The Cambridge Edge

Our students take part in:

•  Lectures both at the University and at the College from a range of top leading academics in their fields

•  Work with the University of Cambridge on projects such as the Nuclear Fuser project with the University’s Engineering Department and the building of an algae fuel cell with Cambridge’s Biochemistry Department

•  Work experience opportunities with Cambridge University with projects such as designing online visitor guides at the Whipple Museum

•  Work placements with leading employers from the research, pharmaceutical, IT and medical industries

• Mentoring programmes with Cambridge University students who were previously at Cardiff Sixth Form College in areas such as law, medicine and engineering, providing invaluable help and on the ground advice for personal statements and interviews

• Visits to leading businesses such as Silverstone racetrack and Rutherford laboratories

Projects

EPQ projects that Cambridge Sixth Form College students have embarked on included.

Algae Fuel Cell – Fernanda, Year 12

“My project is ‘To investigate the feasibility of building an algae fuel cell that generates sufficient electricity to charge a phone’.

I’ve been fortunate enough to make contact with the Biochemistry department of the University of Cambridge and have the guidance of a postdoctoral researcher focused on bio photovoltaic cells(BPVs). From the knowledge I gained from many academic papers, the chemistry department at CSFC and the assistance of the members of the Biochemistry department, I was able to come up with a simple set up that produced 0.32mV on its first trial.

However, due to increased levels of resistance and subsequently very low levels of current on my previous set-up I’ve decided to change my set up and the Biochemistry department of the University of Cambridge has been kind enough to support me with one of their prototypes of an educational tool kit of a BPV to try and build at home.”

Fusor Project- Cesare,

Year 13

The Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusor (IECF) is a device capable of achieving fusion at a domestic level without requiring a multi-million-pound reactor.

It uses electric fields around a negatively charged inner grid to accelerate ions, reach fusion conditions, and confine the plasma inside a vacuum. Deuterium (and Tritium, if possible), which are hydrogen isotopes 2H and 3H, respectively, act as the fuel of the fusion reaction by being introduced into the chamber.

This process is also possible due to the properties of quantum principles, particularly quantum tunnelling, which means not all particles require high amounts of energy to collide and fuse.

Ibrahim – Superconducting magnets project.

Year 12

Ibrahim from Nigeria tells us about his project researching the use of superconducting magnets and their possible use In maglev trains.

This programme is invaluable in terms of providing top academic students with the extra knowledge, depth and experience they require when applying to top universities, not only in the UK but also around the world. It provides our students with the ‘edge’ over other candidates, giving them an understanding and mature outlook when discussing their futures with university admissions teams and the ability to think beyond the classroom, to make calculated decisions and to think critically when considering next steps.

Some of the recent events that our Cambridge students have attended this year as part of The Cambridge Edge.

The Engineering & Design Institute (TEDI) Year 12 Summer Workshop

COMPUTER SCIENCE ENGINEERING PHYSICS ENGINEERING SUSTAINABILITY

As part of the Dukes Sustainability Week, six aspiring engineers from Cardiff Sixth Form College Cambridge will be attending the TEDI Year 12 Summer Workshop. During this workshop our students will learn how their creative problem solving can make a big impact on the future of our planet. Previous workshops have seen students build remote model vehicles and scooters from recycled newspaper.

Parasites and their adaptation to their hosts and tissue niches

In this week’s Crossing the Road Guest speaker Dr Katerina Artavanis-Tsakonas from the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge, gave a presentation on how parasites have adapted intricate mechanisms of avoiding host immune responses, limiting tissue damage, and modulating their immediate surrounding to support their presence.

What to do about plastics?

CHEMISTRY ENGINEERING LECTURE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

What to do about plastics? Professor Jonathan Cullen’s talk draws from five years of research at Cambridge, aimed at understanding the GHG impact of plastics across the full lifecycle (production, use and disposal) and exploring all possible options for mitigating the carbon impacts of plastics production.

COMPUTER SCIENCE ENRICHMENT WEEK TRIP

Join the expert lead workshops on Data Representation.  In this interactive workshop you will discover how data representation has developed throughout history. Explore Binary, hexadecimal and Von Neumann architecture then work through some real-life coding problems. Or join us for AI & Robotics – Debate the Ethical implications of AI programming and barriers to inclusive legislation. For others try Hands-On-Hardware – choose between building virtual circus or disposing of a bomb using VR headsets. You will also have the chance to explore the National Museum of Computing which houses the largest collection of functional historic computers in the world, including a rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer and the WITCH, the world’s oldest working digital computer.

Imperial College NASA Space Design Competition

CSFC Cambridge students attended The UK Space Design Competition (UKSDC). This multidisciplinary space-themed competition took students 80 years into the future and challenged them to design a crewed space settlement within our solar system. The competition gave students a taste of the vast potential offered by future study of STEM subjects, through a fun an engaging career simulation.

Women In STEM

MEDICINE NEUROLOGY PHYSICS

To Celebrate International Woman’s Day, we welcome guest speakers Irene Abril Cabezas, Hatice Ozkan and Dr Paula Heister to our college to hear about their contributions to Physics, Neurology and Medicine.