IBO (INTERNATIONAL BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD)

1 What is the IBO?
1. Introduction
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is a competition for secondary school
students. Their skills in tackling biological problems, and dealing with biological
experiments are tested. Interest in biology, inventiveness, creativity and perseverance
are necessary.
Every member country sends four students, who are the winners of the respective
national competitions. They are to be accompanied by two team leaders as
representatives of each country.
2. Aims of the IBO
In bringing together gifted students, the IBO tries to challenge and stimulate these
students to expand their talents and to promote their career as a scientist, so biology
talents do not get lost. The Olympiad also is focusing on biology as a beautiful and
valuable subject. Many biological topics like ethology and ecology stress the
importance of biology for society, especially items such as nature preservation and/or
environmental protection.
The Olympiad offers the opportunity to compare the syllabuses and educational trends
in biology in different countries. This is useful information to improve biology education
on a national level.
Many institutions are involved in the organization of the national Olympiad: ministry of
education, industry, teachers' associations, universities, schools.
Contacts between these institutions will lead to a better understanding and
communication about their respective activities in the field of biology.
3. History
The first international biological competition between Czechoslovakia and Poland from
1985 to 1989 provided ground for the future IBO proper.
Positive experience during international Olympiads in other natural sciences and
mathematics led to the idea of starting an international biology Olympiad. So UNESCO
asked the former Czechoslovakia to take the initiative.
Six interested countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic
Republic, Poland and the Soviet Union) founded the IBO in 1989 (Prague and Brno)
and participated in the first IBO, which was held in Olomouc in July 1990.
Notwithstanding some initial difficulties, this Olympiad was a great success and it was
decided to continue with the IBO. In subsequent Olympiads the number of participating
countries increased rapidly.