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Autumn 2004 (12.3)
Page
20
Chemistry Olympiad
Azerbaijani
Students Bring Home Gold
by Bakhtiyar Hajiyev
  Azerbaijan participated
in the 36th Annual International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), which
was held in Kiel, Germany, from July 18-27, 2004. The competition
attracted more than 240 high school students from 60 countries.
Each country is allowed a maximum of four participants. In the
case of Azerbaijan, three of the four students were awarded medals:
two Gold and one Bronze.
Afan Validov of Baku Private Turkish Lyceum and Sanan Aminov
of Mingachevir Lyceum were awarded Gold Medals. Afan ranked 22nd
and Sanan, 27th. Emin Jafarov of Ganja Turkish Lyceum won Bronze
with a rank of 132. Hikmat Isgandarov also was among those who
qualified to represent Azerbaijan.
The exams measured both the student's theoretical as well as
practical grasp of chemistry principles. Students were required
to solve inorganic as well as analytical chemistry problems during
two exams that lasted five hours each, administered over two
days.
This is the fifth year that Azerbaijan has taken part in IChO.
Azerbaijan's achievements were viewed as quite significant, given
the country's relatively small population of 8 million people.
Even some of the leading countries in the world did not rank
as high. For example, a number of major countries did not earn
any gold medals, including such countries as the U.S., UK, Sweden,
Italy and Norway.
"It didn't really come as a surprise to us that our team
did so well," said Unal Akchay, head of Olympiad Affairs
for the Azerbaijan-Turkey Lyceums. Azerbaijani students from
Turkish Lyceums have won 94 medals in International Science Olympiads
these last few years since they started participating.
Azerbaijan's coaches for the Olympiads deserve immense credit
for the achievements of their students as well. Academician Vagif
Abbasov, Mutallim Abbasov and Murat Irmak directed the studies
of these outstanding youth.
Azerbaijan's participants are currently all senior high school
students. Next year they will be seeking to continue their education
in universities. It is important that Azerbaijan's future scientists
continue their studies in well-known universities. In the past,
some of them have succeeded to study abroad, such as Tural Badirkhanli,
a gold medalist of the 2002 International Physics Olympiad. Tural
has been awarded a full scholarship at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT), one of the most esteemed universities in
the United States.
Other outstanding achievements were made by Alezi Zelfman (Russia)
who ranked First Place for the entire Olympiad. China won four
Gold medals, one for each of their four participants, including
Third Place rank by Liu Lianghui.
From Azerbaijan
International
(12.3) Autumn 2004.
© Azerbaijan International 2004. All rights reserved.
Back to Index AI 12.3 (Autumn
2004)
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