Day 2.

The 2nd International Olympiad on Climate Change and Environmental Issues (IOCE) kicked off today in Sirius. The grand opening ceremony took place as part of the International Scientific Conference on Ecology and Climate Change. The young researchers were welcomed by Elena Shmeleva, Chair of the Council of the federal territory Sirius and head of the Talent and Success Educational Foundation. She noted that Sirius had been created to unite young talents in the quest for answers to global challenges and to achieve the national development goals set by Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of which is environmental well-being.
The broadcast recording can be viewed here.

This year, the IOCE introduced an important new feature alongside the traditional team presentations: for the first time, the event hosted a Project Festival. Young researchers from around the world presented environmental protection developments they had been working on in their home countries. The teenagers briefly presented the results of their work in a poster session format.

The delegation from Costa Rica presented a project on using carbon quantum dots — nanomaterials that can be derived from various natural sources, including banana peels to purify water from heavy metals.

"Ecology is something we encounter every day. In Costa Rica, a country rich in biodiversity, it is very important to protect nature from negative impacts. Our project aims to find efficient ways to clean water bodies. One promising material for this could be carbon quantum dots from banana peels. These nanomaterials can be obtained through special processing: drying banana peel into a powder. The IOCE in Sirius is a great opportunity not only to gain new knowledge but also to exchange experiences with participants from different countries. Our country is on another continent, in the subequatorial climate zone, and has a unique ecosystem. We are sure we can share interesting ideas with other delegations," says Jimena Brenes Esquivel, a participant from Costa Rica.

Mahdi Bin Ferdaus came to Sirius from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. He dreams of becoming a robotics engineer and, after his studies, an entrepreneur — the founder of a company specializing in implementing robotics technologies to address the problem of climate change.

"Studying ecology is fundamental to understand our interaction with the environment. Climate change affects our country particularly severely, and we understand how important it is to have the knowledge and skills to solve both national and international environmental problems. Bangladesh faces serious environmental challenges and is one of the most polluted countries in the world. However, I am convinced that integrating advanced technologies can help overcome these difficulties. The experience of participating in the Olympiad in Sirius contributes to finding effective solutions in the field of ecology. I have participated in many international competitions, but the hospitality I encountered in Russia has incredibly impressed me," says the participant from Bangladesh.

In the afternoon, one of the most vibrant events of the Olympiad took place — the creative team presentations. The delegations performed with interesting presentations about their countries. Before the performances began, a short quiz had been organized for the participants: they had been told three facts about a country and had had to guess which team was about to present. The event allowed everyone to get to know each other better and learn more about the culture, nature, and traditions of different countries.