TOP > English

What is Tsukuba Science Edge Contest?

We have high expectations for the “imagination” of junior and senior high school students!

Our intelligence can be broadly divided into two categories.
One is the ability to analyze, understand, and judge things, and to discriminate fairly (judicious mind). The other is the ability to create new ideas based on rich creativity and foresight (creative mind).
The discrimination has an impersonal aspect and handles the known world, whereas the creativity is individual and challenges the unknown world. This creativity is the driving force to reform and recreate the new progress, which has developed and will keep developing our human civilization.
I am verry grateful to see you the young people expand your imagination.

Director of Tsukuba International Congress Center,
President of Tsukuba Science Academy
Dr. Leona Esaki

Discuss with leading scientists!

"Tsukuba Science Edge" is a place to gather presenting scientific "ideas" based on class assignments and club activities in schools, but individual participation is welcome as well.
Your idea presentations will be discussed on the spot with Dr. Leona Esaki and other scientists.
The venue for your presentation is the "Tsukuba International Congress Center" where scientists from all over the world gather!
This is your chance to stand on the same stage as real scientists.
Please come and join us at "Tsukuba Science Edge," where you can come to touch the "cutting edge of science“ together with researchers!

past contests here.

Prize

The following prizes are planned for each award based on the unique perspective of this contest, based on the the following evaluation concept that “widening and deepening the perspectives necessary for scientific researchers.“

Creativity-Oriented Award :
A team that excels in “novelty” and “creativity”
Inquiry-Oriented Award :
A team that excels in “creativity” and “feasibility”
Future-Oriented Award :
A team that excels in “outcome realized” and “process to realize”
Idea Award :
The team with the best “ idea ” among all the teams submitted for the oral presentation
Gold Award :
All 8 teams announced at the oral presentation, and the above 3 awards will be selected from among them.
Silver Award :
8 teams will be selected from those who did not win the Gold Award

Judges

The judges are scientists with based in Tsukuba, including physicist Dr. Leona Esaki.

Cultivate children's creativity and logical thinking through science

Conventional science-related contests for junior and senior high school students are research paper based such as the Japan Student Science Award and JSEC, with a bit high hurdles for children to participate. Also, as the first steps in science and technology, the steps of “discoveries of problems” and “constructing hypotheses that nurtures the spirit of science” are extremely important for them, but there is few places to focus on such themes at the idea stage.
Therefore, we have established a new contest to solicit scientific ideas from middle and high school students currently researching or planning to research science and technology and invite them to appear in front of real researchers.

In this contest, children will sense and experience the “fun of creating” and the “fun of learning and discussing with real researchers” through discussions with scientists. The "Startup Checklist" is a summary of the points in the expert screening, so please read and check it thoroughly when applying.
Beginning with children's creative new ideas, we judge the process and results of a series of intellectual inquiry activities, because they develop not only knowledge but also logical thinking.
Through this contest, we hope to assist “young researchers in science and technology”, provide "a place to develop interest in science and technology” at their early stage, and raise up the level of "scientific and technological capabilities".
The conference will be held at the Tsukuba International Congress Center “EPOCHAL”, which has been used by scientists from around the world for academic conferences.
With the cooperation of many companies, organizations, and schools, Tsukuba Science Edge will also hold a " Science Workshop " that anyone can participate in (pre-registration required, free of charge) . You may be able to witness cutting-edge scientific research results usually unavailable at school life.

Please join us, then you will have an opportunity to promote your interest in science and, at the same time, to widen your personal connections with scientists and students from other schools.

Participation Regulations / Application for Participation

Schedule

Registration

The deadline for online registration is 23:59 of January 20, 2023, Japan Standard Time (GMT+9)