The British Council announced its first science competition for 14 to 16-year-old students attending its partner schools, during its annual Principals' Forum at Sheraton Cairo Hotel on Wednesday. According to a press release by the British Council, the forum was attended by 230 school principals from across the country, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and from Cambridge Assessment International Education, Pearson Edexcel, and Oxford International AQA. It was also attended by Sir Geoffrey Adams, the British ambassador to Egypt. The event's press release said that the candidates for the Science Stars competition should be currently studying in grades 10, 11 or 12 and enrolled in one of the British Council's partner schools. To apply to the Science Stars competition, students must submit an application before 23 November through https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V587VS9, and include the scientific concept they have chosen, which can be in any topic in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine) field, and to present it later on in a three-minute presentation. The final ceremony of the Science Stars competition will be on 27 February 2020, where shortlisted students will present their concept in front of a jury, and three winners will receive an internship during the summer at the British University in Egypt. “The idea behind Science Stars is to take science out of the classroom and make it fun, and to encourage young people with a passion for science and technology to share their enthusiasm with the general public,” said Mike Bailey, Exams Director at the British Council in Egypt. Elizabeth White, Country Director of the British Council in Egypt, said, “Science Stars promotes the skill of science communication and is designed to find the new faces of science – people who can inspire and excite public imagination with a vision of science in the 21st century.” According to the press release, in 2018, the British Council increased the number of partner schools to 140, growing by an average of 10 schools per year, and boasting 110 high achievers for Cambridge and 52 for Pearson. Every year, 2 million people take international exams with help from the British Council.
