Malaysia Bags Seven Medals at the International Earth Science Olympiad 2024

The Malaysian team successfully brought home a total of seven medals from the 17th International Earth Science Olympiad 2024 held in Beijing, China, from 7th to 17th August 2024. 

The International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), being one of the 12 official International Science Olympiads, is an esteemed and highly-prestigious annual competition designed for secondary school students that rigorously evaluates their theoretical and practical proficiency in various Earth science disciplines, non-exhaustively including geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, environmental science, and terrestrial astronomy. 

As a key initiative of the International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO), IESO plays a vital role in promoting student engagement in the Earth sciences and raising public awareness. IESO also serves to enhance the educational experience of students in the field of Earth sciences. 

As of current, 17 editions of IESO have been successfully held since its first inception in 2007. This year’s IESO was themed “Big Data for Our Earth”, distinctly emphasizing the urgency for, and equipping participants with, skillful utilization and comprehension of the plethora of accessible data and knowledge of our Earth. Moreover, the IESO emphasizes the significance of interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking, reflecting the comprehensive and interconnected nature of Earth's dynamics. 

Participation in the IESO is exclusively extended to students who excel in their respective national Olympiad competitions. Notably, the IESO is among the only three International Science Olympiads – alongside the International Linguistics Olympiad and the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics – that features an International Team Competition, further promoting the importance of international collaboration in advancing our understanding of the applied sciences. 

This year’s IESO saw the highly-anticipated participation of various national teams from 35 different nations, with a total of 132 participants. Being held in Beijing, China, the competition is divided into three main events: the Individual Tests, the Earth Systems Project, and the International Team Field Investigation. The coalescence of these three events presents a holistic evaluation of the participants’ prowess and competency in both theoretical and practical knowledge of the Earth sciences – albeit awards being granted separately. 

The Individual Tests comprise of two main sections: the Theoretical Test and the Practical Test. In the Theoretical Test, participants are required to answer a cumulatively seven-hour long examination which tests the students on their theoretical knowledge of the Earth sciences. Occasionally, the Theoretical Test will also include questions of higher order thinking skills, requiring the students to incorporate knowledge from the various Earth science disciplines – honing their interdisciplinary thinking skills. 

As its name suggests, the Practical Test evaluates the participants’ abilities to put their Earth sciences knowledge into real-world on-site practices. This year’s Practical Test takes the participants to five different geological sites around the Mentougou District in Beijing, with each site featuring geologically compelling structures, posing questions for the participants to investigate. Our national team had the golden opportunity to experience a geological investigation, which simultaneously honed their scientific observation skills. 

Despite the extremely complex and challenging questions posed during the examinations, our national team found the Individual Tests event to be enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. One of our national team members, Muhammad Syarif bin Mohd Shariful Azwan – an alumnus of the National Gifted Centre, Kolej PERMATA@Pintar Negara, UKM – managed to secure a Bronze Medal in this event category. 

As aforementioned, IESO is one of the only three International Science Olympiads to feature an International Team Competition. The Earth Systems Project (ESP) is one of the International Team Competitions held in IESO. ESP gathers participants from different countries into teams of four to six. In their respective international teams, the participants conduct an in-depth study on a topic under a provided broader theme. This year, the theme given revolved around the habitability of planets. Our national team members, alongside their international teammates, explored and studied various topics from the effects of radionuclide concentrations on a planet’s habitability, to the potential of terraforming Mars. 

Our national team’s tireless efforts and prolonged teamwork during the ESP event did not go unnoticed, as most of them were awarded medals; Nur Adryana Aisya Binti Abdul Shukor, a 16-year old student from Kolej PERMATA Insan, USIM, proudly scored Malaysia a Gold Medal. Lee Kai Zhe, a 16-year old student from SMK Taman Pelangi Indah, on the other hand, brought home a Silver Medal and completing the set, Muhammad Syarif also brought home a Bronze Medal. Malaysia showed an exceptional performance in the ESP event category, mirroring our nation’s prowess in international cooperation and teamwork. 

Finally, the International Team Field Investigation (ITFI) requires students in their respective international teams to conduct a research study, practicing their expertise in the Earth sciences in real-world applications. The international teams were given differing research questions and they are tasked to plan and conduct their methodologies at the field sites of interest. Upon complete collection and analysis of data, the teams are then required to present their findings and defend their theories before a panel of international juries. The ITFI complements the Individual Tests and ESP by encouraging participants to practice and sharpen their scientific communication skills, ensuring a holistic development of the future’s gifted and talented Earth scientists. 

Notwithstanding the countless obstacles and issues encountered throughout the ITFI, the Malaysian team persevered and won us three Bronze Medals. The winning members are the 14-year old Cheong Kar Hin of SMK Sultan Ismail, Lee Kai Zhe, and Muhammad Syarif. 

After several years of online participation at the IESO due to COVID-19 measures, Malaysia came back this year, full-force, securing a total of seven medals. This prominent achievement could not have been made possible if it were not for the guidance and assistance of the selfless coaches, trainers, mentors, as well as the organizers and staff of the national Earth Science Olympiad competition (Malaysian Earth Science Olympiad), Ardent Educational Consultants (ArdentEdu). 

ArdentEdu is a premier education advisory service that organizes educational competitions in Malaysia. It also manages the national Olympiad competitions such as the Malaysian Earth Science Olympiad, Malaysian Economics Olympiad, Malaysian Astronomy Olympiad, and Malaysian Biology Olympiad, extending to international levels. ArdentEdu supports and trains talented students competing for the International Science Olympiads by connecting them to leading experts, as well as organizing training camps.

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This article is provided by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

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