The students, members of the Serbian team, achieved a very notable success at the 55th International Chemistry Olympiad, which was held on 16-25 July in Zurich, Switzerland. Uroš Poleksić, a 4th-grade student at the Mathematics High School in Belgrade, won a silver medal, Janko Popović, a 2nd-grade student at the Mathematics High School in Belgrade, and Dunja Vuković, a 4th-grade student at the “Jovan Jovanović Zmaj” High School in Novi Sad, won bronze medals , and Dušan Đurđević, a 3rd-grade student at the Gymnasium in Ćuprija, won a certificate of commendation. 348 competitors from 89 countries took part in the Olympics.
Mentors of the Serbian team were full professor of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Belgrade, Dušan Sladić, and full professor of the Faculty of Science, University of Niš, Niko Radulović. The students prepared for the competition, organized by the Serbian Chemical Society, at the Faculty of Chemistry in Belgrade and at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics in Niš, and the participation of the team in the Olympics was supported by the Oil Industry of Serbia, within the “Energy of Knowledge” program, and the Ministry of Education. During the preparations, Vidak Raičević and Filip Koldžić, medalists at the previous Olympics, made a significant contribution.
The tradition of our team’s success continues, so that since 2012, since Serbia has participated in this most important competition for high school students in chemistry, a total of 40 medals (1 gold, 13 silver and 26 bronze) have been won, as well as 4 commendations.