| Azaraimy HH |
FOUR Sayyidina Ali Secondary School (SMSA) students left for Singapore yesterday to participate in the annual STEP-NUS Sunburst Brain Camp 2018, a neuroscience-related educational programme organised by Singapore Technologies Endowment Programme (STEP) in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The event, which concludes on June 9, will be held at the NUS Department of Physiology, Centre for Life Sciences. The lower-sixth students are Ahmad Hamizan Muhammad Azian, Muhammad Syaamil Fahkri Matussin, Nurizzqah Bungsu and Chung Yu Yan. SMSA educational officer Mikhail Gregory Abdullah Teo accompanied the students.
Muhammad Syaamil Fahkri Matussin, 17, said they were passionate about science, Biology in particular, and looked forward to participate in the event.
He said for the past two weeks they were taught how to engage in scientific research which inspired them to pursue Neurobiology. They learnt more about stroke, an illness of the brain that affects millions.
The students will engage with foreign and local experts. They will also be challenged to research and present a topic on the brain, participate in small group experiments and talks at NUS High and NUS Centre of Life Sciences. The students will be provided reading materials through the Brain Book, written by students under the mentorship of university professors.
It will include hands-on workshops and demonstrations on brain related topics and research on brain topics and presentations of research papers by participants.
Besides presenting their research paper, the students will attend scientific lectures and meet experts. The camp will also award the top three research papers and top three research presentations. They will also visit the Center for Life Sciences (CeLS) and Science Centre, going for ‘Brain adventure’ at Singapore’s iconic Gardens by the Bay, visit to the Flower Dome, a conservatory centre.
Acting Head of ECA Unit, Department of Schools, Mohd Yusof bin Haji Md Rais and SMSA Principal Pengiran Hajah Zeiniun binti Pengiran Mudin saw the students off at the Brunei International Airport.