The International Chemistry Olympics (IChO) is a chemistry competition (chemistry olympiad) reserved for secondary school students, aiming to promote international contacts between chemistry operators. It aims to stimulate students interested in chemistry using autonomous and creative solving of chemical problems. The competitions held within the IChO help improve friendly relations between young people from different countries and encourage international cooperation and understanding.
The Chemistry Olympics were born in 1968 in Czechoslovakia (Prague 18 – 21 June 1968) and initially involved the Eastern European nations that belonged to the Soviet bloc.
However, only three nations took part in the first edition: Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary. In that same year, relations between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union had become strained following the movement known as the Prague Spring, which had seen large crowds of young people in Czechoslovakia manifest in the hope of achieving socialism with a human face.
These international tensions prevented participation in the first edition of the IChOs of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, and East Germany.
Year after year, participation in the International Chemistry Olympics has grown. After a few years, it has expanded to countries worldwide, assuming the current connotations of a true world celebration of chemical culture.
Click here to view and download Regulations of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
