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International Program

Students who attended this year’s NYSF and wish to apply for one of the places in the program click here to download an application form.

From 2010 every student who attends a session of the National Youth Science Forum in January is eligible to apply for a place in the International Program. This year there is a total of up to 35 places available.

Participating organisations in the 2010 NYSF International Program

Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) — 14th May – 30th May 2010
Now in its 49th year, the CWSF is Canada’s premier youth science event. It’s actually the “national finals” of a huge annual competition. The five hundred or so Canadian participants must present a scientific project, which has previously been ranked highly in regional science fairs. Six Australian students are invited to the CWSF as ambassadors for Australian science and as guests of the host city they visit local primary and high schools. In 2010 the CWSF is being staged in Peterborough, Ontario. The trip also includes a week touring through the Rockies. More information at www.cwsf2010.ca.
Russian Scientific Study Tour (RSST) — 18th June – 4th July 2010
This program was created especially for the NYSF by the All-Russian Youth Aerospace Society “Soyuz”. Six students are hosted by a Russian family and visit a wide range of institutions in Moscow and St Petersburg. The tour has an aerospace and engineering flavour and features visits to some famous but restricted facilities including Star City, the home of Russia’s cosmonaut training program. This is an unusual but unique opportunity to experience Russia and its culture. No website available but read the online report from last year’s attendees.
Research Science Institute (RSI) – 19th June — 2nd August 2010
The Research Science Institute (operated by the Center for Excellence in Education in Washington, DC) is held each year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, one of the world’s highest ranked universities. Competition for a place at the RSI is fierce and strictly limited. Australia, represented exclusively through NYSF, has two places out of a total of 75. What sets this program apart is its 6-week duration but in that time the RSI participants conduct research in a field of their choice with top scientists and engineers as mentors. The doors that this experience opens are second to none. Note that USA citizens attend free-of-charge but internationals (including Australians) pay a fee. More information at www.cee.org/programs/rsi.
National Youth Science Week (NYSW) — 27th June – 12th July 2010
The NYSW attracts the best senior science students from all over southern Africa plus six Australians by special invitation. Like the NYSF this South African program showcases top science and engineering career paths ranging from nuclear physics to aeronautical and automotive engineering. After attending the Science Week in Pretoria the Australian students go on a 10-day guided safari that begins in Johannesburg and ends at the spectacular Victoria Falls in Zambia. No website available but read the online reports from last year’s attendees.
Euroscience Open Forum 2010 (ESOF 2010) – 29th June — 16th July 2010
The Euroscience Open Forum is held every second year in a different European city. For six days some of the world’s best scientists, journalists, and students gather to announce and discuss the very latest scientific breakthroughs. There are lectures, displays, optional tours and press conferences. It’s an extraordinary snapshot on where science is right now! After attending ESOF in Turin the six Australians will visit a range of research and cultural venues in Pisa, Florence and Pompeii. More information at www.esof2010.org.
International Science Summer School Heidelberg (ISH) — 17th July – 17th August 2010
One of the newest additions to our program, the ISH is similar to the RSI in that both are research-based. However this fine program is 4-weeks in duration and the 27 students attending are hosted by the city of Heidelberg in Germany. This historic city is home to some of the world’s finest research institutes such as the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Max Planck Institutes for Astronomy, Medical Research, and Nuclear Physics. For this, our first year in partnership with the ISH, the NYSF has been invited to send three Australian students. More information at www.ish-heidelberg.de.
London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) — 19th July – 6th August 2010
The LIYSF has been running for 50 years and attracts over 250 students from around 50 countries for a single two-week session. The NYSF sends six students representing Australia. Hosted by Imperial College in South Kensington, the students attend lectures by high-profile scientists and see some of the finest research labs in the UK. There are optional visits to Oxford and Cambridge and debates on controversial issues not to mention the chance to join an instant global network. More information at www.liysf.org.uk.
Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar (SIYSS) — 21st November – 21st December 2010
The SIYSS is centered on the presentation in December each year of the Nobel Prizes for Science. Not surprisingly only a small number of international students are invited to this prestigious event and Australia (represented exclusively through the NYSF) is the only country that is guaranteed two places each year. Students attending the week-long SIYSS are accommodated on the AF Chapman, a sailing ship moored in Stockholm Harbour. As well as attending the Nobel Prize Ceremony, all participants attend the dissertations of the Laureates and the official Banquet and Ball, the climax of the Nobel week. For an additional two weeks the two Australians tour Europe by train.
Note: it is a requirement of the SIYSS that attendees must be 18 years of age at the time of the program. More information at www.fuf.org.