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Students urged to enter science exhibition

2nd June 2019

Students across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to get involved in the 2020 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE).

The Exhibition, Ireland’s most inspiring celebration of science and technology, will take place from January 8-11, 2020, and students are being urged to start working on their projects right away.

To mark its 20th year as both organiser and lead sponsor of the BTYSTE, BT Ireland asked 1,200 people across the island of Ireland, ranging in age from 12 to 55, their perceptions on science and technology to determine the generational views on science and technology today.

One of the questions posed was what progress they would like to see in the future through science and technology. Interestingly, the survey revealed that the majority of 12-18 and 19-24 year olds – Generation Z – would like to see science and technology tackle social and climate issues. In contrast, 25-39 year olds and 40-59 year olds choose more functional advancements, with over one in three saying they would like to see greater use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in transport in the next 20 years.

The survey also found that young people aged between 12-24 years old are those most interested in science and technology at 63%. Furthermore, two in three of this cohort also consider themselves “very well informed” of the latest scientific discoveries and technological developments as compared to 28% of total respondents who said the same, illustrating how strongly this age group see themselves as digital natives.

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is Europe’s longest running science fair, designed to develop science, technology, engineering and maths by providing a platform for research, discovery and critical thinking outside of the classroom. Since BT Ireland took the reins as organiser of the Exhibition in 2001, over 24,000 project ideas have been created through the BTYSTE, many of which have been developed into real life applications, studies and successful businesses.

The BTYSTE is open to all second-level students aged 12-19 in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Students can enter as an individual or as part of a group in one of the four categories: Biological and Ecological Sciences; Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences; Social & Behavioural Sciences; and Technology.

Further details on how to enter can be found here.

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