From left: Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills, TD; Mari Cahalane, national organiser of EUCYS 2018; and Dr Tony Scott, co-founder of the BTYSTE. Image: Colm Mahady/Fennells
Ireland has been chosen to host the EU Contest for Young Scientists in 2018, the 30th year of the event.
One of the biggest events in the education calendar, the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) sees thousands of students compete for significant prizes.
The top prize includes a trophy, €5,000 and qualification for the EU Contest for Young Scientists, which will be held this year in Estonia.
However, next year, on the 30th anniversary of the event, it’s coming to Dublin for the first time since 2004.
“It is a fantastic achievement to be selected,” said Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills, TD.
“Initiatives such as this play an important role in raising awareness and engagement around science and technology, and the impact it has on every aspect of our lives.”
Shane Curran from Terenure College took home the top prize at this year’s BTYSTE, securing the award for his cybersecurity project with a twist.
His project, called qCrypt: The quantum-secure, encrypted, data storage solution with multi-jurisdictional quorum sharing, was enough to send him on to the European tournament in Tallinn later this year.
But the 2018 Irish winner will stay a bit more local, something BT Ireland MD Shay Walsh is pleased with.
“This is great news for Ireland and for young scientists across the country, as they will get to see one of the world’s most prestigious international science fairs on their own doorstep,” he said.
Meanwhile, Intel has opened up applications for its Mini Scientist competition.
Aimed at primary school students, the competition involves creating a science and technology project that can be based on the Irish science curriculum or any area of interest to the participating students.
Once they have been developed, schools will host an exhibition to showcase all of the projects.
A winning entry from every school then progresses to a regional final, where students will have the chance to compete for a place in a national final.
