Dumitru Calugaru, 12th grade pupil at Tudor Vladimirescu National College of Targu Jiu 
Photo credit: (c) Angelo BREZOIANU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

“The gold medals went to Dumitru Calugaru (perfect score), a 12th grader of the Tudor Vladimirescu National College of Targu Jiu, and to Andrei Iliescu, an 11th grader of the Bucharest International High School of Computer Sciences. Both won gold in the previous edition as well. The silver medals went to: Paul Haidu-Gerea (10th grader of the Mircea cel Batran National College of Constanta), Cristian Robert Raclea (11th grader of the Vasile Alecsandri National College of Galati) and to Silvestru-Alexandru Big (12th grader of the Alexandru cel Bun National College of Gura Humorului); the bronze medal went to 12th grader Tiberiu Alexandru Pana of the Mihai Viteazu National College of Ploiesti,” according to a press release of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research.

The competition consisted of three examinations, five hours in all, including two theory tests and an experimental/practical test, all of which had a very high difficulty level.

The first theory test comprised eight mandatory items, while the second involved solving a problem — chosen from a set of three — for each of the five sections included: physical chemistry, life sciences, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and analytical chemistry.

Competing in this edition of the D. Mendeleev International Chemistry Olympiad were 95 students from 15 countries. AGERPRES