Korea Science Academy Science Fair (KSASF)

While everyone else was suffering through the last week of Term 2, we spent it in Busan at the Korea Science Academy Science Fair (KSASF). This biannual event brought together young scientists from 16 countries and 27 institutions to present their research, exchange ideas and innovate in a truly international setting under the theme “Science and the Future: Exploring New Frontiers”.

Day 1 opened up with a campus tour, followed by the official opening ceremony and a special lecture about the inner workings of AI. 

The stakes ramped up in the afternoon with the research poster presentations, setting the stage for the formal oral presentations on day 2.

After the day 2 talks, the three of us joined different groups for the science workshops, where we each collaborated with students from other countries on one of the three activities: making and investigating the properties of gold nanoparticles at different sizes, synthesising N-heterocyclic molecules and verifying the product composition using proton NMR, as well as exploring hydraulic systems. 

Day 3 shifted off the KSA campus, where we engaged in an engineering tour at the Hyundai Motor Company Factory and the Busan National Science Museum. 

After the touring, we made a stop at Lotte Mall and emptied Olive Young. 

One of our most memorable parts of KSASF was the constant exchange of culture. From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by students from different cultures. In between activities, we frequently socialised and exchanged goods with each other. We learned as much about the world from these interactions as we did from the official program – and, for the record, we resisted the temptation to terrorise anyone with Vegemite. (We blessed them with TimTams instead!) 

KSASF aims to foster an environment where fair competition thrives alongside close collaboration, encouraging students to grow together and dive into innovative research. Science fairs of this kind are all amazing opportunities to build new connections, develop new skills and have a taste of what research is like. We hope all students who are interested in these events will take a step out of their comfort zone and apply for upcoming opportunities!

~ Jun Xiang