National chemistry Olympiad
The national chemistry Olympiad is an annual competition for talented students in higher education. The aim is to raise the profile of chemistry in secondary schools and to foster young talent.
The finals of the 34th Olympiad is taking place from June 5th to June 12th 2013.
Around 3,500 students are taking part in the competition. This year the Committee for the national chemistry olympiad organizes the event in collaboration with Sabic that is also hosting the event from its European Headquarters in Limburg, in the south of the Netherlands. The 20 finalists selected to go on to the finals week at Sabic have been announced following two rounds of assessment.
The four eventual winners will be announced on June 12, 2013 during a festive closing ceremony in the Government building, the House of the Provincial Authority in Maastricht. The winners will then go on to represent the Netherlands in July 2013 at the international chemistry Olympiad in Moscow.
The Olympiad is hosted alternately by a company and by a university. The competition is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the examination institute (Cito), the Netherlands Royal Chemistry Association (KNCV), the Association of the Netherlands Chemicals Industry (VNCI) and a number of other partners.
During the final week students will be brought to a higher level in terms of both practical skills and scientific content. The many facets of chemistry will be explored, such as applications in society and challenges in the areas of packaging, energy, health and our future. Career possibilities at Limburg, nationally and internationally will also be showcased.