Adelaide has been selected as the host city for Australia’s first Asian Physics Olympiad, which will be held from 5 to 13 May 2019.
“The competition will bring Australia’s best and brightest young physics students together to meet and compete against their peers from across the country and the region, allowing them to build their knowledge, skills and networks,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Olympiad attracts around 200 of the brightest senior secondary physics students and their supporters from 25 countries in the Asian and Oceania regions.”
The Turnbull Government is providing $1.76 million to the Australian organiser, Australian Science Innovations, towards the costs of hosting the event.
The grant is being provided under the Turnbull Government’s $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda, to inspire all Australians in digital literacy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Next week marks one year since the launch of the National Innovation and Science Agenda – which puts a strong focus on encouraging young Australians to get involved in science, technology, engineering and maths.
“Skills in science, technology, engineering and maths are essential to Australia’s economic future, with 75 per cent of future jobs expected to require these skills,” Minister Hunt said.
Australia has fielded teams for the Asian Physics Olympiads annually since 2000, but has never hosted the event.
Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the Olympiad gives young Australians a chance to develop and benchmark their science skills against their local and international counterparts.
“Hosting the 2019 Olympiad will allow us to showcase our world class universities to these international students who may be considering tertiary study in Australia,” Minister Birmingham said.
“An event of this calibre will continue to build the profile of Australian science, promoting physics to Australian students and further boosting the reputation of our $20.3 billion international education sector overseas, adding to the 11 per cent growth in international student numbers since the Coalition took office in 2013.
“International education has become Australia’s third-largest export and events like the Physics Olympiad help attract the record number of students we’ve seen studying in Australia this year.”
(ENDS)