Young Indonesian scientists received a hero's welcome as they returned home from Poland as champions of the 2009 International Conference of Young Scientists (ICYS) with 10 medals, more than any other country. The victory is a sweet (and rare) treat for the country's poor education system, which will mark National Education Day on Saturday.
The ICYS is an annual physics, mathematics, computer science and ecology competition for high school students under 18 years of age.
The 12 students - (from left) Christopher Alexander, Allen Michelle Wihono, Lidya Felita Limbri, Jessica Karli, Melissa Nadia Natasha, I Made Rayo Putra, Fernanda Novelia, Vincentius Gunawan, Idelia Chandra, Gabriella Alicia Kosasih, Teresa Maria Karina, Guinandra Lutfan Jatikusumo and Nugra Akbari (holding the flag) - earned six gold, one silver and three bronze.
Germany followed with three gold, four silver and two bronze and the Netherlands came in third with three gold, one silver and two bronze.
The Education Ministry's director of high schools Sungkowo praised the students' success upon welcoming them home at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday. He said the government will provide scholarships to any university in the nation for the winners when they graduate from high school.
"I am very excited by the offer, but I don't know which university to go," 15-year-old Vincentius, the youngest team member, said.
He and Fernanda, both from Petra III junior high school in Surabaya, won gold from their "Biological Control using Trichogramma Japonicum as egg parasite" research. "I got the idea when I noticed farmers had problems handling plant diseases," Vincentius said. (JP/bbs)
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