From 21 to 27 March 2025, four young people from Occitanie participated in the International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology (I-FEST2), the largest international scientific competition in Africa, held annually in Tunisia by the Tunisian Association for the Future of Science and Technology (ATAST).
The event brought together nearly 300 young people between the ages of 14 and 24, representing 35 countries, with over 150 projects in a variety of fields ranging from social sciences to advanced technologies.
Occitan youth participants were selected for the quality of their projects and their commitment. They left with distinctions that reward their work.
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A group of 16-year-old high school students, selected by the organisation "Expo-Sciences", in partnership with the association "Enjoy-Montpellier", presented a project in the "Company" category. « Internet security ». Their approach, both relevant and rigorous, earned them a silver medal.
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Julia Rinne, currently in civic service at Cirasti, proposed an original project around scientific popularization by sound with her podcast « Put your science down », in the category Multimedia. This project won the gold medal.
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Nissore Abdou, a second year master's student in cognitive sciences and volunteer at the inCOGnu association, presented the project « Predictions, music and language », also in the Company category. She received an honourable mention, highlighting the scientific quality of her approach and the creativity of her approach.
These last two projects were selected by CIRASTI Occitanie, whose aim is to enhance the scientific initiatives of young people throughout the region.
Beyond the competition, young people were able to discover Tunisia through a rich cultural programme, encouraging exchanges with participants from all over the world. This immersion strengthened the links between young science enthusiasts and opened up new perspectives for international scientific engagement.
