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In the Pursuit of Excellence-2017 International Science School

September 7, 2017

In the Pursuit of Excellence-2017 International Science School

“A life lived in pursuit of excellence is a life well lived.”

  • Professor Harry Messel

As the delegation representing both Shanghai High School and China, four SHS students embarked on a journey that took them across the world to attend the 2017 Professor Harry Messel International Science School, organized by the Physics Department of the University of Sydney. We explored the frontiers of science, felt the exchanges between different cultures, and most importantly, discussed the infinite possibilities of the future with a scientific perspective. From July 2nd to 15th, we spent two weeks at the International Science School, broadening our academic and cultural horizons with 140 of the best science students in the world.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the ISS. Its founder, the late Professor Harry Messel, created this program to bring out the full potential of the best science students in Australia, and inspire them to pursue a career in science. He encouraged all prospective students to pursue excellence in their fields. The two weeks that we spent in Sydney truly helped us understand what ISS meant for its students. It not only brought out our passion for science, but also made us realize who we want to become, changing us for the better.

The core of ISS is its lecture series, with two lectures every day, bringing the very frontier of science to the Messel Lecture Theater. The theme of ISS this year is “Future Energy,” and most lectures had a sharp focus on cutting-edge research in the field of energy. Researchers from prestigious institutions presented the results of their research in an incredibly lively and informational fashion, with subjects ranging from nuclear fission to battery technology and artificial intelligence. The Australian National University’s Professor Kylie Catchpole started off the entire lecture series by describing her vision of a world powered chiefly by solar energy. Professor Steve Cowley, from Oxford University, showed us the technology behind nuclear fusion, and discussed the role nuclear fusion would take in the future of energy production. The most popular lecturer featured in the lecture series is Doctor Karl Kruszelnicki. As a respected professor at the University of Sydney, he is still infinitely approachable and humorous, and took a unique approach in integrating science with news and politics. Students are also heavily involved in the lectures. An hour-long lecture would always be followed by half an hour of student-asked questions, with discussions on the lectures lasting deep into the night.

ISS’s social experience is also very unique. Apart from tours of the city and the Observatory, there were also traditional Australian activities, such as the bush dance. Meanwhile, our visits to University of Sydney’s nanoscience, physics, and biology laboratories were simply unforgettable. We also tried our hand at commodity design at the Business School and savored the history of relics in the archaeology classroom. These diverse experiences enriched our time in Sydney and offered us the opportunity to learn about different majors in our future studies.

Spending two weeks at ISS is really a transformative experience. If there’s one thing that all ISS students have grasped, it would be the spirit of Harry Messel: to go on and pursue excellence, and make the most out of our lives.

(Written by 12(1) Hongyuan Yan & 12(1) Allen Xie Picture by Chen Qin)