An unprecedented number of 60 student teams comprised of students at all levels from 50 schools across the private and public sector in Cyprus attended physically, including 3 schools from abroad (Italy, Greece and the Czech Republic) attending virtually, in the ‘sCYence Fair 2022’ Science Festival, co-organised by The Cyprus Institute (CyI) and Aglantzia Municipality.

The event took place under the auspices of the Minister of Education Culture, Youth and Sports and the Chief Scientist for Research and Innovation of the Republic, on Friday and Saturday 15-16 April, at Skali Aglantzias in Nicosia.

The aim of the two-day festival was to stimulate scientific interest among young students and to support the next generation of scientists from Cyprus and abroad. The event provides an opportunity for young scientists to increase their awareness of the wonders of science, to add to their knowledge, and broaden their scientific horizons by demonstrating their scientific projects to the public, while also able to attend related lectures and enter a contest for the best presentation.

The science fair also included a variety of innovative and entertaining events such as scientific and educational interactive events, exhibitions, presentations, screenings and informative lectures, experiments and workshops, as well as speeches by renowned scientists from The Cyprus Institute and abroad.

The sCYence Fair 2022 also included a Physics Decathlon, a Demonstration of Robotics Challenges of the Robotex Competition by the Cyprus Computer Society in collaboration with Robo.com.cy and Engino, and an Ice Show by the Nutty Scientists. 

A total of 13 CyI research groups also participated in the festival showcasing the Cyprus Institute’s scientific work to the students and the public.

During the fair students presented innovative scientific activities, while the best and most imaginative activities and presentations from Primary, Secondary and High Schools were awarded in their respective categories on the basis of science, impact, and overall presentation. 

The winners in the three categories were: 

Primary Schools:

• Winner: Primary School of Agios Athanasios B: Zymart Box
• 2nd Runner up: Ecole Franco-Cypriot Nicosie : The blob
• 3rd Runner up: Primary School of Xylofagou B: Tsunami – A Water Wall 

Gymnasiums:

• Winner: The Grammar School Nicosia – Brain Impact
• 2nd Runner up: Gymnasium of Agios Stylianos – Challenged with climate change: I Care and I Take action
• 3rd Runner up: Aradippou Gymnasium – Study of time-controlled activities of Scantius aegyptius in artificial ecosystems

Lyceums: 

• Winner: Lyceum Arhangelou – Apostolos Marcos – A bright look at Waves’ Physics
• 2nd Runner up: Pascal Private English School Nicosia – Study on the effectiveness of different soaps on the extraction of DNA from octoploid and diploid cells
• 3rd Runner up: Technical and Vocational Education and Training of Nicosia – Study of pressure in solids – Applications

The awards were presented to the teams by the Mayor of Aglantzia, Mr. Andreas Konstantinou, the President of the Friends of The Cyprus Institute Association, Dr. Petros Kareklas, and the Vice President of Operations of The Cyprus Institute, Dr. Michalis Yiangou.

The success of the science festival and the great resonance it has with both the participating students and the visiting public reflects the reason this annual event has become a staple in science education and the most important science festival for primary and secondary students on the island.

Major sponsors of ‘sCYence Fair 2022’: Cyta, ExxonMobil and Research Innovation Foundation (RIF). 

Sponsors: Medochemie, XM.com. 

Supporters: Cyprus Computer Society, The Friends of the Cyprus Institute Association, The Nutty Scientists Cyprus, Achievement Foundation for talented and gifted youth, e-Twinning with co-funding from the ‘Erasmus’ programme, and the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization.

Watch the video from The sCYence Fair 2022