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.
We're proud as punch - Angela Sharples wins the Prime Minister's Science Teachers Prize
Angela is chairperson of New Zealand International Biology Olympiad (NZIBO), which provides a year-long training and selection programme for gifted and talented biology students from throughout New Zealand. In the past six years, 1,473 students have participated, 354 taught by Angela and her team online and 102 in 10-day residential training camps. New Zealand will host the International Biology Olympiad in July 2014 and, as chairperson, Angela will be at the forefront of raising $2 million to run the event which involves 65 countries. Read the full story here.
New Zealand teams brings home gold
The New Zealand team of Benjamin Bai, Richard Chou, Vicky Tai and Jack Zhou are returning home from Taiwan, bringing with them a hat trick of medals won at the prestigious 22nd International Biology Olympiad. This competition pits the top four young biologists from 59 countries against each other, in an intense round of practical assessments and theory examinations.
A Bronze medal was won by Richard Chou and a Silver medal by Benjamin Bai. Jack Zhou won a Gold medal. New Zealand is now ranked 21st in the world, New Zealand’s highest ever world ranking at the Biology Olympiad and our first Gold. It is an outstanding achievement for these young biologists. It was a fitting reward for their diligence, dedication and sheer hard work over the last year. Team Leader, Dr Angela Sharples said, "We should all be proud of the achievement of this New Zealand team. They have proved themselves to be amongst the world's best."
Read the announcement on the Royal Society of New Zealand website. The Story that ran in the Auckland Eastern Courier. The Story from Times Online.
Budding Biologists are going for Gold
A story from Auckland's Eastern Courier...
Studying hard has paid off for Benjamin Bai and Richard Chou. The Macleans College students jet off to Taiwan to represent New Zealand at the 22nd International Biology Olympiad in July. They will be part of a team of four New Zealand students at the competition. The pair took part in a gruelling eight-day training and selection camp before being chosen for the team. "We took the entrance exam to get into the tutorials last year," Benjamin says. "There was another selection exam to get into the camp, another two exams at the camp and finally the best were chosen to be on the team." Read the full story here......
University of Waikato to host IBO 2014
The University of Waikato has signed a Memorandum of Agreement which will see the University host the 2014 25th International Biology Olympiad, exposing the University to hundreds of international students and their support groups, over a period of a week. This prestigious international competition is fiercely contested by around 300 top senior secondary school biology students from nearly 60 countries. The talented contestant sit both practical and theory examinations of a standard that would challenge many first-year undergraduates Read the full story here.
NZIBO NZ representative wins scholarship to Princeton
Life is about to change for 18-year-old Jack Zhou. He's been awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious university in the United States worth US$164,000. Jack lives in Bucklands Beach and went to Macleans Primary, Bucklands Beach Intermediate, Macleans College and for the past two years Auckland International College in central Auckland where he is head boy . Read more here... Jack achieved a bronze medal for New Zealand at the IBO in 2010 held in South Korea. Jack will again represent New Zealand in Taiwan in 2011. Fingers crossed...
Gearing up for an Olympiad
I’ll be off to Taipei in 3 weeks’ time (a little less, actually – eeek!) to attend the 22nd International Biology Olympiad. I’m going as an observer with the New Zealand IBO team, in order to get a first-hand look at how the competition is run, because - - in 2014 we’ll be hosting the 25th IBO competitions, right here at the University of Waikato! This is a brilliant opportunity to showcase the University, Hamilton City, the wider Waikato region & indeed New Zealand to the global education sector. Teams from around 60 countries will be here, and it’s not just the students – they’re accompanied by adult team leaders, academics, in many cases there’s a media presence from the home country as well. Read the full story here.
Science skill leads to London
Hermaleigh Townsley, a student who attended the 2011 NZIBO Training Camp, is one of the beneficiaries of a Royal Society of New Zealand programme to help our top young science minds.
The Palmerston North Girls' High School student is one of two young women who have been selected by the Royal Society of New Zealand to attend the London International Youth Science Forum in July.
Read the full story here.
Thoughts from a student who participated in NZIBO 2011
The NZIBO programme has been a life changing experience. The tutorial programme required self management and internal motivation as it is an academic challenge well beyond the secondary school curricula. At first I found myself frantically trying to submit the tutorial an hour before the deadline but, as I progressed through the course, I learned to plan ahead and work consistently. The programme was an extra commitment at first, and then it became a pastime, a hobby that I enjoyed doing.
The selection camp was amazing. Meeting with best of the best biology students, I got to experience what it feels like to ‘talk Biology’. Spending a week together, we found ourselves quizzing and discussing different aspects of biology, complementing each other’s knowledge. It wasn’t embarrassing if you didn’t know something, as long as you were willing to learn. I really liked how we were all encouraged to do our best and support each other in a competitive yet friendly environment.
The practical sessions challenged us academically, teaching us not only the lab techniques but also patience and perseverance. The camp taught us to think laterally and not to panic when faced with new challenging situations, which are certainly a large part of the IBO.
I’m proud to have made the decision to participate in the NZIBO and I would encourage anyone else with interest in biology as a future career to have a go.
Harry Yoon
(Hamilton Boys’ High School)
NZIBO 2012
Now's the time to start thinking about the team to represent New Zealand at the 2012 International Biology Olympiad in Singapore 15-22 July 2012. Important dates for the diary are:
| Registrations close for the national entrance exam | 9 August 2011 |
| National entrance examination | Wednesday 17 August 2011 |
| Tutorial programme begins | Monday 3 October 2011 |
| Camp Selection Exam | Wednesday 22 February 2012 |
| Practical Training Camp | April 2012 |
| 2012 IBO in Singapore | 15 to 22 July 2012 |
We encourage you to register for the national entrance exam. See here.
International Biology Olympiad
More on the IBO can be found here.
Archived material from 2011.
Can be found here.
