Welcome
We hope you will find this site informative, up to date, relevant, and that it will answer all your questions regarding the NZIBO and its activities. If you have any questions please contact the appropriate committee member, as listed on the NZIBO Committee Page.
The function of this front page is to highlight up coming initiatives, bring to your attention things of which we are proud and to generally provide a snapshot of activities that have or are about to take place. It is our intention to update this front page regularly.
New Zealand team makes us proud
The 2010 IBO was held in Korea 12-17 July. 59 countries competed. New Zealand walked away with two silver and two bronze medals - our best result in the five years that we have been competing. Our top student ranked 31st in the world out of a field of over 200 students.
The teachers who accompanied the group were bursting with pride at the award ceremony!
From left to right: Jack Zhou of the Auckland International College was awarded a bronze medal; Geoffrey Hoggins, a Kings’ College student, received a silver; Yuanye Xu of Westlake Boys’ High School in Auckland walked away with a bronze medal and Susan Sun of Christchurch’s Burnside College received a bronze. The press release from the NZ Herald can be read here.
Registration for the 2011 NZIBO Round
Registrations for the 2011 NZIBO round have closed. Registrations for the 2012 round of the NZIBO will open around April 2011
NZIBO Training Camp 2010
For nine days the top 19 biology students in the country vied for one of four spots on a team to represent New Zealand at the International Biology Olympiad to be held in Busan, Korea, in July 2010.
The students honed their skills and their technical knowledge in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. Besides a jam-packed lab programme including state of the art molecular techniques, dissections and microscopy, they visited Zealandia, the Wellington Zoo and were taken back of house at Te Papa. They also tasted some of the many social activities Wellington has to offer.
Geoffrey Hoggins, a Kings’ College student, Susan Sun of Christchurch’s Burnside College, Yuanye Xu of Westlake Boys’ High School in Auckland and Jack Zhou of the Auckland International College have been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2010 event.
(above - Dr Dave Burton of Victoria University of Wellington demonstrating the dissection of a dogfish to Tom Prebble of Kings' College).
Feedback from those attending the 2010 Camp
We always try to make each Camp better than the previous one and this year asked those who attended the training camp to complete a short survey (anonymous of course!). We thought we'd share some of the comments with you:
Learnt so much; an invaluable experience.
Life-changing. Cannot be appreciative enough of all those who helped run the camp, especially to the organizers and Victoria University. Gave me insight into life in univeristy, and also provided opportunity to meet best biologists of my age around the country. Definitely the best learning experience ever by far. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for an amazing time. Even though I didnt make the team it was an experience I will never forget and I will definitely take the skills I gained at camp further. The olympiad has really reignited my passion for biology :)
I really thought that the camp was amazing. The labs really was a first for me with some of the equipment and was a great insight into uni. The people were amazing, and the things some of the students knew absolutely blew me away. And above all they were all really nice people to spend the 9 days with which really made it an enjoyable time. The lectures were also very interesting, and i was thoroughly entertained (and educated) by them, especially the one on animal developement.
Where are they now?
The following students have been associated with the NZIBO and gone on to bigger and brighter things.
Peter Ting (Palmerston North Boys' High School, Training Camp 2009) has been selected to attend the 2009 London international Youth Science Forum. Peter is one of two New Zealand student joining 300 like-minded students from 60 countries. The forum will explore future developments in the sciences, with lectures, seminars and debates led by scientists and experts, plus scientific visits, which will include Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Presentation on the NZIBO
Dr Heather Meikle, Secretary of NZIBO, recently gave a presentation on the NZIBO at a Teachers' Workshop held at Massey University, Palmerston North. This presentation can be viewed here.
NZIBO 2011
Now's the time to start thinking about the team to represent New Zealand at the 2011 International Biology Olympiad in Taipei 10-17 July 2011. Important dates for the diary are:
| Registrations close for the national entrance exam | 26 July 2010 |
| National entrance examination | Wednesday 4 August 2010 |
| Tutorial programme begins | Monday 11 October 2010 |
| Camp Selection Exam | Wednesday 23 February 2011 |
| Practical Training Camp | April 2011 |
| 2011 IBO in Chinese Taipei | 10 to 17 July 2011 |
We encourage you to register for the national entrance exam. See here.
International Biology Olympiad
More on the IBO can be found here.
