Young scientist co-founder honoured

On being made an “honorary engineer”, the first act of Dr Tony Scott, co-founder of the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (YSTE), was to dedicate his elevation to young people – especially aspiring scientists and engineers.

“They are going to produce a future; if we have a future,” he declared after being made an honorary fellow of Engineers Ireland at a ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House – no pressure on budding scientists and engineers.

The now BTYSTE is emerging after two years of having to go online due to Covid, and he confirmed it will be “live” at the RDS next January: “The word needs to get out.”

Scott is a strong advocate of face-to-face education; interaction with peers and in-person exchanging of ideas – besides being best for judges in their gentle interrogation while evaluating projects.

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In a panel discussion on engineering at a time of disruption, Dr Scott expressed concern that lack of face-to-face teaching during the pandemic, and in particular in lab settings, for students up to Junior Cert, may affect their subsequent choice at Leaving Cert level.

He hoped this would prove to be a blip, and underlined the need for skilled and talents people to become the engineers fashioning that future.

`Global light’

When he with co-founder Fr Tom Burke (both physicists) first staged the exhibition in 1965 at the Mansion House, they had no idea it would become so big. “We lit a candle that became a big global light.”

“To have been a part of an initiative that has grown from 230 participants and 5,000 visitors 57 years ago to a nationally recognised event that attracts in excess of 2,000 project applications and over 55,000 visitors every year gives me enormous pride.”

The essence of the BTYSTE is the spirit and ingenuity demonstrated by the students who participate, he believed. Its approach has been adopted in other countries; the latest being in Jordan next month.

On the state of science post Covid, Scott said the development of vaccines was work at “almost Nobel Prize winning” level, which demonstrated the merit of upfront funding of research. “Money came first and results quickly followed.”

Engineers Ireland (EI) president Prof Orla Feely paid tribute to Scott’s achievement in establishing “one of Europe’s largest Stem [science, technology, engineering and maths] events — if not the world”, which had nurtured a new generation of scientists and engineers.

She also issued “a presidential invitation” to Enterprise Ireland chief executive Leo Clancy and Trinity College Dublin provost Prof Linda Doyle to be become fellows of EI in recognition of their contribution to the engineering profession.

Mr Clancy applauded EI “for its ongoing work to promote the next generation of engineers, technologists and innovators as part of driving sustainable economic development in Ireland”.

As Ireland was no longer a low-cost economy, its strategy out to 2030 was “to provide leading solutions to a global problems” backed by innovation, he added.

Prof Doyle said being an engineer “is a big part of my identity, and I draw on my engineering background every day in my role as provost”.