Academic research in Singapore

Six students from Nexus travelled to Singapore recently to work on academic research with one of the country’s leading schools; the National Junior College.

“Our students worked in teams of four with their peers from the National Junior College to explore unknown and untested areas of Physics, Maths and Biology” commented Dr Jo Foster, Director of Nexus. “They were tasked to carry out a literature review into current research and use their findings to decide on their own research project. In November, students from NJC will travel to Camborne to complete the work and produce a written paper for another week of inspiring international collaboration!”

Ailsa Drew, Alicia Jenkin, Annabel Harry, Kayleigh Williams, Jools Clarke and Taylor Smitheram made the trip with two members of staff from Nexus; Mr Daniel Chapman and Mr Gareth Rees.

Alongside the educational aspects of the visit, students took part in various cultural excursions and lived with their NJC peers for the duration of the trip. “The homestay was fantastic and allowed our students to experience first-hand what life is like in Singapore” commented Mr Chapman, Lead Practitioner in Science, Nexus VI Coordinator and Deputy Director of the Gifted STEM Programme.

“It was such an amazing week and I have made lots of new friends” commented Ailsa in Year 12. “I found the research very challenging but we have all achieved so much in such a short time. I can’t wait until November when we’ll all be reunited to finish our projects!”

“We would like to extend our thanks to the National Junior College for their assistance with the research projects, particularly Mr Kester Wong and Ms Stephanie Foo for their tireless efforts” commented Mr Chapman. “Our Nexus students and staff also want to say a huge thank you to the NJC students for their hospitality; Nihal, Arshad, Gabriella, Lenice, En Qi and Hongyi.”

“The close friendships which have developed this week are sure to mean that the students will keep in touch long after the academic programme has ended!”

Principal at CSIA, Ian Kenworthy, added, “Collaborative learning engages our students, furthers their knowledge, improves global awareness and taps into the power of combined talents across the world. It’s all about encouraging our students to see things from different perspectives and to acquire lifelong transferable skills.”