The 2nd GSE event of the academic year 2020-21 was conducted virtually via a Zoom webinar on 8th May 2020 with participating teams from 12 GIIS campuses of 5 different countries (Singapore, UAE, India, Tokyo, and Malaysia). Students of grade 6 & 7 from GIIS campuses across the globe came together to present their views and solutions on the topic - ‘Ethics around Coronavirus’. There were 48 participant students who were given the topic to prepare in advance. The participants did their research and compiled all the information available to them and prepared their respective presentations on the topic.

One team (comprising four students) per campus was selected for the competition. Other students and parents were also invited to attend this mega virtual event. The response was really encouraging as we received about 1700 registrations and over 1400 viewers attended the event globally.

The event started with Ms. Vaishali Borde, Head-GMP and Co-Scholastics, GIIS India giving an overview of the event and introduction of the two judges - Mr. Pramod Tripathi-Associate Director, Academic Quality Assurance, Global Indian International Schools and Mr. Rathin Khandhadia-Associate Director, Global Centre for Education Excellence. Both the judges are based out of GIIS Headquarters in Singapore. Mr. Rajeev Katyal, Deputy COO, Global Schools Foundation, Singapore inaugurated the event and addressed the audience.  In his brief speech, he inspired the children as well as the parents with his deep and compelling thoughts about the event and the Covid-19 situation. He said, “This pandemic has taught us many things and given us new perspectives. It has forced us to set up new norms and innovate new methods. Enabling uninterrupted learning through Virtual classrooms for our students globally is an initiative that has been admired by many parents. We continue to innovate and ensure that the virtual learning process is made much more interesting and is as real as an actual classroom. Conducting such an event is a step in that direction.” He further added, one key takeaway for all of us from the current situation is that we should consume less and preserve more.

The event pulled off with Tokyo being the first campus to present. Five minutes were allocated to each team. The next one hour left the audience spellbound witnessing a marathon of ideas and solutions presented by the students. All the participants, pouring with confidence in their presentation deliveries, clearly depicted how well they were prepared on the subject. Common themes that ran through all the presentations of the participants were - how nature has restored itself; on ethical dilemmas around what is right and what is not; and about fake news being circulated across the social media platforms. A couple of teams also highlighted the limitation and usage of resources, panic buying, overstocking that should be taken care of, and obviously the much talked about preventive techniques out there-personal hygiene and social distancing. The overall message all the participants gave through their presentations was to focus on all the positives throughout this crucial period, finding more opportunities and helping the less fortunate individuals during the pandemic, who are unable to take care of themselves. 

The teams were judged on various parameters which included - (i) Relevance of content, (ii) Problem-Solving strategies/solutions, and (iii) Presentation & teamwork. The judges mentioned that they had a tough time finalizing the results as each team had performed exceptionally well. The winning teams took lead only by very marginal differences.

The final Results of GSE-II event were as follows:

FIRST: GIIS Smart Campus Hadapsar (Pune) & Abu Dhabi campus

SECOND: GIIS Ahmedabad campus

THIRD: GIIS Dubai & East Coast (Singapore) Campus

SPECIAL MENTION: GIIS Smart Campus Balewadi (Pune) & Tokyo Campus

Parents across all the campuses have been constantly writing to us, expressing their gratitude and encouragement on the successful conduction of this event virtually at such a large scale. Ms. Neema Jai Krishnan, parent of Prithvi from GIIS Ahmedabad, who attended this event, shared her feedback saying, “Everything was superb. The most impressive part was that children from around the globe were able to share their views with others. Such kinds of programs really motivate and encourage kids. Also, it keeps them updated about the latest events taking place in different parts of the world and also gives everyone an opportunity to think from different perspectives.”

The GSE event certainly gave the students a platform that not only provided them a global exposure but also sharpened their collaborative, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.