Syrian Science Olympiad Achieved Notable Successes in 2014

The Syrian Science Olympiad is a big national project aiming to build an elite scientific generation based on specialization and invention.

Launched in 2006, the Olympiad has got the full support of the Syrian government and its national commission has been keen to invest all the potentials of the talented Syrian youths. It took fast and firm steps to enhance the performance of national teams to help them achieve good results and excel at local, regional and international competitions.

The Olympiad, which is a contest in the basic sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics and biology for pre-university students achieved its best results in 2014, which was described by Emad al-Azeb, Head the National Commission of the Syrian Science Olympiad, as a golden year in terms of achievements.

According to al-Azeb, the results created extra motives inside the teams’ members to enhance their achievements at wider competitions.

Talking about the development of the Olympiad over the past years, al-Azeb told the local “Tishreen” daily that despite the extraordinary circumstances in the country, the number of contesters in the national Olympiad competitions in 2014 was more than 42 thousand with an increase of not less than 12 thousand participants from the past years.

“This indicates the growing position of the Olympiad in the Syrian society, particularly among the youths who have become more interested in the Science Olympiad culture, have got stronger belief in its strategic goals and have shown growing eagerness to participate in the successive finals of the Olympiad,” al-Azeb said.

Concerning the regional and international achievements in 2014, al-Azeb said the Syrian teams scored several gains in different subjects, including mathematics in which the team got a silver medal for the first time through participant Sami Rahmeh in the Asian Olympiad in Mathematics organized in Kazakhstan.

The Syrian team also gets two bronze medals through Alexander Abbas and Hussein Qara Falah in the Asian Olympiad in Informatics.

At the international level, al-Azeb said Syria  won a silver through Hasan Gaddou’ in the international Olympiad in Informatics which was held in Taiwan and a bronze through  Essam al- Anouf in the World Scientific Olympiad for Chemistry which was held in Vietnam. In addition, the Syrian Olympiad teams got many certificates of appreciation at regional and international levels, particularly in Mathematics and Physics, Al-Azeb added.

He went on to say that 2014 witnessed Syria’s first participation as an observer in the World Olympiad in biology which was held in Indonesia. A year later, Syria is due to move from the observer position to the post of a permanent member in the Olympiad in biology.

He pointed out that the Syrian Scientific Olympiad National Commission is getting ready to form the first national biology team in preparation to take part in the International Olympiad in biology due to be held in Denmark.

Rawaa Ghanam