International Biology Olympiad

Last updated August 07, 2024

Logo of the International Biology Olympiad

The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is a biological olympiad for pre-university students under the age 20, and is one of the most well-known International Science Olympiads. The first IBO was held in Czechoslovakia in 1990, and it has since been held annually. The competition have gradually expanded to include more than 75 participating countries across five continents. All participating countries send the four winners of their National Biology Olympiad to the IBO, usually accompanied by two adults who are members of the international jury, for the duration of the competition.

To select these top four life science contestants for this international competition, all member countries host Biology Olympiad competitions in typically 3-5 consecutively more difficult national competition rounds. As a consequence, this leads to a trickle-down effect, engaging more than 1 million students worldwide in life science each year.^[1]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the IBO (host: Japan) was organized virtually^[2] and was rated "a great success" and "highly successful" in the history of IBO^[3] because of its exceptional way of operation and the unique international group-based scientific project International Group Project 2020.

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Portuguese IBO host to go virtual once again: the 2021 IBO was replaced by the IBO Challenge II, from July 18 to July 23.

IBO 2020 and the International Group Project

In the face of the threat of the International Science Olympiads' cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the International Physics Olympiad was officially canceled^[4]), the IBO 2020 was the first in the International Science Olympiads that was claimed by the host (Japan) to be held entirely virtually with a guaranteed supervision to adapt to the pandemic.^[3]

Notably, in the IBO 2020, the International Group Project was proposed. This is the first international group-based scientific project in the history of International Science Olympiads, aiming to intensify scientific discussion and collaboration among competitors from various countries.

In the International Group Project 2020, there are 50 research teams, and every team consists of 4 to 7 competitors, all representing different countries. In each team, these young biologists collaborated with their international fellows in a three-month scientific project. Finally, they had to propose a professional poster or presentation about an outstanding, innovative idea that can determine biology's future and solve a critical global issue.^[5] Every performance was evaluated by noble professors of Japan in life science.

Altogether, 53 countries and 202 contestants participated in the International Group Project 2020. This project was described as "the first trial of a collaborative research opportunity in IBO's history."^[3] Among 50 teams, six outstanding teams had (25 students) received the Award of Excellence for the best performance.^[6]

Summary

Each year, the IBO is organised by a different country.^[7]^[8]

No.	Year	City	Country	Date	Participating countries
1	1990	Olomouc	Czechoslovakia	July 1–7	6
2	1991	Makhachkala	Soviet Union	July 1–7	9
3	1992	Poprad	Czechoslovakia	July 6–12	12
4	1993	Utrecht	Netherlands	July 4–11	15
5	1994	Varna	Bulgaria	July 3–10	18
6	1995	Bangkok	Thailand	July 2–9	22
7	1996	Artek	Ukraine	June 30–July 7	23
8	1997	Ashgabat	Turkmenistan	July 13–20	28
9	1998	Kiel	Germany	July 19–26	33
10	1999	Uppsala	Sweden	July 4–11	36
11	2000	Antalya	Turkey	July 9–16	38
12	2001	Brussels	Belgium	July 8–15	38
13	2002	Jurmala and Riga	Latvia	July 7–14	40
14	2003	Minsk	Belarus	July 8–16	41
15	2004	Brisbane	Australia	July 11–18	40
16	2005	Beijing	China	July 10–17	50
17	2006	Rio Cuarto	Argentina	July 9–16	48
18	2007	Saskatoon	Canada	July 15–22	49
19	2008	Mumbai	India	July 13–20	55
20	2009	Tsukuba	Japan	July 12–19	56
21	2010	Changwon	South Korea	July 11–18	58
22	2011	Taipei	Taiwan	July 10–17	58
23	2012	Singapore	Singapore	July 8–15	59
24	2013	Bern	Switzerland	July 14–21	62
25	2014	Bali	Indonesia	July 6–13	61
26	2015	Aarhus	Denmark	July 12–19	62
27	2016	Hanoi	Vietnam	July 17–24	68
28	2017	Coventry	United Kingdom	July 23–30	64
29	2018	Tehran	Iran	July 15–22	68
30	2019	Szeged	Hungary	July 14–21	72
31	2020	Nagasaki	Japan	Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, replaced by a remotely conducted competition, the IBO Challenge 2020,^[2] and a group-based scientific project, the International Group Project.^[9] The whole competition was operated from August 11–24.	47 in both competitions (+5 in only the International Group Project)
32	2021	Lisbon	Portugal	Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, replaced by a remotely conducted competition, the IBO Challenge II.^[10]^[11] The whole competition was operated from July 18–23.	72
33	2022	Yerevan	Armenia	July 10–18	62
34	2023	Al Ain	United Arab Emirates	July 3–11	76
35	2024	Astana	Kazakhstan	July 7–14	74
36	2025	Quezon City	Philippines	July 13–20
37	2026	Vilnius	Lithuania	July 12–19
38	2027		Poland
39	2028		Netherlands
40	2029		Czech Republic

Performance of countries

As of August 2024, the current list of countries with the best results (spanning the last 10 years) for gold medals are as follows:^[12]

Rank	Country	Gold in Last 10 years (2015-2024)
1	Taiwan	34(3+4+4+4+3+2+4+3+3+4)
2	China	33(4+4+3+4+4+3+4+0+3+4)
3	Singapore	26(3+4+3+3+3+1+1+2+4+2)
4	USA	24(4+3+4+0+2+3+2+0+2+4)
5	Russia	22(2+1+2+3+0+3+2+4+3+2)
6	South Korea	17(2+2+2+3+4+1+0+0+1+2)
7	Iran	11(1+0+0+2+0+0+0+4+2+2)
8	Vietnam	10(0+1+1+3+0+1+1+0+0+3)
9	Germany	9(1+2+1+1+0+1+0+1+2+0)
9	Hungary	9(1+2+1+0+4+0+0+1+0+0)
11	Thailand	8(1+1+0+0+1+1+1+2+0+1)
12	India	7(0+1+0+0+0+0+0+1+4+1)
12	Indonesia	7(1+1+1+0+1+0+1+2+0+0)
12	Turkey	7(0+0+0+1+2+0+1+2+0+1)
15	Japan	6(1+1+0+0+0+1+0+1+2+0)
15	Bulgaria	6(0+0+1+0+0+0+2+1+1+1)
17	Netherlands	5(1+0+0+0+3+1+0+0+0+0)
17	United Kingdom	5(0+0+1+3+0+0+0+0+1+0)
19	Czech Republic	4(0+0+1+0+0+1+1+1+0+0)
20	Australia	3(0+0+0+0+0+0+1+0+1+1)
20	Hong Kong	3(0+0+0+0+1+0+0+0+0+2)
20	Azerbaijan	3(0+0+0+0+0+1+2+0+0+0)
20	Qatar	3(0+0+0+0+0+0+3+0+0+0)
20	Poland	3(0+0+0+1+0+0+1+1+0+0)
20	Uzbekistan	3(0+0+0+0+0+1+2+0+0+0^{[note 1]})
26	Italy	1(0+0+0+0+1+0+0+0+0+0)
26	Lithuania	1(0+0+0+0+1+0+0+0+0+0)
26	Slovenia	1(0+0+0+0+1+0+0+0+0+0)
26	Switzerland	1(0+0+0+1+0+0+0+0+0+0)
26	New Zealand	1(0+0+1+0+0+0+0+0+0+0)
26	Romania	1(1+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0)

Notes

↑ Uzbekistan was disqualified from the 2024 International Biology Olympiad due to cheating

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Olympiad in Informatics</span> Annual programming competition

The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is an annual competitive programming competition and one of the International Science Olympiads for secondary school students. The first IOI was held in 1989 in Pravetz, Bulgaria. It is the second largest science olympiad, after the International Mathematical Olympiad, in terms of number of participating countries. Each country sends a team of up to four students, plus one team leader, one deputy leader, and guests.

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a mathematical olympiad for pre-university students, and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. It is “the most prestigious” mathematical competition in the world. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980. More than 100 countries participate. Each country sends a team of up to six students, plus one team leader, one deputy leader, and observers.

The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual physics competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads. The first IPhO was held in Warsaw, Poland in 1967.

The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is an annual academic competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads. The first IChO was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1968. The event has been held every year since then, with the exception of 1971. The delegations that attended the first events were mostly countries of the former Eastern bloc and it was not until 1980, the 12th annual International Chemistry Olympiad, that the event was held outside of the bloc in Austria. Up to 4 students for each national team compete around July in both a theoretical and an experimental sections, with about half of the participants being awarded medals.

The USA Biolympiad (USABO), formerly called the USA Biology Olympiad before January 1, 2020, is a national competition sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education to select the competitors for the International Biology Olympiad. Each year, twenty National Finalists gather at a nationally recognized institution for a two-week training camp. From the program's inception through 2009, the camp was held at George Mason University; from 2010 through 2015, the camp was held at Purdue University. It was then hosted at Marymount University for 2016 and 2017. As of 2018, it is being held at University of California, San Diego. At the end of the two weeks, four students are selected to represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad.

The Mathematical Olympiad Program is an intensive summer program held at Carnegie Mellon University. The main purpose of MOP, held since 1974, is to select and train the six members of the U.S. team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Rusczyk</span> American mathematician and founder of Art of Problem Solving

Richard Rusczyk is the founder and chief executive officer of Art of Problem Solving Inc. and a co-author of the Art of Problem Solving textbooks. Rusczyk was a national Mathcounts participant in 1985, and he won the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) in 1989. He is one of the co-creators of the Mandelbrot Competition, and the director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS). He also founded the San Diego Math Circle.

Mira Loma High School is a public high school located in Arden-Arcade, California, United States. It is located south of Interstate 80, and east of Watt Avenue. It is a part of the San Juan Unified School District with a student body of approximately 1700 students from northeast Arden-Arcade and western Carmichael.

The European Olympiad of Experimental Science (EOES) is an annually held team-based science competition for the European Union's (EU) school students to display their capabilities in natural sciences.

The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) is an annual science competition for students aged 15 and under. It is one of International Science Olympiads and an international academical competition that covers physics, chemistry and biology at the same time. The first IJSO was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2004. Around 70 countries send delegations of three to six students, plus one to three team leaders, and observers.

The International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), one of the thirteen International Science Olympiads, is an annual competition for secondary school students that tests their abilities in disciplines such as geology, meteorology, environmental science, and terrestrial astronomy. Students who are winners of the respective national competitions are invited to participate in the IESO, and all interested countries are encouraged to contribute to the IESO. The IESO is one of the only three International Science Olympiads to include an International Team Competition.

The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) is an annual astronomy and astrophysics competition for high school students. It is one of the international science olympiads.

Iranian Biology Olympiad (IrBO) is an annual multistage competition for Iranian high school students of the age of 17-18 in the field of biology. The first Iranian Biology Olympiad was launched under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Iran in 1999. Since then, the four winners of the national competitions participate regularly yearly in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), in which IrBO is a regular member and participant. In Iranian Biology Olympiad individuals compete for their achievements in both theory and practice.

The International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) is an annual competition for 16- to 19-year-old geography students from all over the world. Students chosen to represent their countries are some of the best, chosen from thousands of students who participate enthusiastically in their own National Geography Olympiads. iGeo tests the abilities of every participant in spatial patterns and processes. The iGeo consists of three parts: a written test, a multimedia test and a substantial fieldwork exercise requiring observation, leading to cartographic representation and geographical analysis. The programme also includes poster presentations by teams, cultural exchanges, and time for students to know their fellow students and explore the host city.

National Science Talent Contest or NSTC is an extension of the National Physics Talent Contest launched by PIEAS in 1995 on the directive of the then President of Pakistan. The purpose of the NSTC is to inspire the youth of the Nation to opt for careers in science, and mathematics and to prepare young students for participation in International Science Olympiads in Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics.

The HUS High School for Gifted Students, commonly known as High School for Gifted Students of Science, is a specialized, most-selective public magnet school of VNU University of Science, a member of Vietnam National University, Hanoi system. The school serves as a national educational institution to nurture talented Vietnamese students who excelled at natural sciences. The largest percentage of its graduates attend the most prestigious universities in Vietnam.

The United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) is a linguistics competition for primary and secondary school students in the United Kingdom. The competition is divided into four levels: Breakthrough, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced, collectively known as 'Round 1', with the top-scoring 5% of entrants at Advanced level eligible for a follow-on round, called 'Round 2' and selection for participation in the International Linguistics Olympiad, one of the international science olympiads. In 2009, teams from two schools competed in a pilot competition, with the winners taking part in the international contest as guests of the All-Ireland Linguistics Olympiad. In 2010, an independent olympiad was created and has taken place every year since.

The Junior Science Olympiad of Canada or JSOC is an examination in science for secondary school students, with one test usually conducted in June and a second test in October. Organized by Jennifer Pitt-Lainsbury, Marisca Vanderkamp, Maria Niño-Soto, and Andrew Moffat in association with the University of Toronto Schools (UTS), JSOC encompasses material of the grade 12 curriculum for the three sciences.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected innumerable scientific and technical institutions globally, resulting in lower productivity in a number of fields and programs. However, the impact of the pandemic has also led to the opening of several new research funding lines for government agencies around the world.

References

↑ "IBO is an association of national biology competitions from countries and regions". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
1 2 "Regarding COVID-19". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-03-06. Archived from the original on 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
1 2 3 "THE VIRTUAL IBO CHALLENGE 2020 WAS A GREAT SUCCESS". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
↑ "51st International Physics Olympiad". ipho-unofficial.org. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
↑ "International Group Project". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-04-24. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
↑ "Group Project Results". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-12-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
↑ "Past IBOs". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
↑ "Future IBOs". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
↑ "International Group Project". International Biology Olympiad Nagasaki 2020. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
↑ "IBO Challenge 2021: Event website & registration deadlines due end of March".
↑ "Welcome to IBO2021 – IBO 2021".
↑ "IBO Results".

External links

Official website
Biolympiads www.biolympiads.com

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[13] Uzbekistan was disqualified from the 2024 International Biology Olympiad due to cheating

[1] "IBO is an association of national biology competitions from countries and regions". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2020-09-26.

[:0-2] 1 2 "Regarding COVID-19". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-03-06. Archived from the original on 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2021-01-26.

[:1-3] 1 2 3 "THE VIRTUAL IBO CHALLENGE 2020 WAS A GREAT SUCCESS". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2021-01-26.

[4] "51st International Physics Olympiad". ipho-unofficial.org. Retrieved 2021-01-26.

[5] "International Group Project". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-04-24. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-29.

[6] "Group Project Results". IBO2020 Nagasaki. 2020-12-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-29.

[7] "Past IBOs". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2023-07-29.

[8] "Future IBOs". International Biology Olympiad. Retrieved 2020-03-26.

[9] "International Group Project". International Biology Olympiad Nagasaki 2020. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2020-06-11.

[10] "IBO Challenge 2021: Event website & registration deadlines due end of March".

[11] "Welcome to IBO2021 – IBO 2021".

[12] "IBO Results".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[note 1]