Teams to Represent Latvia at European Olympiad of Experimental Science Selected
Out of 12 finalists, six secondary school pupils were selected at Rīga Stradiņs University (RSU) to represent Latvia at the European Olympiad of Experimental Science (EOES). The Olympiad is held in a different European country each year, and this time the event will take place in Latvia. The aim of EOES is to stimulate students’ interest in research in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics.
Latvia will be represented by two teams of pupils from Jelgava Pārlielupe Primary School, Mārupe Primary School, Riga Secondary School No 49, Riga State Gymnasium No 1, and RTU Engineering Secondary School.
In the final round of the selection process, participants tackled tasks set in the previous international Olympiad. One of the tasks involved solving a murder by creating a model of the body’s post-mortem cooling curve, analysing pollen found at the crime scene, and chemical elements found in the victim's blood. The second task was related to identifying water sampling sites by investigating the salinity and the microbiological and chemical contamination of the water. The third task involved determining the chemical and physical properties of amber and analysing the invertebrates found in amber samples.
All participants demonstrated excellent cooperation and laboratory skills, however the following pupils performed the best and will be included into two teams to represent Latvia: Pāvels Baks (Jelgava Pārlielupe Primary School), Matīss Cīrulis (Mārupe Primary School), Grieta Čipāne-Kipāne (Riga Secondary School No 49), Kristaps Lopatko, Arnolds Pīrāgs (both from Riga State Gymnasium No 1), and Edvards Meržvinskis (RTU Engineering Secondary School).
‘The complex laboratory work that had to be done in the last round of selection tested not only the pupils’ ability to work in a team by analysing the results and supporting teammates, but also their skills – text literacy, the ability to follow instructions, and others. These tasks were challenging, but also very interesting and exciting,’
explained Ilze Izabella Dindune, the Latvian team’s biology mentor, lecturer at RSU, and lecturer and teacher at Mārupe State Gymnasium.
The European Olympiad of Experimental Science is a team-based science competition for 15–17-year-olds. This year, teams from 24 European countries will take part. EOES is financially supported by SAF Tehnika, Light Guide Optics International, Riga City Council, Printify, PATA, LPB Bank, Hansa Matrix, Schneider Electrics.
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