South African pupils shine at Taiwan International Science Fair

• Two South African school pupils bagged awards at the 2024 Taiwan International Science Fair
• The scientists presented their project at the prestigious event and spoke more about their study in a media release statement seen by Briefly News
• The CEO of Eskom Development Foundation, Ms Mologadi Motshele, and the Eskom Expo Executive Director, Parthy Chetty, congratulated the star learners

South African scientists have made the nation proud as they won big at the Taiwan International Science Fair.

Mzansi pupils who won big at the Taiwan International Science Fair. Image: @eskom_expo Source: Instagram

South African scientists win big at the Science Fair

The Taiwan International Science Fair took place on Thursday, the 8th of February 2024, and two budding young scientists bagged awards at the prestigious event after showcasing their scientific genius to their judges and peers at the National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei.

Lethabo Molobi, a Grade 12 student at Zinniaville Secondary School in the Bojanala region of the North West, won the Viewer’s Choice Award and the Fourth Award in the Behavioural and Social Sciences category at the reputable ceremony Johannes Jacobus (Jaco) Deysel, a Grade 11 student at Hoërskool Jim Fouché in the Free State’s Bloemfontein region, obtained the Third Award in the Computer Science and Information Engineering category.

The scientists speak on their projects

The research project “Breaking a Caesar Cipher/Vigenère Cipher Encryption for Secure Data Communication” was presented by Deysel. It is aimed to identify vulnerabilities in ciphers and explore the factors influencing the strength of an encryption system by breaking both Caesar and Vigenère Ciphers.

When talking about his project, the young man said the following in a media release statement seen by Briefly New

“Receiving recognition at a prestigious international science event was a tremendous honour for me. Being surrounded by some of the brightest minds of our generation was an experience that will forever resonate with me. Moreover, I had the opportunity to see the most beautiful places, while learning about many unique cultures and traditions, which greatly enriched my perspective in many ways”.

Deysel urged future scientists to maintain their curiosity.

“You are allowed to disagree and seek your own answers or solutions. Do not allow others to tell you that you ‘can’t do it’, because you can. You are capable of so much more than what people tell you, so don’t take negative feedback to heart; use them as your driving force,” he said.

The Viewers Choice award winner Molobi displayed her study project, which was named “From Human Intelligence to Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: Modern Day Writing,”

It examines if it is simple to distinguish between text generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and text generated by humans in a classroom context.

Molobi said:

“I am extremely happy with my award. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my hard work pay off. Taking part in the TISF was an amazing experience. I learned a lot from the other participants, and also about different countries and their cultural practices because I interacted with many students from all around the world. Having been exposed to Taiwanese culture, the language, and the people was an experience I will always cherish”.

Molobi advised ambitious young scientists in the area to choose their project category carefully in order to participate in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.

CEO of Eskom and Executive Director reacts to scientists’ win

The Chief Executive Officer of the Eskom Development Foundation (Acting), Ms Mologadi Motshele, said the following:

“We are extremely proud of our learners’ success. Competing on the global stage and receiving recognition amid 630 young scientists from 27 countries is a commendable feat. Eskom’s commitment to investing in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) through the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists remains unwavering. The Expo is an excellent way to support and nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers, and creates a solid foundation for the development and progress of our country.”

Eskom Expo Executive Director Parthy Chetty added:

“This is a great to start to the new year, with this positive results from Taiwan. The Expo team of mentors has put in many hours of hard work during the December holidays to prepare these learners for the stringent competition and their efforts have paid off. These international competitions go further than just the academic activities, by exposing the learners to various cultures and is also the start of many friendships spanning across continents.”

6 Young Scientists Head to USA to Represent SA

Briefly News previously reported that six exceptional young scientists will be jetting off to Dallas, Texas, to compete in an illustrious science and engineering fair.

The group wowed judges at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair in December 2022 and won the opportunity to showcase their brilliance at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).