17 October 2020
Singapore students have done well in international academic competitions this year.
This year, these competitions have been modified so that countries can participate virtually. For instance, the usual format for the International Biology Olympiad this year was replaced with a special challenge edition that was conducted remotely. The Singapore team garnered one gold medal and three silver medals at the challenge, which was held from Aug 11 to 12. The tasks that they had to accomplish include reconstituting and drawing the shape of a structure based on photographs.
At the 52nd International Chemistry Olympiad on July 25, Singapore secured three gold medals and one silver medal. Students undertook a range of theoretical tasks, including total synthesis of an organic compound isolated from the plant catnip.
More recently, at the 61st International Mathematical Olympiad from Sept 19 to 28, the Singapore team won four silver medals and two bronze medals. Singapore ranked 16th among 105 countries/territories with 616 participants.
Meanwhile, at the 32nd International Olympiad in Informatics organised by the National University of Singapore (NUS) from Sept 13 to 19, the Singapore team clinched three silver medals and one bronze medal. During the competition, students tackled computational problems that tested their ability to design and implement efficient algorithms and data structures.