India's Advay Misra, an 11-year-old student from New Delhi, participated in the International Academic Championship and won the Science and Academic Bee Competitions at the Championships and was runner-up in the Geography Bee Competition.
Held over three days from June 14 to June 16, the competition saw participation from over 300 students from 30 different cities across 14 different countries vying for a chance at the Asian Championship.
Advay holds the unique distinction of being the Asian Science Bee Champion for three years in a row, and it was his second consecutive win in the Academic Bee Championship.
Last year, representing India as the All India Winner of the National Academic Competition, Advay had achieved the feat of winning all the four Bees (Academic, Science, Geography and History) in offing. Prior to his achievements in the Asian Championships, Advay was the runner-up in the National Science Bee Championship of the US for the year 2020-21.
The Bees are an intense individual competition where the contestants vie to answer a number of buzzer based questions. The format tests both the depth and the breadth of knowledge of the contestants. The format consists of a written qualifier, followed by regional finals and then the championships, which involve 4 preliminary rounds and one final round for each Bee.
Going beyond just being a collection/recollection of facts, a Bee Competition actually tests critical thinking and the ability to absorb details and discern linkages between a wide variety of subjects and helps bring alive classroom pedagogy.
Advay credited his success to his habit of reading extensively and guidance from his parents for his continuing success. As an 8-year old, Advay was named one of the brightest kids in the world by John's Hopkins University in the US and is a member of their Center for Talented Youth (CTY).
