Taiwan's team of five high school students shared first place with Australia, winning four gold medals and one silver at the 2021 International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), which took place online from Aug. 25-30, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Tuesday.

In its statement, the ministry lauded the excellent performance of gold medalists Chen Yu-jen (???), Lee En-chi (???), Tseng Ying-fang (???), Tsai Ming-che (???), and silver medal winner Chen Tse-yu (???).

The national team also won a silver medal in the National Team Field Investigation event in the science competition attended by 199 students from 33 countries, the ministry said..

According to the MOE, Chen Yu-jen of National Experimental High School in Hsinchu Science Park has been curious about natural phenomena in life which he enjoys explaining through the application of physical principles.

Lee En-chi from the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University showed during practice for the competition that he has a proficiency in fundamental sciences and a desire for advanced research work, the MOE said.

Tseng Ying-fang of Kang Chiao International School is fond of solving puzzles and keen to understand the mysteries of nature, while Tsai Ming-che of National Hualien Senior High School has shown great interest in ancient creatures since he was young, the MOE said.

The ministry praised Chen Tse-yu of Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School for his interest in dabbling in different areas of science and expressing a desire to have a career in science and writing.

The 14th IESO annual competition which tests the abilities of secondary school students in disciplines such as geology, meteorology, environmental science, and terrestrial astronomy, was held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel