Sri Lanka wins a Silver Medal at International Biology Olympiad 2011

Arun Rajaratnam of Trinity College, Kandy won a Silver Medal at the International Biology Olympiad held at Taipei, Taiwan which concluded on 17 July 2011. There were 227 competitors participated for this competition from 61 countries.

Hiruni Gajanayake (Musaus College, Colombo), Nimeshika Mahaarachchi (Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo) and Shehan Ratnayake (D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo) also participated this completion. These students were selected out of 2500 students who participate in Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad competition, conducted by Institute of Biology, in Collaboration with Sri Lankan Universities and Ministry of Education in June last year. Prof Hiran Amarasekera and Prof H G Nandadasa from University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Prof M J S Wijeyaratne from University of Kelaniya also participated the completion as the Jury members.




International Biology Olympiad is an internationally conducted prestigious competition, in which bright students form countries all over the world compete for medals. The first International Olympiad was held in Eastern Europe in 1959 in Mathematics. The remaining disciplines quickly followed; Physics (1967), Chemistry (1968) and Informatics in (1989). Biology had its first Olympiad in 1990.

Some of the characteristics of the science Olympiads as compared with those for sports are that they are held annually and intended for secondary school students. The level of questions is above the standard for secondary school education in the world. The theoretical/practical questions are 5 hours long, each demands persistence and determination, as well as discipline. Gold medals are awarded not only to the top achiever but to the top 10% of participants. The Olympiad offers an opportunity for international exchange.

In Sri Lanka there are Olympiad competitions for Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Informatics and Astronomy. Usually Sri Lankan Olympiads for Physics and Biology are conducted June each year, but this year (2011) these competitions were postponed due to prevailing trade union action by University Teachers in Sri Lankan universities.

Related:
Olympiad Competitions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad
Informatics Olympiad of Sri Lanka

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