Between August 20–24, 2025, the University of Bucharest is hosting the 8th edition of the International Chemistry Tournament (IChTo), a team-based international competition for highschool students.
The opening ceremony took place on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in the “Ioan Mihăilescu” Amphitheater of the University’s Rectorate, marking the beginning of several days dedicated to chemistry and scientific debates starting from problems with open solutions.
This year’s edition gathers 10 teams, made up of 54 students from Europe, Asia, and North America. Romania is represented by three teams: d2sp3, National College Sfântul Sava, and Veritas Chimica.
The tournament is organized by the University of Bucharest, together with academic and institutional partners, and with the support of a scientific committee made up of university faculty and researchers, including Assoc. Prof. Mihaela Matache, Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Iulia David, and Lect. Codruța Popescu, all members of the Faculty of Chemistry at UB.
This year’s edition is coordinated by Professor Marius Andruh, Vice President of the Romanian Academy, who, in his message published on the competition’s webpage, emphasized the importance of curiosity and creativity in the scientific journey of young researchers:
“The new format, proposed by the Chemistry Tournament, is particularly interesting and inspiring, since it is focused on the creativity of the participants. Curiosity and creativity are two important qualities of a researcher that pave the way to disruptive innovation. Who knows, maybe some realistic and spectacular solutions for the challenging problems of this edition will be given for the first time by you. Beyond the answers to the topics discussed, students will have the opportunity to develop their communication and teamwork skills and learn to defend their own ideas.”
The ceremony, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Mihaela Matache, opened with remarks from Prof. Virgil Băran, Director of the Council for Doctoral Studies and of SciResCareer, who underlined the lasting impact of the IChTo experience on students’ development:
“I wish you the best of luck and hope you truly enjoy these days. I know many of you are nervous, but I can assure you that the IChTo experience will stay with you for a long time, in both mind and heart. It’s moments like these that shape the scientists of tomorrow.”
He also stressed the role of interdisciplinarity and of learning through research:
“Today, the line between learning and research is harder than ever to draw. The natural way forward is to learn by doing research.”
Next, Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Iulia David, faculty member at the University’s Faculty of Chemistry, encouraged participants to follow their passion, remain curious, and turn this experience into an opportunity for knowledge.
The final speaker was Ștefan Dimitriu, a student at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Bucharest and former IChTo participant. A medalist at numerous national and international Olympiads and contests, he explained what makes the tournament unique: its debate-based format with open-ended solutions.
“Success at IChTo comes down to teamwork, supporting one another, and communicating effectively” Ștefan Dimitriu told the students.
What is IChTo?
The International Chemistry Tournament (IChTo) is a team competition for high school students, with a format based on scientific debates starting from problems with open solutions. Having a novel approach in education, as compared to classical Olympiads, the accent is on both scientific and soft skills. As a result, creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, and public speaking are very important to succeed in this contest.
This year’s edition is organized by UB in collaboration with InformART Association, the “Costin D. Nenițescu” Institute of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, SciResCareer, UNESCO – TRISSE.
The full competition schedule, along with details about the events and participating teams, can be found on the official IChTo 2025 website.
SECŢIUNE ACCESIBILIZATĂ PENTRU PERSOANELE CU DIZABILITĂŢI DE VEDERE
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