10 Jun 2019
Students from Pristine Private School in Dubai have won the Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition for the Middle East & North Africa region.
The winning entry was one of 19 in the region, and more than 250 globally. The project involved investigating the water purity level by filtration using carbon filter.
Ariba Najir, a Year 10 student, was a member of the winning team.
She said: ‘The main purpose of the experiment was to highlight the lack of clean water available for consumption in various developing countries. We were able to gain additional information about water channels and enhance our awareness of the water filtration process and the materials used. My team members and I were very pleased that we were able to conduct the experiment with satisfactory results.'
Sonika Saxena, Head of Science, Pristine Private School, added: 'This is a classic example of 'science for a cause'. We wanted to find a solution to the problem of generating clean drinking water economically, thus catering to millions of people in developing countries who still do not have access to pure water.
'The team’s strong imagination led to invention of this innovative method of low cost filtration. This will further inspire many more to find solutions to real world problems using their scientific knowledge.'
The school received a letter of recognition celebrating the success, and every team member received a certificate and medal. The overall winner of the global competition was a team from Jayshree Periwal International School, India, in the South Asia region, who put together a project entitled ‘Live or Dye? Negative impacts of synthetic dyes'.
The expert judging panel included Dr Helen Eccles, ex-Director of Cambridge International and Science Competition Lead, Dr Rachel Garsed, Senior Engineer at CMR Surgical, Dr Elaine Wilson, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University and Dr Judith Roberts, Head of Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary, Development, Cambridge International.
The 2020 Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition will open later this year.
