This year, eight students at The English International College successfully completed the Cambridge International Project Qualification (IPQ), a rigorous independent-research project culminating in a 5,000-word academic essay.
Over the course of their projects, they developed advanced research skills, learning to analyse and evaluate information from sources such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, and other scholarly databases. They crafted detailed bibliographies, practised academic referencing, and produced reports that reflect the structure and discipline of a small dissertation. Undertaking an extended project provides valuable preparation for academic study and is often regarded favourably by universities during the admissions process.
This year’s topics were as diverse as they were fascinating: corruption in Russia, the impact of tourism in Spain, the justification of the USA’s war on drugs, the psychology of serial killers, the fate of the universe, the debate over intraday trading, the potential of Finite Element Analysis in engineering, and the debate over whether the UK voting age should be lowered to sixteen.
Each student presented their findings to peers and supervisors, answered challenging questions, and reflected on the credibility of their sources and the findings that most inspired them.
Congratulations to all participants – your intellectual curiosity and dedication were truly impressive!
