Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From December 5 to 7 at Novosibirsk State University (NSU) The 17th Novosibirsk Tournament of Young Chemists was heldTwenty-three teams from our region participated in the tournament selection, with the top 15 teams from Novosibirsk, Berdsk, Krasnoobsk, and Chany receiving invitations to the in-person stage of the tournament.
The tournament format consists of a series of battles pitting three or four teams against each other. One team presents a problem they've been working on for the past three months. The second and third teams take on the roles of opponent and reviewer, evaluating the completeness of the solution, its feasibility, and the presenter's ability to convey their idea to the audience.
This year, the tournament jury included two doctors and seven candidates of science, research fellows from six research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and postgraduate students from Novosibirsk State University.
Elena Stolyarova, the tournament team coordinator, noted that some teams participate in the tournament annually from grades 8 and 9 until graduation, and the organizers have the opportunity to observe the development of their scientific combat skills, which is especially gratifying.
"This year, the tournament's teams are noticeably younger, with many 8th- and 9th-grade students capable of representing their schools with distinction. When participants can pleasantly surprise the judges at such a young age, it's thrilling for us as the organizers to imagine the pleasure we'll get from watching these young people's tournament careers in the coming years," commented Elena Stolyarova.
The tournament included four scientific battles, which determined the top three teams and recognized outstanding players.
The four teams that advanced to the tournament finals presented their best solutions. The "Pyrotechnics" team from MAOU "Gymnasium No. 1" chose to present a "Catalytically Perfect Problem" about the enzyme catalase, found in food products, at the finals. The team placed third. Specialized Scientific Center of Novosibirsk State University "Vivere est cogitare" (We Live Together) was a challenge to create our own liquid polarity scale. The "THF" team from the Gornostay Educational Center took second place in the team rankings, presenting a challenge discussing the influence of various laboratory glassware parameters on reactions.
The winner of the tournament was the team "Carborundum" from MBOU Lyceum No. 130 with the task of dyeing natural materials for clothing in Paleolithic conditions.
The best speakers were Alexandra Shchitova, Azar Neopolus-Kim (Carborundum, MBOU Lyceum No. 130) and Maryam Baiguzina (Charoit, MAOU OTs Gornostay).
The best opponents were Valeriy Lisitsa (Karborundum, MBOU Lyceum No. 130), Nikolay Kravchenko (Vivere est cogitare, SUNC NSU), Alisa Gornshteyn and Mikhail Semchenko (Pyrotechnics, MAOU Gymnasium No. 1).
The best reviewers are Nikolai Kravchenko (Vivere est cogitare, SUNC NSU), Viktor Bukhgeim (Karborundum, MBOU Lyceum No. 130) and Valeriy Lisitsa (Karborundum, MBOU Lyceum No. 130).
Following a long-standing tradition, special nominations were also given to players who distinguished themselves with resourcefulness or funny scientific statements during the game.
Five students from grades 8-10, among the best players of the tournament, received an invitation to the Summer School of the Specialized Scientific Center of NSU.
Speaking about the educational significance of the tournament, Elena Stolyarova noted:
The tournament reveals chemistry to participants as a science that cannot be grasped using books alone. The tournament forces students to formulate hypotheses, conduct experiments, evaluate their results, and defend them to an audience as deeply immersed in the subject matter as the presenter. An important aspect of learning at the tournament is receiving informed and appropriate criticism, which participants must learn to accept, understand, and use for their own scientific and personal growth.
The winners and runners-up (the top three teams) of the Novosibirsk Young Chemists' Tournament are invited to the final round of the All-Russian School Chemistry Tournament (VKhTSh), which will be held in March 2026 at NSU and will bring together the best teams from across Russia. All VKhTSh participants will receive additional points for admission to NSU.
The tournament was held with the support of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, the Institute of Chemical Solid State Mechanics SB RAS, the Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, and the companies OOO TD GraSS and OOO NCGI. The tournament organizing committee expresses its gratitude for their assistance in holding the event to the State Autonomous Institution of Additional Education of the Novosibirsk Region "OCRTDIU", Novosibirsk State University, and especially Faculty of Natural Sciences And Specialized Educational and Scientific Center (SESC) of NSU.
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