Baku, Azerbaijan, July 21
Trend:
The solemn opening ceremony of the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad has been held at the Heydar Aliyev Center.
The event started with introducing the teams participating at the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad. Then, the participants of the event watched a video footage dedicated to the Olympiad.
Nargiz Pashayeva, rector of Baku branch of Moscow State University named after Mikhail Lomonosov, Doctor of Philology, professor, corresponding member of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, president of the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad, welcomed the participants, scholars and guests. to the grandiose event.
"I am glad and proud of being the president of this important and exciting event," she said. "The youth - participants of the Olympiad that are present here - are the main source of my joy and pride."
"Dear children, in accordance with the terms of the Olympiad, you will have a contest, real competitions and of course, hours and moments full of excitement," said Pashayeva. "I have no doubt that you are the youth who already have the knowledge of chemistry and are ready for a healthy competition and real tests."
"Dear friends, be sure that during the period of staying in our country, Azerbaijan, Baku, our university will turn into your home for a while," said Nargiz Pashayeva. "I hope that each moment of staying with us, you will feel hospitality, humanity, goodwill of this home."
The president of the Olympiad said that the organizers also spared no effort to ensure impartial, grandiose holding of the competition and to provide the right place with relevant conditions.
"Your wishes, hopes and demands are inseparable from our wishes, hopes and demands," said Pashayeva. "You, the future scholars of chemistry, should always bear in mind the courage to learn, discover, as well as passion and burning desire to invent," said Pashayeva, adding that this desire, flame and this aspiration should never weaken or fade.
"Humanity has always sought, tried and will try to learn, to explain the existing world, the nature, the universe step by step and stage by stage," said Nargiz Pashayeva.
She added that successful future depends on people with pure heart and bright mind - the army of scientists.
"Do not doubt that the issues that are currently a mystery for science are waiting for you," she said.
"Dear friends, today we all understand that our planet is not so big. That's why we have chosen the motto of the Baku Olympiad - 'Life as a huge chemistry laboratory'," she said.
"The major part of this laboratory consists of the living nature which has created us and gave us life," said Pashayeva. "Protecting the nature means protecting the beauty, saving the beauty means protecting the truth, protecting the truth means saving the spirituality and saving the spirituality means protecting the humanity."
"You should bear these values. Because, without these values, the knowledge could be meaningless and science could be limited and helpless, and sometimes dangerous," she said.
Pashayeva added that a generous, kind, broad, humane heart and a brave, bright and talented mind - is the ideal.
"As Goethe said, science belongs to all people and it has no nationality. Today, 75 teams representing 75 countries are present in this hall," said Pashayeva. "Members of each team are different inwardly and outwardly, they speak different languages and represent various traditions."
"At the same time, the indispensable factor which today brought us together and made us a team is apparent," she said. "Namely this factor turns us into the citizens of one common country, a state without borders."
"This country is science, education and culture. It is an indestructible state. Its flag is light, that's to say, the Sun, its anthem - singing of birds, nightingales and its sign is the life itself and existence," said the president of the Olympiad.
"I once again welcome you with love in my heart, wish the young participants success, interesting moments, good mood, zeal, patience and inner confidence!" said Pashayeva and declared the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad open.
Addressing the event, Duckhwan Lee, chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Chemistry Olympiad, professor at Sogang University (South Korea) welcomed the participants of the Olympiad in the Land of Fire - Azerbaijan.
Duckhwan Lee expressed deepest gratitude to the Baku branch of Moscow State University and to Professor Nargiz Pashayeva, rector of the University, president of the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad.
Furthermore he said that perfectly normal tasks will be given to the participants in the competition.
First of all, the participants of the Olympiad need to pay attention to the fair competition, he said. "Competition is an essential and unavoidable part of our life."
"You make progress in your own life through competitions. Chemistry also makes progresses through competitions," he added.
Azerbaijan is a wonderful country, Lee said.
"It is in fact, here in Azerbaijan where modern oil industries started more than a hundred years ago."
"It was here in Baku, I was told, where the first pipe lines for crude oil were constructed," said Duckhwan Lee. "In a sense, you cannot find a better place than Baku for Chemistry Olympiad."
Around 300 young chemists, 250 observers and heads of groups from almost 80 countries, Azerbaijani state and government officials, diplomats, well-known scientists and intellectuals attended the opening ceremony of the Olympiad organized by the Baku branch of Moscow State University named after Mikhail Lomonosov.
At the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad, which will last till July 29, the schoolchildren will test their theoretical and practical knowledge in the Baku branch of Moscow State University.
This university, which has recently strengthened its scientific and educational base, possesses chemical laboratories provided with the latest equipment. Currently, the chemical faculty of the Baku branch of Moscow State University is one of the leading educational centers in the country in this sphere.
The decision to hold the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad in Azerbaijan, Baku branch of Moscow State University was made by the International Jury of the 44th International Chemistry Olympiad, which was held in 2012 in Washington. At the closing ceremony of the 46th International Chemistry Olympiad in the capital of Vietnam - Hanoi in 2014, the Chemistry Olympiad flag was handed over to the organizer of the 47th Olympiad - Baku branch of Moscow State University. Azerbaijan is the second country in the CIS after Russia to host the International Chemistry Olympiad.
Azerbaijan's team participating in the 47th Olympiad includes Dilgam Ahmadli, graduate of Istek Lyceum in 2015; Sergey Stepin, graduate of the Lyceum named after academician Zarifa Aliyeva; Huseyn Babayev, who finished the 10th grade of the Istek Lyceum in 2015; and Ruslan Mammadov, who finished the 10th grade of the classical grammar school No. 160.
The team is led by Mehman Bunyadov, researcher of the Organic Chemistry Laboratory of Qafqaz University, who won a bronze medal at the 41st International Chemistry Olympiad in 2009 in the UK.
The 47th Chemistry Olympiad is held with the support of Azerbaijani Education Ministry, Ministry of Youth and Sports, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Heydar Aliyev Center.
