Published on: 8 March 2013

School Captain Simon Swan has been selected to represent Australia at the Asian Physics Olympiads to be held in Bogor, Indonesia, from 5 to 13 May. Simon is the only West Australian representative on the eight-member team.

Head of Science Michael Masterton said Simon was selected after his outstanding performance in a national exam, which he sat during an intensive science summer school held at Monash University. At the summer school in January, Australia’s highest performing science students learned the equivalent of a first-year university course in two weeks.

In May, Simon and the Australian team will take on students from 20 countries in mind-bending theory and practical exams to test their physics skills, in the hope of bringing home a medal. Some of the countries include China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mr Masterton congratulated Simon on making the team, which could be the first step in making the Australian team for the International Physics Olympiads in Denmark in July. “Congratulations also go to Head of Physics Holly Rose, who has been tutoring Simon throughout the process,” he said.

The Asian Physics Olympiads, which began in 2000, is an annual competition for high achieving secondary students from the Asia and the Oceania region. Based on the students’ performance at the Asian Physics Olympiads, five will be selected to travel to Denmark and represent Australia.