Dia Singh
KWAZULU-NATAL - Dia Singh, a Grade 12 pupil at St Dominic’s School in Newcastle, is in Taiwan to participate in the International Science Fair.
The fair, which will end on Friday, is being held at the National Science Education Centre in Taipei.
According to a statement by Eskom, South Africa participates in the fair annually. It offers learners an opportunity to present their research to their peers from other countries while promoting cross-cultural communication and educational exchange.
The 16-year-old is representing South Africa along with Jaco Jacobs, a Grade 12 learner from Outeniqua High School in George, Western Cape, after impressing at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair with her research project.
Dia is one of four siblings. She said curiosity was an important characteristic of a budding scientist.
“Understanding how things work and understanding if there are better ways to get things done sparked my interest in science. It’s about always asking why and always answering why not.”
She has represented the country on more than one occasion internationally, having been the first runner-up in the Dubai HP Steam Innovation Expo last year.
“I have also received nine honours awards at school, the first in the school's 132-year history, and a number of international awards for the science projects I have done."
She explained how she got the opportunity to take part in the international expo.
“My project had to be selected by a panel of judges to attend the international expo. My project P.I.P. stands for plastic incinerated by plastic. It follows the burning of plastic to produce a fuel to burn more plastic. Additionally, I have cleaned the emissions released when burning plastic and used them to strengthen roads."
She said science was an integral part of society.
“I read somewhere that science must respond to societal needs and global challenges. I have to agree with this since this project stemmed from a straw being removed from a turtle's nostril, which gave awareness to a global need to manage the plastic pollution we have.”
Dia plays the piano and enjoys reading and baking. She said she wanted to make an impact in the world.
“I know at this age, many of us have aspirations to change the world to make it a better place. All these innovations and awards show that I have the ability to contribute to making the world a better place, so I hope to continue with innovations and inventions.”
Dia said she had a passion for science and engineering and would like to be involved in using technology in a health sciences profession, such as biomedical engineering or robotics, to improve the medical services available for humans.