Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition in Israel , 2006

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition in Israel was held in its seventh consecutive year, under the auspices of the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, with the support of the Raquel and Manuel Klachky Fund under the academic direction of Professor Gedeon Dagan from the Department of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer.

This year 23 matriculation projects from 14 different schools throughout Israel participated in the competition.  After the initial stage where the projects were reviewed by Mr. Mordechai Sela, Mr. Yaron Gefen and Professor Gedeon Dagan, 10 semifinalists were chosen to compete in the final competition on two different levels:

1. An extended research projects - 8 semifinalists.
2. A minor research project - 2 semifinalists.

The semifinalists were invited to present their projects to the National committee on the 14^th of May 2005 at the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University.

Each participant was required to prepare a poster summarizing their research, give a 5-minute verbal presentation and to answer questions directed to them by the judges.  The judges committee comprised:  Prof. Avner Adin (Hebrew University), Prof. Akiva Flekser (Tel Aviv University), Prof. Avital Gazith (Tel Aviv University), Mr. Yaron Gefen (Tahal Company), Dr. Or Goldfarb (Water Commissionary), Prof. Gedeon Dagan, Prof. Yoel Gat (Weizmann Institute of Science), Prof. Dr. Yosef Gutman (Mekorot Company), Prof. Haim Gvirtzman (Hebrew University), Mr. Roberto Klachky (Manuel and Raquel Klachky Fund Representative), Mr. Mordechai Sela, Dr. Miriam Waldman, Mr. Israel Weisenstern (Ministry of Education) and Mr. Shimon Zuk (Man, Nature and Law Association).

Upon completion of reviewing the 10 individual posters, the judges convened to make their final decision. The award ceremony followed, with the following prominent guests: Ambassador of Sweden - Mr. Robert Rydberg, the Water Commissioner - Mr. Shimon Tal, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering - Prof. Touvia Miloh, Manuel and Raquel Klachky Fund Representative - Mr. Roberto Klachky and the Ministry of Education Representative - Mr. Israel Weisenstern. 

This year the judging committee has decided to change the award policy:

The first prize, consisted of a diploma, a ticket to Stockholm and a 1000$ scholarship for studying at the faculty was awarded to Grigory Lisochenko and Alexey Vanyukhin from "Aleh High School for Science and Arts", Herzliya for their project titled "A Modular System Encircling Oil Slicks Caused by Leaking Tankers and Collecting the Oil from the Sea Surface that is Based on Floating Stable Impenetrable Fence Equipped with Magnetic Receivers" under the direction of Dr. David Gurevitch.

This year the winning team will be accompanied by their teacher at the international competition.

The second prize, consisted of a diploma and 700$ from the Klachky fund, was shared by two students from "Mevoot Hanegev" high-school: Carmel Lev-Ran, for her project: "Irrigation control of cotton (Pima & Akla kinds) by monitoring straw diameter and height and water potentialof leaves" under the direction of Igal Flesh and Ala Abu-Dugush, for his project:b "The influence of irrigation with brackish water on two kinds of parsley"  under the direction of Rami Golan.

Prof. Touvia Miloh, Mr. Shimon Tal, Prof. Gedeon Dagan, Mr. Robert Rydberg, Mr. Roberto Klachky & Mr. Israel Weisenstern

Ala Abu-Dugush, Carmel Lev-Ran, Alexey Vanyukhin & Grigory Lisochenko (left to right)

The ceremony also included a short film on the highlights of the 1998 Stockholm Water Prize competition where Prof. Gedeon Dagan, became a laureate of this international award in the field of water research as well as excerpts from Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competitions in Israel 2000-2005.

Awards and certificates were presented to the winners.  In addition, certificates of participation were presented to the semi-finalists, competition participants & their schools.