44th International Chemistry Olympiad in Washington, DC

Washington, DC has the pleasure of hosting the 44th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) this year from July 21-30. Each year, countries from all corners of the globe send four high school students with two mentors to the IChO to compete individually to solve challenging chemistry problems. The competition is divided into two 5-hour long sessions that include a practical examination in the laboratory and a theoretical examination which are evaluated by an international jury.

The first IChO was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1968. Its goals were to generate student interest in chemistry, to encourage collaboration and cooperation, and to foster international connections among young scientists. Though it was centered in the Eastern Soviet bloc for the first decade of its existence, the IChO spread outside of Eastern Europe to Austria in 1980. Thereafter, the competition spread to different parts of the world each year. The last three IChOs were held in Cambridge, United Kingdom (2009), Tokyo, Japan (2010), and Ankara, Turkey (2011). The 2011 competition had a total of 70 participating countries and 4 observing countries.

This year’s IChO, organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and sponsored by Dow, will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park.

François Delattre, ambassador of France to the United States, will welcome the French team on Thursday, July 26 and a large reception for all participants will be held at the French Embassy in Washington, DC to conclude this year’s Olympiad.

More information: http://www.icho2012.org/about-icho

Update of 09-06-2012}