Taiwan wins 3 gold, 1 silver at Earth Science Olympiad

台灣在國際地球科學奧林匹亞競賽中奪得3金1銀

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese students won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad, ranking second overall.

International Science Olympiads are held annually in around a dozen categories, with top high school students from each country competing in a different host nation each year.

Of the four Taiwanese contestants, three won gold medals in the individual competition: Yao Yi-geng (姚亦耕), Chuang Ding-you (莊定祐), and He Hai-ming (何海銘). Bao Cheng-you (鮑丞佑) from Hualien High School won silver, CNA reported.

Yao, a second-year student at Jianguo High School, described himself as fortunate to study geoscience and said he prefers hands-on experience over theoretical research. He added that while the increasingly challenging training did not dampen his enthusiasm, it required dedication through selection camps and national training.

Chuang, a student at Tainan First Senior High School, said he has long been fascinated by music, language, and science. He compared his childhood library visits to a treasure hunt and said his interest in natural phenomena eventually led him to focus on Earth science in junior high.

The Ministry of Education said winners of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the competition will receive scholarships of NT$200,000 (US$6,662), NT$100,000, and NT$50,000, respectively, and will also be recommended for admission to undergraduate programs in geoscience.

Taiwan has participated in the competition since 2007 and has consistently ranked among the top four internationally over the past five years.