14 countries to vie for gold at the first International Nuclear Science Olympiad

Fourteen countries from the Asia-Pacific region will compete for gold at the first-ever International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) which will run August 1-6, 2024 with concurrent activities at the New Clark City in Pampanga and the nearby National Government Administrative Center in Capas, Tarlac.

Contenders in the newly-established international olympiad are junior and senior secondary school students younger than 20 years old who emerged as national winners in their respective countries.  

Countries to be represented include Bahrain, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, and the Philippines.  Syria will be joining as observer. 

Each competing country has four to five contestants, which brings a total of 59 contenders in the olympiad.  

Also participating in INSO are 12 observers from various countries and 31 team leaders. 

“All of the contestants have been preparing rigorously in their respective countries for the INSO,” says Dr.  Carlo A. Arcilla, director of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute which is the lead organizer of the pioneering olympiad. 

The contenders will undergo theoretical and practical exams which will be held in two separate days, August 2 and 4, respectively. 

Though the contestants come as teams representing their respective countries, they will compete as individuals. Ranking will be according to the number of golds that they win in the two exams.

The contestants, along with their team leaders and observers, will arrive starting July 30. All of the contenders will be formally introduced on August 1 during the opening ceremonies at the SMX Convention Center in New Clark City, Pampanga.

Aside from the exams, the contenders will also have educational, cultural, and social exposures that will enrich their 1st INSO experience in the Philippines. 

INSO co-organizers include the DOST, Department of Education, DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines, and the Philippine Nuclear Science Foundation.

Partnering with INSO as sponsors are Meralco, Valar Atomics, Aboitiz, ISI E-Beam, ALVTechnologies, GNPower Ltd. Co, and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.

The hosting of the 1st INSO is likewise supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency via IAEA TC Project RAS/0/091"Supporting Nuclear Science and Technology Education at the Secondary and Tertiary Level." 

More information on the INSO are available at https://insofirst.ph/ and the social media sites of DOST-PNRI. #PHirstINSO #PanaloSaINSO  (Publicity and Media Working Team, First INSO).