EdUHK to host 16th International Geography Olympiad in 2019

06 Aug 2018

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) will host the 16th International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) on 30 July 2019 (next year). In preparation for Hong Kong’s first-ever iGeo, a delegation of EdUHK geography experts attended the 15th iGeo in Quebec City this year from 31 July to 6 August as observers.

The four-member delegation, including Dr Alice Chow Sin-yin and Dr Lewis Cheung Ting-on from the Department of Social Sciences, and Dr Irene Cheng Nga-yee and Dr Lincoln Fok from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies, were invited to join iGeo in Quebec City. During the seven-day visit, the delegation observed the operation of the international event and reported on the progress of the 2019 preparations to the International Task Force. They also participated in the opening ceremony, poster sessions, titled “Appreciating Landscapes”, and a gold medal presentation ceremony, held in the Quebec City Convention Centre.

Welcoming the opportunity to host the event, Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice-President (Academic) of EdUHK and also the Co-chair of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee, said, “Hong Kong is a colourful, advanced city surrounded by unique landscapes. Here you have incredible skyscrapers co-existing in harmony with the sea, islands, verdant hills, extraordinary biodiversity, and fascinating geological landscapes, which contribute to our natural and cultural heritage. As an education-focused, research-strong, multi-disciplinary university, we feel privileged to host the 2019 iGeo and introduce the beauty of Hong Kong’s dynamic environment to many of the best geography students in the world.”

iGeo is an annual competition for the best 16 to 19 year old geography students from all over the world. The theme of the Hong Kong event in 2019 is “Discovering a vibrant city for our smart future”. Each participating region will send four high school geography students to compete in iGeo, following their local selection competitions. This year, at the 15th iGeo, held in Quebec City, four students from Belilios Public School, Sing Yin Secondary School, St. Paul's Secondary School and Wa Ying College participated in the contest.

Gold, silver and bronze medal awardees are selected after the participants compete in a written test, a multimedia test and an outdoor fieldwork test, requiring the skills of observation, cartographic representation and geographical analysis to solve problems.

“This is a great occasion for talented geography students and teachers from different continents to gather and interact with our local geography community. We plan to open some sessions to local students and teachers to share the excitement and exchange good practices in geography education”, said Dr Alice Chow, another Co-chair of the event’s Local Organising Committee and Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at EdUHK.

Established in 1996, iGeo is one of the most prestigious geography competitions in the world, held under the auspices of the International Geographical Union (IGU), through the IGU Olympiad Task Force. In recent years, the event has been to Quebec City, Canada (2018), Belgrade, Serbia (2017), Beijing, China (2016), Tver, Russia (2015), and Kraków, Poland (2014). Hong Kong has participated in the international competition since 2010, with the support from Hong Kong Geographical Association.

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EdUHK’s Vice President (Academic) and also the Co-chair of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee Professor John Lee Chi-kin (fourth to the left), and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Professor Woo Chi-keung (third to the left), pose for a photo with the expert team. From the left: Dr Alice Chow Sin-yin, Co-chair of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee; Dr Lewis Cheung Ting-on, member of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee; Dr Lincoln Fok, member of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee; Dr Irene Cheng Nga-yee, member of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee and Dr Gwendolyn Wong, member of the 16th iGeo Local Organising Committee.

This year, at the 15th iGeo, held in Quebec City, four students from Belilios Public School, Sing Yin Secondary School, St. Paul’s Secondary School and Wa Ying College participate in the contest.

In preparation for Hong Kong’s first-ever iGeo, a delegation of EdUHK geography experts attend the 15th iGeo in Quebec City this year from 31 July to 6 August as observers.