The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology hosted the 17th annual Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) from May 1 to May 9, 2016.
APhO is an annual international physics competition for high school students in Asia, modelled on the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). Its aims are to advance the physics education of young people, to strengthen interaction and cooperation amongst physics academics in Asia, and to bring together and inspire teenagers who are highly skilled in physics.
Hong Kong was the host city this year and so it was allowed to have two teams representing it in the in the APhO 2016 competition. Each other participating Asian country or region sent a team of eight secondary school students to take part. Professor Chia Chih-ta from the Department of Physics at National Taiwan Normal University led the team of eight secondary school students from Taiwan. The contestants had to take one theoretical exam and one experimental exam, and tackle challenging innovative physics questions which were set by academics at HKUST.
This year’s APhO was on the largest scale ever since it was first held in Indonesia in 2000. Approximately 200 secondary school students from 26 Asian countries and regions competed in APhO 2016. It was was made possible by the generous donations given by the Innovation and Technology Commission, and Tin Ka Ping Foundation, among others.
The APhO 2016 Closing Awards Ceremony was held on 8 May at Ko Shan Theatre. Twenty-two gold medals, 12 silver medals, 48 bronze medals, and 41 Honorary Awards were given to the successful contestants. The eight students from Taiwan won three gold medals, one silver medal, three bronze medals, and one Honorary Award. Mr Shue Ruey Horng, Principal Deputy Director of the Liaison Division of TECO conveyed a congratulatory message to the team from the Minister of Education. The next final competition of the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) will be held in July in Zurich in Switzerland, and Taiwan will be sending a team to compete there.