During four intense days in July, around twenty upper secondary school students from all over the Nordic region came to Chalmers to participate in the Nordic Chemistry Olympiad 2025 – a competition where chemistry, collaboration and curiosity took the center stage.
Photographer: Hanna Magnusson
"It's not about a 100-meter race in titration, but about how well the assignments are performed. To be fast is not the most important thing here, it is to be thorough," says Ulf Jäglid, co-organizer, teacher and Assistant Head of Department, undergraduate education.
The competition consisted of both practical and theoretical tests that are at a level corresponding to the first year at university. Four people in each team from the five Nordic countries competed. The teams have been selected in national rounds, the top four in the final round will move on to the Nordic competition and then to the international competition.
The Chemistry Olympiad is more than a competition. Participants also get a chance to meet like-minded people, make contacts and get inspiration for the future. To strengthen the sense of community, they got to discover Gothenburg together, with visits to Liseberg and Universeum, joint dinners and finally a medal ceremony.
The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers has been involved in the training camp that precedes the competition for many years. Inviting people to the training camp and this year's hosting of the Nordic competition is part of a long-term effort to inspire the next generation of students in chemistry and chemical engineering.
The international competition started in the late 1960s. At thar time, seventeen countries participated, today around ninety countries are part of the competition.
“In some countries, the International Chemistry Olympiad is a prestige competition. A medal can mean a scholarship to a fine university abroad or getting into the education you have applied for. Here in the Nordic countries, it does not work like that," explains Ulf Jäglid.
For the Swedish team, the competition at Chalmers ended well. There were medals for all: Sigrid Hall took bronze, Ludwig Gustafsson silver, Lilly Gustavsson silver and Alexander Kovacsovic's Ledin silver.
Now, the international final competition awaits in Dubai, which will be held directly after the Nordic! The international competition will last for two weeks, so there will be a lot of chemistry for a long time for the participants.
Good luck to all participants and mentors!
- Associate Professor, Energy and Materials, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering