The 35th International Biology Olympiad took place in Astana, Kazakhstan 7-14th July. All four students representing the UK won medals at the competitions!
Emily Wong (Colchester County High School for Girls), Poppy Pendergast (Beaulieu Convent School), Joaquin Anjarwalla (Latymer Upper School) received silver medals and Nikolaos Argyropoulos (Reading School) received a bronze medal.
Congratulations to all the students for their amazing achievements!
Here are a few quotes from our team about their experience at the IBO:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the whole IBO experience, from the first round of the BBO to the IBO itself. […] Thanks for making IBO such an amazing experience! :)” – Emily
“It was an amazing experience being part of the UK team and getting to do such cool experiments in such a different environment, and although the exams were stressful it was actually really enjoyable to challenge myself. I loved getting to meet so many people from different countries and also spending time in Astana, so thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, it’s something I’ll always remember.” – Poppy
“Participating in the IBO meant I got to travel somewhere I would never have thought of going to, as well as allowing me to experience a brand new culture, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. However the two things I enjoyed the most were being exposed to challenging biology problems, as well as making friends with a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime!” – Joaquin
“The preparation for, and the IBO itself, were unforgettable experiences, which brought me together with like-minded peers from around the world, and contributed enormously to expanding my biological knowledge and thinking. These experiences not only deepened my passion for biology but also inspired me to pursue further challenges in the field. I’m deeply thankful to the UKBC team for providing me with this opportunity.“– Nikolaos
There were 286 students from 74 countries who participated in this year’s IBO. The UK team were selected from over 15,000 students who took part in the British Biology Olympiad in March.
The team sat practical and theoretical examinations at the international competition, which covered topics of molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and animal anatomy and physiology.
Next year, the 36th IBO will be held in Quezon City, Philippines: July 20-27, 2025. See you there!
For more information about the IBO and the UK team selection, visit our dedicated webpage.
