Day 1.

The International Olympiad on Climate Change and Environmental Issues (IOCE) united participants from 11 countries from all over the world: Russia, Belarus, Djibouti, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, India, Qatar, Costa Rica, Tajikistan. One-of-a-kind intellectual competition was developed by top experts of the International Research Сenter for Ecology and Climate Сhange at Sirius University and the partners. This Olympiad has no equivalent in the world.

The Olympiad includes two rounds: a theoretical round and a practical round. The tasks address current environmental and climate change issues — this is exactly what scientific groups around the world are working on right now. This year, IOCE hosts the Festival of Projects where young researchers present their research findings in the field of environmental conservation. Delegations have prepared their projects in advance in a poster format. Participation in the Festival does not affect the results of the Olympiad. It is a platform to share and exchange ideas.

Today the participants received the Olympiad’s starter pack on Campus of the Educational Center Sirius. Students also had the opportunity to meet each other. Abdulrahman Abujbara is for the first time in Sirius. He believes that raising awareness on environmental issues among the younger generation can help improve the planet Earth.

"People have to realise the importance of ecology and nature because without eco-health we won’t be able to live our full lives. Surrounded by water, Qatar always strives to research the ocean and improve its ecological condition in every possible way, especially when it comes to plastic pollution. Although ecology is not my main specialization, it’s important for me to find ways of how we can improve the world. This is why I came to Sirius for the Environmental Olympiad. I believe that people will notice our projects and we’ll learn a lot" — says Abdulrahman Abujbara.

As for Hassan Mohammed Said from Djibouti, it’s his second time in Sirius. In the Open International Biology Olympiad (OIBO), which also took place in the Federal Territory, his team won the project round curated by the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve. Right now the student is planning on developing his expertise in environmental safety and winning the gold medal in the Olympiad.

“Issues of climate security and the impact of climate change are of particular interest to me. It's no secret that our planet is facing global warming, and in the next 50 years significant changes may appear. Reducing these risks and developing an integrated approach are the tasks that climate professionals have to face. I believe that the International Olympiad on Climate Change and Environmental Issues in Sirius will significantly contribute to the specialists' education in this area. There has been a significant development in software engineering in Djibouti. Most of our team members are computer specialists, so in the future we plan to implement a program on artificial intelligence to control the renewable energy system in our country”, — Hassan Mohammed Said says.