Derek Gray medal

 

The Derek Gray Medal is presented, during the MILSET Expo-Sciences International, to an individual outstanding contribution to the movement and its activities or the long term investment of an individual to the movement.

This award has been created in memory of Derek Gray from South Africa.

Derek Gray

Derek Gray moves to South Africa in the early 1980s and creates the association “Expo for Young Scientists” as part of his role as a researcher at the Ministry of Education and with the unconditional and precious support of his wife Rosemary, a professor at the University of Pretoria. A car accident in 1981 while returning from an Expo meeting confined Derek to a wheelchair, but his passion for youth science was undaunted.

During the 1980s he takes courageous and generous initiatives for South Africa such as opening the Expo for Young Scientists to all communities of the country and breaking down the country’s international isolation. He attends the ESI 1989 in Brest with a multiracial delegation where MILSET participants and organizers help him celebrate a special 50th birthday.

Elected to the MILSET Executive Committee, he immediately proposes to organize an International Science Fair on African soil. In 1995, in Kuwait City, Mr Maurice Huppé and Mr Adnan Al Meer present Derek with the banner for ESI 1997, an event that achieves extraordinary success at the prestigious University of Pretoria. Through the success of ESI 1997, he earns the support of the national electricity company ESKOM, which becomes the official sponsor for all South African regional and national science fairs.

Sadly, Derek dies in December 1998 without realizing his dream of climbing to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico during ESI 1999, after passing the MILSET ESI banner to Roberto Hidalgo at ESI 1997.

Criteria & Procedure

Criteria

  • This award is given to an individual;
  • The individual never received this award;
  • MILSET Regional Offices Involvement;
  • MILSET Programs Involvement;
  • MILSET Committees, Executive Committee Involvement;
  • Outstanding Contribution.

 

Award

  • The laureate receives a medal at the ESI Head of Delegations Dinner.
  • For the 2021 edition, the laureate will be recognized during the MILSET General Assembly.

 

Procedures

  • Call for candidatures to MILSET Regional Offices and MILSET Executive Committee
  • Selection by MILSET Executive Committee.

Laureates

Year Person Country Occasion
1999 Jean-Claude Guiraudon France ESI 1999
2001 Jan Sipos Slovakia ESI 2001
2001 Samir Baghiri Algeria ESI 2001
2001 Roberto Hidalgo Mexico ESI 2003
2001 Michel Bois Canada ESI 2001
2003 Tatiana Chmatkova Russia ESI 2003
2004 Martin Kustek Slovakia ESE 2004
2005 Alfredo Miranda López México Signature Memorandum
2005 Khalid A Eshaq Bahrain ESI 2005
2006 Antoine van Ruymbeke Belgium ESE 2006
2006 Youth Science Canada Canada CWSF 2006
2007 Jean-Pierre Trillet France ESI 2007
2007 Moncef Jendoubi Tunis ESI 2007
2007 Alejandro Pedroza Mexico MILSET 20th anniversary
2009 Carole Charlebois Canada ESI 2009
2009 Dawood Alahmad Kuwait ESI 2009
2011 Adnan Almeer Kuwait Kuwait ESI 2011
2013 Alexander Vladimirovich Leontovich Russia ESI 2013
2015 Reni Barlow Canada ESI 2015
2017 María Angélica Riquelme Chile ESI 2017
2017 Ksenia Salnikova Russia ESI 2017
2019 Eugenio Urrutia Albisua Mexico ESI 2019
2021 Ahmad A. Al Shabil Saudi Arabia MILSET World Virtual Summit
2021 Hélio Louis Brochier Brazil MILSET World Virtual Summit
2023 Atilio Buendía Peru ESI 2023