Everything is in place for the 46th International Chemistry Olympiad (ICHO 2014), which will kick off in Hanoi on July 21 with the participation of 291 students from 75 countries and territories worldwide, and two observer states.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on July 20, Head of the ICHO 2014 organising board, Prof., Dr Bui Duy Cam from the University of Natural Sciences under the Hanoi National University, said that the organising board has completed all preparations for the contest, including the opening and closing ceremonies, rooms for examinations, and accommodations for teachers and students.

Regarding main activities of the competition, which will end on July 29, Cam stated that participants will sit practice and theoretical examinations on July 23 and July 25, respectively.

Besides the tests, participating students and mentors will also join exchange activities and visit a number of famous tourism sites in Vietnam such as Bai Dinh pagoda and Trang An tourism complex in northern Ninh Binh province, and Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) and the ancient Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi, he added.

Held annually since 1968, ICHO is one of the five contests for international high school students to show off their intellectual talents and make friends. The other four contests are in mathematics, physics, biology and information technology.

Vietnam has participated in the ICHO since 1997. Last year, all four students of the Vietnamese team won medals - one gold and three silvers - at the 45th ICHO held in Russia from July 15-23.-VNA