On 19-21 November 2025, with the support of the Pugwash Committee of Kazakhstan under KazNANS, the “5th International Olympiad in Electrochemical Material Science” was held. The organizers and sponsors of the Olympiad were the Laboratory of Electrochemical Production Technologies (TEP) and the Department of Analytical and Colloid Chemistry and TRE of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Representatives of different countries took part in the organization of the Olympiad and also served as members of the jury:
- 1. PhD Fedor Malchik – Head of the “TEP” Laboratory, Al-Farabi KazNU, Kazakhstan.
2. Dr. Netanel Shpigel – Ariel University, Israel.
3. Prof. Ilie Hanzu – TU Graz, Austria.
4. Prof. Thierry Jenizian – Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, France.
5. Doctoral student Yaroslav Zhigalenok, Al-Farabi KazNU.
6. Doctoral student Saken Abdimomyn, Al-Farabi KazNU.
At the opening of the event, welcome addresses were given by Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Academician of the NAS RK, President of KAFU, Erezhep Mabetkaziyev, and Professor, Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, Director of the Institute for Nanomaterials.
The Olympiad was held in a practical online format: the participants carried out tasks in the laboratories of their universities and research institutes under the supervision of the jury via video streaming. Based on the results of three hours of work, the teams submitted reports in English, which were then thoroughly analysed and evaluated by the international jury.
Twelve teams representing thirteen universities from eight countries took part in the Olympiad.
- 1. “Energetic people”, INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Germany;
2. “Hotpot”, Helmholtz Institute Ulm, Germany;
3. “Sodiumites”, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan;
4. “Analytics NUUz”, National University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan;
5. “Chemfusion”, Navoiy State University, Uzbekistan;
6. “NUU's chemists”, National University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan;
7. “Alchemists”, National University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan;
8. “E0 Collective”, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Romania;
9. “Spark”, National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan;
10. “Crocodiles”, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan;
11. “AMEX”, KBTU, IFCE, Kazakhstan;
12. “Smart Materials”, East-Kazakhstan University named after S. Amanzholov, Kazakhstan.
The prize fund in the amount of 5000 EURO was formed with the support of sponsors and partners: Laboratory of Electrochemical Production Technologies, WTC Group, Labtex, ALEMTRADE COMPANY, Kazakh-American Free University, CIQTEK.
On 21 November 2025, the official awarding of the winners and a detailed review of the completed tasks took place. Based on the results of the jury’s work, the prizes were distributed as follows:
I. “Hotpot”, Helmholtz Institute Ulm, Germany;
II. “Crocodiles”, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan;
III. “Energetic people”, INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Germany.
The holding of such practice-oriented international Olympiads contributes to the development of young people’s competences in the field of electrochemistry and materials science, to the strengthening of international academic cooperation and to the promotion of Kazakhstan’s scientific potential on the world stage.
More than 50 people, including team members, took part in the event.
More detailed information is available on the website: https://farabi.university/news/100389?lang=en