Sheffield Students Compete Internationally with Help from Siemens

• Siemens engineer provides advice to Sheffield Chain Reaction student entrants
• International science competition aims to help students prepare for real world

Students from Sheffield’s Firth Park Academy are through to the international stage of a competition, thanks partly to some coaching from a locally based Siemens manager.

Ian Steer of Siemens Industry spent some time with the students, who chose Marsology, the study of Martian geology, as their specialist subject for the annual Chain Reaction project, which runs throughout secondary schools in the UK and Europe.

The students put together a poster and presentation on Marsology for the first part of the competition, which was judged a few weeks ago.  Their proposal was based around possible experiments that a NASA mission to Mars could carry out.  Their poster was selected to go through to the international stage of the competition, to be judged on 13 May at Sheffield’s Hallam University.

As Ian explained, his role has been to help enthuse the students about the engineering and scientific possibilities around the study of volcanoes and geographic challenges faced by the NASA Mars team, studies which could have an impact on their future lives:

“By giving the pupils some practical advice, based on my experiences as a working engineer, I have hopefully encouraged them to consider the exciting world of science and engineering as a future career.  We need young engineers more than ever.“

The Chain Reaction project focuses on Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) that involves students carrying out scientific investigations using all the tools that practising research scientists use. 

The 13 May event will see the students‘ work judged against students from Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Jordan and other participating countries.

ENDS

PHOTO-CAPTION:  Ian Steer of Siemens, working on the Chain Reaction project with pupils from Sheffield’s Firth Park Academy

For more information and photos please contact Bridget Summers on 01723 447424, email bridget@footprintpr.org.uk or Paul Addison on 07808 823011, email pauladdison@siemens.com

Siemens in the UK

Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 170 years ago and now employs around 13,760 people in the UK.  Last year’s revenues were £3.36 billion*.  As the world’s largest engineering company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare.  Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey.  The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany.  For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk

* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions for industrial customers.  With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the Sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency and flexibility.  With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Divisions Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services, as well as the Business Unit Metals Technologies.