is very much in keeping with the modern view of science in schools and much more interesting for the students. They enjoy taking part and solving real science problems.
Galway was an excellent setting for EUSO 2005. It is a University city expert in catering for students and young people; a safe city, where strangers are made welcome with a "c�ad m�le f�ilte" and a city steeped in history and tradition where our young European visitors got a real appreciation of what it is like to be Irish in 2005.
Contact: Michael A. Cotter, EUSO President, DCU, Dublin 9; E-mail: [email protected]