| The International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) is the latest of the great scientific olympics. It offers high-school students from all around the world the possibility of participating in a competition in a different country every year. About 30 countries took part in the last edition of IESO in Japan.
France has participated in this event for the past four years with a certain amount of success, with many students winning medals.
In 2017, the IESO will take place in France for the first time in the technopole of Sophia- Antipolis, under the watchful eyes and responsibility of the “ Université Côte d’Azur ”.
The IESO typically lasts for about a week. Each country sends a maximum of four student participants, accompanied by two mentors. Guest students and observers may also form part of the national team.
Outer space, atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere… The Olympiad programme highlights the cross-curricular dimensions of geoscience, mainly in English. The candidates participate in a written test in every focus area of the programme as well as in several practical tests.
A last activity brings candidates of different nationalities together for team fieldwork, followed by an oral presentation of their findings.
The IESO is the perfect opportunity for young people to discover the culture of the host country. With this in mind, the agenda includes trips to cultural or natural sites of interest, and festive events. The participants would also get a flavour of their peers’ cultures.
The spirit of this competition is to promote discussion and exchange to find collective solutions to the planet’s problems. |