Papua, Aceh students win astronomy Olympiad<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While fellow Papuans in Yahukimo regency are still in the grip of
\nfamine, two students from the country's easternmost province won
\nthe inaugural Asian Pacific Astronomy Olympiad (APAO) in Siberia,
\nRussia, recently.<\/p>\n
Eric Gibson S. Rumainum took the Olympiad's Best Result prize
\nfor the 13-year-old age group, while his schoolmate Geraldo E.
\nTegouch finished second.<\/p>\n
Both are students of the YPJ Kuala Kencana junior high school
\nin Timika, which was established by U.S.-based mining giant PT
\nFreeport Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The competition concluded on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia won another top prize through Stefani Herli of State
\nSenior High School No. 12 in Jakarta, who came home with the Best
\nResult in the Practical Round for the 16 to 17-year-old age
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
\"She (Stefani) took the prize due to her flawless practical
\ntest,\" the Indonesian team statement said.<\/p>\n
A student from the tsunami-hit province of Aceh also brought
\npride to her country after winning the bronze medal in her
\ncategory. Zulfikar of State Senior High School No. 10 in Banda
\nAceh made a podium finish in the age group dubbed the most
\ndemanding division.<\/p>\n
The victories came as another group of future Indonesian
\nscientists emerged the overall winners from the second
\nInternational Junior Science Olympiad in Yogyakarta. In the
\ncompetition, which wound up on Monday, Indonesia bagged six gold
\nmedals.<\/p>\n
Indonesia sent four senior high and four junior high school
\nstudents to the astronomy Olympiad. Half of them came from Papua,
\nwith the rest from Maluku, South Sulawesi, Aceh and Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Prior to their departure, they received special tutelage from
\nexperts at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)'s School of
\nAstronomy. They also practiced at the Bosscha Observatory in
\nLembang, near Bandung, and at the Jakarta Observatory for six
\nweeks.<\/p>\n
Accompanying the team were Dr. Chatief Kunjaya and Dr. Hakim
\nMalasan from the ITB.<\/p>\n
Their participation was made possible by the financial support
\nof a number of companies, including PT Freeport Indonesia,
\nExxonMobil and Medco Energy.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, China, Korea, Kazakhstan and Russia are the
\nfounders of the APAO, which is the regional heat of the
\nInternational Astronomy Olympiad (IAO). Both events are organized
\nby the Euro-Asian Astronomical Society.<\/p>\n
APAO was introduced this year to provide more opportunities
\nfor students from Asia and the Pacific to compete in
\ninternational events. Therefore, the APAO denies entry to
\nstudents who participate in the IAO in the same year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/papua-aceh-students-win-astronomy-olympiad-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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