On the initiative of AIER students from different educational institutions managed by the Vidya Prasarak Mandal, Thane are participating in international contests held in different parts of the world. A short account of this participation follows.
The Youth Science Section of China Association of Science and Technology (CAST), has been arranging contests in science and technology for young students in China. The contest popularly known as China Adolescent Science and Technology Innovation Contest (CASTIC), is mainly for school going children in China. Nevertheless, CAST makes it a point to invite international entries for this contest to expose Chinese students to international ideas. Soon after the visit of CAST members to Thane VPMT received invitation to participate in 22nd CASTIC held in August 2007. Since then it continued to receive invitations without any break. On the invitation of CAST, Beijing the students from VPM’s Sau. A. K. Joshi English Medium School, Thane have participated in CASTIC events held at Kunming (2007), Urumqi (2008), Jinan (2009), Guangzhou (2010), Hohhot (2011), Yinchuan (2012), Nanjing (2013), Beijing (2014), Hong Kong (2015), Shanghai (2016), Hangzhou (2017) and Chongqing (2018). They have bagged Outstanding Achievement Awards in international participations many times. Since the places mentioned above are located in different parts of the country the mentors, who accompanied the participating students got an opportunity to see China closely. Professor Sudhakar, Dean, AIER contributed articles based on these visits to Disha, a monthly bulletin of VPM. A compilation of thirty such articles resulted into a book entitled “A Close Look at China” (in Marathi) published by VPM.
On the invitation of Fundacao Liberato a team of students from VPM’s A. K. Joshi English Medium School participated in Mostratec 2013 held at Novo Hamburgo, Brazil. They received bronze medals for their project. A project from VPM’s Polytechnic was taken for the contest in 2015. For Mostratec 2017 a project made by students from VPM’s Maharshi Parshuram College of Engineering (MPCOE) was taken. Once again students from VPM’s Polytechnic represented in Mostratec 2018 and bagged award among the participants from about 25 countries.
The Danish Science factory arranges Danish Young Scientist Fair called Unge Forsekere in Copenhagen every year. On the invitation of the organizers two students from VPM's B. N. Bandodkar College of Science participated in the event in April 2016. The project presented by the students was appreciated and was chosen for the Bronze award among international participants.
Encouraged by the response received in the contest of 2016 a team was sent to Unge Forsekere 2017. Two students from B. N. Bandodkar College of Science participated in this event under the leadership of Dr. Madhuri Pejaver, principal of the college. The project was appreciated so much and resulted into bagging a Gold medal among international entries. It is planned to continue our participation in Unge Forsekere regularly.
The organisers of the Expo Sciences in Luxembourg have been inviting us to participate in the event for the last many years. We could not honour the request as the contest is held in March, which happens to be the examination month. Nonetheless, we could get two students from the schools managed by the Maharshi Parshuram Education Society at Chiplun (Dist. Ratnagiri) to take part in the contest in March 2018. It was a great experience with a combination of academic as well as social interaction.
China has recently launched an ambitious project entitled Belt and Road Initiative to enhance the infrastructural e and industrial developments among its neighbouring countries. This activity has been extended to school students. As a first step in this direction CAST had arranged the first Belt and Rad innovation Camp at Beijing in December 2017. On the invitation of CAST five students from VPM’s Sau. A. K. Joshi English Medium School participated in the camp. It provided an opportunity to the students to work on an innovative project under the guidance of experts.
The Belt and Road science Camp was held alongside 33rd CASTIC and Chongqing, China in August 2018. Four students from VPM’s Sau. A. K Joshi English Medium School accompanied by two Science Teachers of the same school participated in it. Unfortunately, a team could not be sent to the Second B & R Innovation Camp held at Beijing in November 2018.
Dr. Sudhakar C. Agarkar
Professor & Dean
VPM's Academy of International Education & Research,
Dr. Bedekar Vidya Mandir, Naupada
Thane - 400602.
Maharashtra, India.
Email: sagarkar@vpmthane.org
Website: http://vpmthane.org/aier/
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