CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

Qatar to host International Junior Science Olympiad

Published: 26 Dec 2018 - 09:40 am | Last Updated: 28 Dec 2021 - 11:39 am
FROM LEFT: Hassan Abdulla Al Mohamedi, Head of Public Relations and Communication Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater, Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs; and Fatema Al Rashid, Head of Sc

FROM LEFT: Hassan Abdulla Al Mohamedi, Head of Public Relations and Communication Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater, Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs; and Fatema Al Rashid, Head of Sc

Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

Qatar has announced to host the 16th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2019, the largest scientific competition of its kind in the world.

The event will be organised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in collaboration with Qatar University and Qatar Foundation first time in an Arab country.  

“IJSO is scheduled to be held in Doha from December 3 to 12, 2019,” said Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the Ministry yesterday, Al Khater said that the IJSO is considered the largest scientific competition of the world for the students under 15 in which over 50 countries compete every year.

The press conference was also attended by Hassan Abdulla Al Mohamedi, Head of Public Relations and Communication Department and Fatema Al Rashid, Head of Science Department.

“IJSO is being held annually for over 14 years. Qatar has been participating for over three years and bagged two bronze medals in previous years,” said Al Khater.

She said that over 300 bright students aged 15 years and younger, from more than 50 countries around the world, will meet during the Science Olympiad to test their knowledge and skills in physics, biology and chemistry.

“The competition comprises two individual theoretical tests followed by practical tests. These tests will be the result of a team effort of all involved students.” 

“The aim of this science competition is to introduce the students, at a young age, to an international network of beta enthusiasts. In addition, it promotes and rewards the pursuit of excellence in scientific endeavor and stimulates gifted students to further develop their talents in natural sciences,” said Al Khater.

The guidelines, to participate in the International Junior Science Olympiad, are set in place to ensure a fair and enjoyable competition. 

All competitors in the International Junior Science Olympiad swear an oath at the beginning of the competition to answer the theoretical and practical competition questions in the most responsible way and to compete honestly and fairly.

As per the requirements, the competitors must be born on or after January 1, 2004, it means they must not be older than 15 years old. A student is eligible to represent their country if they hold a valid passport of that country or is in the education system of that country for at least one academic year. Participants must agree with and accept the conditions as stated in the statutes from IJSO. 

A standard team consists of six students and three leaders. If a standard team cannot be fulfilled, a minimum team of three students and one leader can be allowed to participate in IJSO. Teams consisting of less than three members do not qualify for team awards.  Participants are not allowed to use their own collection of formulae from mathematics, chemistry, physics, etc. during the competition. 

Each participating country that has either participated with a team or sent an observer to the IJSO in one of the previous two years, is invited to send a delegation of six students and three team leaders.  

Participating countries should obey all the rules of the IJSO statutes and any additional rules made by the host country for the ongoing event.