The University of La Laguna hosted a new edition of the regional phase of the Chemistry Olympiad

The University of La Laguna hosted yesterday, Thursday, March 5, a new edition of the Canary Islands regional phase of the Chemistry Olympiad, an initiative organized by the Canary Islands Territorial Section of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) The event brought together 88 second-year high school students from schools in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife, accompanied by 37 teachers. Its aim is to stimulate interest in this scientific discipline among secondary school students, promote future careers, and connect them with the university environment and research activity in chemistry.

The day began in the Blas Cabrera Felipe Auditorium of the Faculty of Sciences with a welcome address by the president of the Canary Islands Territorial Section of the RSEQ, the professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of La Laguna Javier Hernández Borges, and the vice dean of the Chemistry Section, the professor of Physical Chemistry Elena Pastor Tejera, who gave a brief presentation of what the day of the Olympiad would be like, as well as the Degree in Chemistry and the academic and scientific activity that takes place in the faculty.

Following this welcome and the traditional group photo, the Chemistry Department hosted the Olympiad exam, which lasted two hours. After the exam, the students shared lunch in the cafeteria and then participated in guided tours in small groups through different areas of the Chemistry Department, with the aim of familiarizing them with the university's teaching and research facilities.

The day concluded with a certificate of participation ceremony held once again in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Sciences. Those in attendance included the Vice-Rector for Students of the University of La Laguna, María Rosario Hernández Borges; the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, María del Mar Afonso Álvarez; the Secretary of the Official College of Chemists of the Canary Islands, Christian Martín González; and the President of the Canary Islands Territorial Section of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemists (RSEQ). They all congratulated the students on their efforts and for representing their schools in this academic competition.

This year's edition included schools from all four islands. From Fuerteventura, the participating schools were IES Corralejo and IES Gran Tarajal.

For Gran Canaria, Atlantic School, Arenas Atlántico School, Arenas Sur School, Brains International School, Heidelberg School, Hispano Inglés School, Cairasco de Figueroa High School, Tafira-Nelson Mandela High School, José Frugoni Pérez High School, Pérez Galdós High School, Las Palmas Polytechnic High School, Santa Brígida High School, Santa Lucía High School, Santiago Santana Díaz High School, Támara High School and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Salesian School of Las Palmas.

For Lanzarote, the IES Costa Teguise and the IES Tinajo.

And for Tenerife, Colegio Escuelas Pías Tenerife, Colegio Hispano Inglés, Colegio Luther King La Laguna, Colegio Luther King Sur, Colegio Pureza de María Santa Cruz, Colegio Virgen del Mar, Hogar Escuela María Auxiliadora-Salesianas Tenerife, IES Alcalde Bernabé Rodríguez, IES Anaga, IES Andrés Bello, IES Canarias Cabrera Pinto, IES El Sobradillo, IES Mencey Acaymo, IES Montaña de Guaza, IES San Matías, IES Viera y Clavijo and Lycée Français de Tenerife.

The Olympiad has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, the University of La Laguna, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Official College of Chemists of the Canary Islands and the Association of Chemists and Chemical Engineers of the Canary Islands.