This year’s “sCYence Fair” 2024 unfolded with a clear mission: To ignite curiosity and foster passion for science among Cyprus’ youth. Under the auspices of Dr. Athena Michailidou, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, the annual event, held for the 5^th time on April 17th, 2024, aimed to showcase the ingenuity of young scientists from across the island.

Supported by the European Commission in Cyprus and in collaboration with EU Member State Embassies, “sCYence Fair” offered a diverse range of captivating scientific activities and experiments, providing students with hands-on experiments and exposure to cutting-edge technology.

“sCYence Fair” aims to stimulate scientific interest and to encourage participation by young students and support the next generation of scientists from Cyprus. The event provided an opportunity for our young scientists to increase their awareness of the wonders of science, add to their knowledge and broaden their scientific horizons. Through hands-on exploration and creative expression, young minds are empowered to envision a future shaped by innovation and scientific inquiry.

This year’s Fair had an impressive turnout, with over 60 student teams representing more than 50 schools from both the public and private sectors. These young scientists impressed attendees with their innovative projects, demonstrating not only a strong grasp of scientific concepts, but also a remarkable flair for creativity and imagination.

Participants presented their innovative scientific activities, while the best and most imaginative entries and presentations from Primary, Secondary and High Schools were awarded prizes in their respective categories, on the basis of the underlying science, its impact, and overall presentation.

The winners in each category were:

Primary Schools:

Winner: Primary School Tseriou A’: «Ο Μπουκαλοφάγος»
2nd Place: Primary School Ayia Varvara: «Δημιουργία Σεισμολογικού Κέντρου»
3rd Place: Primary School Kampos and Robominds School of Spirit «Γιατροσόφια της Φύσης»

Gymnasiums:

Winner: The Grammar School: “Investigating motion of a solar car”
2nd Place: Gymnasium of Pallouriotissas: «Βρες το Ύψος σου Επιστημονικά»
3rd Place: The English School: “Rocket Fuels: How Does the Type of Fuel Affect the Performance of a Rocket’’

Lyceums:

Winner: Lyceum of Ayios Georgios Lakatamias: “Water Smart School”
2nd Place: Lyceum of Ayios Spyridonas: «Οι καινούργιοι δρόμοι που ανοίγει η χρήση των επαγόμενων πολυδύναμων βλαστοκυττάρων (iOSCs) στην αποτελεσματικότερη διαχείριση και θεραπεία ανίατων σήμερα ασθενείων, αλλά και πιθανές εφαρμογές της τεχνολογίας που θα πρέπει να αποφευθούν»
3rd Place: Lyceum Ayios Neofytos Paphos: «Ανίχνευση Μικροπλαστικών σε Υδρόβιους Οργανισμούς της Κύπρου με Χρήση Φθορισμού»

The opening ceremony for “sCYence Fair” 2024 was addressed by the First Lady, Mrs. Philippa Karsera-Christodoulides, in the presence of CyI President, Prof. Stavros Malas, the General Inspector of Physics, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Mr. Giannakis Hadjikostis, the Director General of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), Mr. Theodoros Loukaidis, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Commission Office in Cyprus, Mr. Nicolas Isaris, the Director of the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus, Mrs. Elena Hadjikakou, and CyI Vice-President for Operations, Dr. Michalis Yiangou. “sCYence Fair” 2024 was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Mr. Nicodemos Damianou.

In his welcoming address, CyI President, Prof. Stavros Malas, stated that “sCYence Fair” is the largest celebration of science in Cyprus. “Our country must invest in science, because only when you promote excellence and create knowledgeable citizens, you can move forward”, he added.

In his speech, the General Inspector of Physics, noted that sCYence Fair is of utmost importance, as it encourages active participation of young people in scientific fields, while simultaneously broadening their intellectual and scientific horizons.

The Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Commission Office in Cyprus, Mr. Nikolaos Isaris, congratulated the organizers, noting that the European Commission organizes its own Science Festival in Brussels on 25 and 26 March, titled “Science is Wonderful”. He even suggested that this year’s winners of the “sCYence Fair” 2024 at The Cyprus Institute participate in the European Commission’s Science Festival next year.

Mr. Theodoros Loukaidis, pointed out that events like “sCYence Fair”, encourage children’s engagement with science, innovation, and technology, thus investing in the most valuable human capital: the creativity and research curiosity of the youth.

Dr. Elena Chatzikakou, Director of the Pedagogical Institute, mentioned that “sCYence Fair” is one of the largest scientific events in Cyprus, actively supported by the Pedagogical Institute, as it is directly linked to its work and mission.

Announcing the opening of “sCYence Fair” 2024, the First Lady, Mrs. Philippa Karsera-Christodoulides highlighted that innovation and development in education will lift us out of stagnation, improve our standard of living and daily life, and further promote Cyprus in the EMME region. Congratulating The Cyprus Institute for organizing the “sCynce Fair” 2024, she mentioned that CyI is an institution that evolves and grows over time, indicating that CyI is at the forefront of the effort made by the government towards green and digital transition, a key asset of President Christodoulides’ administration.

The multi-collective and rich program of “sCYence Fair 2024”, included among others:

• Lecture on Science and its Evolution and Value on the “What the Fact” Show by the famous Greek YouTuber, Mikeius
• Lecture on “Antarctica as a Place to Search for Space Tracks” by Dr Ioannis Baziotis
• Presentation by Vision for Robotics Lab (V4RL) headed by Prof. Margarita Chli
• Virtual Reality Educational Applications by Dr Christos Roushias
• Presentation of STEM & Robotics Programs by Engino, ROBOTEX, STEAM Education and Artificial Intelligence Through HiAi and the Nutty Scientists
• Participation of the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus and the Embassies of Sweden, France, Finland, Hungary, Greece, Poland and the Netherlands
• Presentation of innovative activities by researchers of The Cyprus Institute
• Physics Decathlon for experiential activity with ten interesting Physics experiments
• Presentation of the amazing world of barn owls by BirdLife Cyprus
• Presentation on “Fun on the Airwaves”by the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society
• 13th Pancyprian Conference SEMEP UNESCO (Environmental Programme of the Countries of the Southeast Mediterranean Region) on the topic “Research methods in ecology and Innovative approaches to STEM teaching which target ecosystem conservation and climate change mitigation”

Love FM Cyprus Radio Station also covered the fair with a live link connection featuring Sofia Proimou and Marilia Charidemou.

Major Sponsors: Research Innovation Foundation, ExxonMobil, XM, CYTA, PlaCe-ITN

Sponsors: Medochemie, MUSKITA Aluminium Industries Ltd

Supporters: Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus, The Cyprus Planetarium, ROBOTEX, Engino, Nutty Scientists, BirdLife Cyprus

Media Sponsor: Love FM