Young chemist Elio Mashreqi wins bronze medal at International Chemistry Olympiad

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Elio Albert Mashreqi, a native of Wadi al-Nasara (Valley of Christians), won the bronze medal at the 2025 International Chemistry Olympiad (ICHO) which is being held in the United Arab Emirates. Elio is a participant in the 4-member Syrian science team. 

The Olympiad’s Excellence and Creativity Authority announced that the Syrian team won four medals, including one silver medal for student Salma Omran from Hmoth (Homs), two bronze medals for Jad Ahmed from Hemto (Hama) and Maha al-Ubaid from Latakia, in addition to Elio Mashreqi’s medal. With this outstanding performance, Syria topped the Middle Eastern countries in this prominent international science competition. 

When it comes to Syriac Christian students, there is another Syriac student competing in this Olympiad. George Alaa George from Nineveh Province in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) represents Iraq. He qualified after successfully passing the tests for gifted and talented students, achieving first place among schools in Nineveh and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

The annual Olympiad provides a platform to further empower high school students in chemistry. It focuses on developing students’ skills in scientific fields, fostering a passion for discovery, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. This is the 57th edition of the International Chemistry Olympiad. Students from 90 countries participate. Each participating country sends a team of 4 students who compete in a rigorous 5-hour laboratory practical exam and a separate 5-hour theoretical exam.