Kai Leong of Vancouver needed special permission from UBC to miss a week during mid-terms, but from February 5-8 he represented Canada at the ninth International Swiss Talent Forum (ISTF) in Nottwil, near Lucerne, Switzerland.

The event brings together 70 inspiring, interesting, enthusiastic, determined and innovative young talents from 25 countries. Each year, the ISTF committee selects a topic from the realms of management, science, politics and society and asks the participants to work collaboratively to find novel solutions. This year’s topic was the world food system. The meeting is led by an internationally recognised topic leader, typically from academia, and the participants’ work is guided by a group of experts, who challenge participants with a question relevant to a specific aspect of the ISTF main theme. The work of each group is guided by a dedicated coach.

The all-expenses paid trip is one of several international experience Grand Awards at Youth Science Canada’s annual Canada-Wide Science Fair.