At YCIS we believe every child is a unique individual and through our students’ education journey we support all of their needs. For some of our students this leads to joining the gifted and talented register; in the Secondary Section this is overseen by the Counselling and Learning Support Team.

Tse Cheuk-hin (Alvin) is currently in Year 11 and undergoing his IGCSE examinations and has been an avid physics student for some time. Alvin has enjoyed, via Physics Enhancement Programme for Gifted Students at the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE), sought to develop his potential. He performed so exceptionally well that he was invited to join a 16-day intensive training course at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Alvin said, “In the competition, we had to take both theoretical and experimental tests. Part of the training was to learn how to use different laboratory instruments. The remaining time was used in practising theoretical questions and we had discussion of the solutions at the end of the day.” This step was to assess which talented students would represent Hong Kong in the 18th Asian Physics Olympiad between May 1 and 9, 2017, in Yakutsk, Russia.

At the intense training Alvin further explored areas of physics such as latent heat of vaporisation, applications of interferometry, Thevenin circuits, Diodes and transistors to name just a few fascinating laboratory based lessons. With tutorials interspersed for the budding students to further discuss and analyse they continued to investigate concepts of the MP4 photo electronic effect, microwave reflection and more, culminating in student assessments.

The ultimate result was a fantastic success for Alvin and he was selected to advance to the 2017 Asian Physics Olympiad, in Russia. Alvin confessed (although thrilled), “My reaction was mixed. I was excited to join the competition but at the same time I knew that it would clash with my IGCSE examinations. I needed to make a decision to defer some of the subjects.”

When asked how the two-day event flowed, Alvin said, “There were opening and closing ceremonies in the Olympiad. The competition itself took two days. After the competition, we had visits to the zoo and museum, and we had time for cultural exchange with participants of the other countries.”

This prestigious secondary student competition commenced in 1967 in Warsaw, and over the last 12 years the delegates of the Hong Kong team have consistently been very well prepared and performed as a strong team. When asked about what the future holds for him, Alvin told us, “I will certainly try for the Asian Physics Olympiad again next year. But before that, I will join the International Mathematical Olympiad in July and I hope I can do well in it.”

Well done Alvin, we will keep in touch to find out next year!