Nexus International School (Singapore) Hosts the World Scholars Singapore Round

Earlier this month, Nexus proudly hosted the Singapore Round of the World Scholars Cup (WSC). This marked our fourth year hosting the prestigious event – an international academic programme and competition for learners aged 8 to 18. The World Scholars Cup prides itself on focusing on interdisciplinary, team-based learning and critical thinking, rather than rote memorisation of facts.

Over two intensive days, around 500 learners from Year 6 to Year 12, including students from other international schools in Singapore, gathered on our campus to debate, write, and collaborate.

Academic Challenges in Action

The World Scholars Cup is designed to challenge learners to think critically and apply knowledge across disciplines. This year’s theme, “Are We There Yet,” pushed participants to question complex global topics through four demanding rounds:

• Scholar’s Bowl: A team challenge where learners solved analytic questions and multimedia challenges.
• Scholar’s Challenge: An individual multiple-choice test that rewards learners for thinking broadly.
• Collaborative Writing: Teams worked together to write the most compelling piece possible on one of this year’s themes.
• Team Debate: Learners join together in teams of three to contest a motion on challenging topics such as Monkey See, Monkey Prototype and More To Do Than Has Ever Been Listed.

Our teachers, Ms Sylvia, Mr Duncan, and Mr Raza, prepared our learners for the competition through the Season 3 CCA. Each week, learners attended the CCA to practise debating the themes and topics they had been researching at home. 

Building Confident Global Citizens

Opportunities like WSC showcase Nexus’ commitment to providing opportunities beyond the classroom that build strong foundations and a globally minded perspective. Beyond the competitive rigour, WSC fosters invaluable skills like teamwork, critical thinking, and the confidence to put oneself out there and meet new people from different schools. Our staff have seen firsthand how participation drives personal growth with Ms Sylvia noting how learners truly blossom through the programme, honing their critical thinking skills and becoming some of our best debaters. “It is a joy to see young scholars enjoying being part of a community that loves to learn, write, and debate. Even some of our youngest scholars, participating for the first time, did incredibly well.”

Nexus Learners’ Highlights from the Competition

Here is an overview of just some of our team’s accomplishments:

• 3 of our Year 6 learners were awarded medals for being top “Ipaca scholars”, an award recognising the competition’s youngest competitors
• 4 Gold medals in the Team Debate challenge, and 8 Silver medals
• 1 Silver Asimov award, a special award for the highest-scoring scholars, named after the famous author Isaac Asimov, reflecting a passion for deep intellectual curiosity
• 1 Gold and 2 Silver medals for Social Science, Art and Music and Literature and Media
• 3 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals for Collaborative Writing
• 1 Gold medal for one of our Year 12 learners who placed 15th overall in the Senior Scholar Division

We are incredibly proud of all of our learners’ hard work and dedication in the run-up and during the competition. We are already looking forward to next year’s World Scholars Cup!

At Nexus, we remain committed to nurturing well-rounded individuals who possess both academic excellence and the adaptability of a global mindset. Events like the World Scholars Cup prepare our learners not just for exams, but for life in a complex world. 

Want to explore more of the co-curricular opportunities that shape our global learners? Visit our CCA page to learn more.