Hong Kong students (from left) Jayden Kong, Lai Yat-long, Joycelyn Sun, Inna Belle Lee, Marcus Tsang and Sung Tsz-ngo display medals they won in the 20th International Junior Science Olympiad held in Thailand from Dec 1-10, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

HONG KONG – Six students from Hong Kong won six medals – three gold, two silver and one bronze – in the 20th International Junior Science Olympiad, in Hong Kong’s best results since 2018.

Jayden Kong from St. Paul’s Co-educational College, Lai Yat-long from Po Leung Kuk Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College and Sung Tsz-ngo from Diocesan Boys’ School each won a gold medal.

The silver medalists are Inna Belle Lee from St. Paul’s Co-educational College and Marcus Tsang from Ying Wa College. Joycelyn Sun from Munsang College took a bronze medal. 

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Congratulating the Hong Kong team, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said the impressive results demonstrated Hong Kong students’ exceptional talent in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM).

The impressive results of the Hong Kong team in IJSO 2023 have demonstrated our students' exceptional talent in STEAM.

Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education, HKSAR

The Education Bureau will continue to promote STEAM education in primary and secondary schools and equip students with the necessary skills for the new era, said the education chief. 

“This includes the further promotion of the setting up of a school-based talent pool in schools, further enhancing the identification of students with potential in STEAM, making arrangements for these students to participate in systematic training and competitions of reasonable scale, so as to nurture more STEAM talent and strengthen our innovation and technology capabilities.”

Total 304 contestants from 54 countries or regions participated in this year’s junior science Olympiad, held in Thailand from Dec 1 to 10.

Open to students aged 15 or below, the competition covers physics, chemistry and biology up to the senior secondary level, and comprises written assessments and science experiments.

Stressing that the EDB has put significant emphasis on grooming gifted students, the secretary for education said the bureau has made an additional injection of HK$600 million into the Gifted Education Fund this year to strengthen its collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education in providing more diversified, high-quality and challenging out-of-school education services, particularly in STEAM-related areas.

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“Enhanced efforts will be made to foster gifted students with potential in STEAM and to nurture future I&T talent for Hong Kong,” said Choi.

After achieving excellent results in a screening for the International Junior Science Olympiad last year, the Hong Kong students completed science enhancement programs provided by the HKAGE.