MMO-59 (eng)

The 59th International Mendeleev chemistry olympiad will be held in Brazil

The Organizing Committee of the 59th International Mendeleev chemistry olympiad for school students has announced the location and dates for the 2025 competition. The largest tournament for young chemists will take place in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, from May 5 to 12, hosted by the UFMG — the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

The Olympiad is traditionally organized by the Faculty of Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Melnichenko Foundation. This year’s partner organizer is the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Since 2023, the event has been held as part of the Decade of Science and Technology declared by the President of Russia and is included in the "Science to Win" initiative.

The International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad for School Students (IMChO) is one of the world’s largest competitions in olympiad chemistry, established in 1967. The Olympiad is traditionally held at the end of April or early May in CIS countries and beyond. Winning the Mendeleev Olympiad is a prestigious achievement, as it is rightfully considered the most challenging chemistry competition. In 1997, the International Mendeleev Olympiad became the successor to the All-Union Chemistry Olympiad for School Students, retaining its numbering. The Olympiad lasts seven days and consists of three rounds: two theoretical and one practical.

The Olympiad is named after the great Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, who discovered the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements.

Participants include graduating and pre-graduating students who are winners of national chemistry olympiads from around the world.

Tatyana Zhuravlyova, General Director of the Melnichenko Foundation:

"Last year, the Mendeleev Olympiad expanded beyond the post-Soviet space for the first time, to China. This year, we are once again expanding its reach, and the 59th IMChO will be held outside Eurasia for the first time in history: in South America, in Brazil. I am confident that this will not only serve as a vivid testament to the development of international scientific and educational cooperation among BRICS+ countries but also symbolize that all borders should be open for young, talented chemists."

Stepan Kalmykov, Chairman of the Olympiad Organizing Committee, Scientific Director of the Faculty of Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician:

"The strategic goal of the Mendeleev Olympiad is to unite young chemists from around the world and demonstrate the boundless nature of chemistry in every sense. Therefore, the organizing committee is making every effort to involve as many countries as possible. Last year, the Mendeleev Olympiad was held in China, and we attracted the strongest students not only from that country but also from neighboring regions. This year, the organizing committee decided to expand participation from the Western Hemisphere by holding the Olympiad in Brazil. I hope this decision will attract many new teams from Latin America, build bridges, and deepen scientific and educational cooperation among participating countries. The event will take place during Brazil’s chairmanship of BRICS, one of the world’s largest integration associations, which prioritizes sustainable development and the creation of a shared educational space."

In addition to gold medals, the absolute winners are awarded the Valery Lunin Academician Prize, established by the Melnichenko Foundation.
2025-03-05 15:16