KARACHI, July 1: The week-long fourth national chemistry talent contest for the higher secondary school and A-level students concluded on Sunday at the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, the University of Karachi.

Fifty-five students from different educational institutions of the country participated in the national contest organised by the Stem Career, a project of Higher Education Commission, in collaboration with the National Core Group in Chemistry and the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, the University of Karachi.

The national contest comprised written tests, chemistry quiz, practical, lectures, visits and movie show.

The results of the contest would be announced soon and four successful candidates would be selected to contest for the International Chemistry Olympiad to be held in July 2008.

Speaking at the concluding session of the contest, ICCBS Acting Director Prof (Dr) M. Iqbal Chaudhary said the country’s economy could not grow without having progress in chemical sciences.

“The West has obtained significant economical progress only due to science and technology and chemical sciences. The industrial revolution is the best example in this regard that can be considered as the chemistry revolution,” he said.

He said, “Our youth are great wealth of the nation while our teachers have great liability of seeking the best ways for their bright future.”

He applauded the efforts of Dr Khalid M. Khan and Dr Muhammad Sahiq Ali in organising such activities for the students at the national level.

Dr Khalid M. Khan, the secretary of chemistry contest organising committee, said out of 800 students 55 qualified for the national contest after going through various tests. He said the students were required to score more than 90 per cent marks in the subject to participate in the contest.

He said the results of the contest would be announced soon and four successful candidates would be selected to contest for the International Chemistry Olympiad to be held in July 2008.

According to him, four candidates have already been selected for the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad to be held in Moscow this month. They are: Shaina Khan (Lahore Grammar School, Defence) and Shehzad Iqbal (Aitchison College, Lahore), Aneeta Pabani (Karachi Grammar School) and Hamza Khan (Islamia College Peshawar).

Tracing the history of the chemistry contest, he said it was the continuation of national physics contest that was first held in 1995 under the aegis of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences.—PPI