About 40 countries participate each year. At the 12^th IBO in 2001 held in Brussel, Belgium, Singapore surprised the international community with a debut of 2 Golds and 2 Silvers coming in 3^rd in overall rank. In the 13^th IBO 2002, held in Latvia, Singapore repeated its impressive achievement with another 2 Golds and 2 Silvers and again became the top 4 countries.

Last year is the third time Singapore sent its team of Pre-U 2 students. The students came from various junior colleges, selected through a grueling series of tests‚ multi-choice questions and practical laboratory sessions, covering all areas and topics in Biology (set at University 1^st year level). The Singapore Institute of Biology, together with the Ministry of Education, organized the local Singapore Biology Olympiad to sieve out the best biology students and train them further for the IBO. The top 5 students were given intensive trainings by the academic staff from the National Institute of Education (Natural Sciences Division) and the National University of Singapore (Dept of Biological Sciences).

The 14^th International Biology Olympiad was held at Minsk, Belarus, Singapore was expected to do well again and we did!

International Biology Olympiad 2003

The Singapore Institute of Biology, with support from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore; and Ministry of Education, sent a team of pre-university students to represent Singapore in the 14th International Biology Olympiad held in Minsk, Belarus, 8-16 July 2003. . Dr Beverly Goh, one of the team leaders from SIBiol, and the four participants (as a group) share with us their experience and feelings on the IBO in the two articles from the SIBiol Bulletin, Oct 2003 issue.

Read all about it - SIBiol Bulletin (Oct 2003 issue)




Article in The New Paper, 15 Oct 2003
Final results (with breakdown)
Training session (31 May 2003) Photos
International Biology Olympiad