Israeli students win medals in international science competitions

Four out of six pupils representing Israel at the recent International Physics Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam, walked away with awards.

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS, JUDY SIEGEL
Four out of six pupils representing Israel at the recent International Physics Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam, walked away with awards. Israel garnered a silver medal, three bronze medals and an honorable mention, placing 23 out of 82 participating countries. Nitzan Artzi of the Science and Arts High School in Jerusalem won the silver medal. Artzi lives in Yeroham. The delegation underwent additional coaching for the competition, in which 500 pupils participated. Last week, four Israeli teens won medals in the International Chemistry Olympics in Budapest. This was the best achievement by Israeli pupils since they started to participate in this competition three years ago. The gold medal winner was from China. Assaf Mauda, 16, of Pardes Hanna, who is entering 11th grade at Hadera High School, won the silver medal. Mauda, whose parents are both physical education teachers, is studying computers and physics. At the end of eighth grade, he scored 100 on his mathematics matriculation exam, which is usually taken at the end of high school. His school principal has recommended that he join the Archimedes Project at the Haifa Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's chemistry faculty while attending high school. He has received free transportation to the Technion and been given a scholarship. "I want to finish high school along with all my classmates," said Mauda. "I'm not in a hurry. I take part in a martial arts course, play soccer and go out with friends. I find studying easy, and I hope this continues." He intends to study at the Technion after his military service. Mauda was among the handful of Israeli pupils sent to the International Chemistry Olympics in Hungary, out of the 6,000 who applied. Two bronze medals went to Oshri Halimi and Dan Liraz. Ariel Mahovsky, another Israeli, participated but did not win a medal. Two hundred and sixty-one high school pupils from around the world participated.