The teams of the Ecology is Everyone's Business Award are participating in the Mendeleev Olympiad of Moscow State University for the first time.

The teams of the Rosprirodnadzor Children's and Youth Prize "Ecology is Everyone's Business" from Russia, Egypt, Jordan, and Thailand are participating for the first time in the International Mendeleev Olympiad of Schoolchildren in Chemistry, which began today in Moscow, said Svetlana Radionova, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources Management. The 60th Anniversary Mendeleev Olympiad of Moscow State University brought together about 200 of the best students from more than 35 countries and is conducted taking into account the principles of carbon neutrality, which will attract the attention of future chemists to the problems of environmental well-being.

The Mendeleev Olympiad of Schoolchildren in Chemistry, recognized by UNESCO, started in 1967. Since 2023, it has been held within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The winners of the competition receive the right to enter the best universities in Russia without exams. This year, the main events of the Olympiad are scheduled from April 16 to 22. Chemistry teams from more than 35 countries have arrived in Moscow, including Egypt, Jordan and Thailand, whose national teams were created by the ambassadors of the Ecology is Everyone's Business International Award.

On April 16, the opening ceremony of the 60th International Mendeleev Olympiad in Chemistry (MMO-60) took place at the Lomonosov Building of Moscow State University with the participation of Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Svetlana Radionova, Head of Rosprirodnadzor, Rector of Moscow State University, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Chemical Faculty of Moscow State University, member of the the jury of the International Prize "Ecology is everyone's business" by Stepan Kalmykov. One of the most difficult and reputable Olympiads in the world brought together about 200 of the strongest students.

"It is very important for us that the laureates and winners of the Ecology is Everyone's Business award from both Russia and other countries – Egypt, Jordan and Thailand — have become participants in the Olympiad and have the opportunity to make themselves known at such significant international venues. This year's Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad is an anniversary one, and congratulations on this event! It is very valuable that Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Stepan Kalmykov is a member of the jury of the award, and thus the Russian Academy of Sciences supports talented young people who want to make our planet cleaner and healthier. The Olympiad opens up scientific horizons for the students, but also gives them the strongest experience of communicating with the best representatives of the global chemical community. I am sure that this step will be the beginning of a great professional path for many of them," Radionova said.

The Russian team of the Rosprirodnadzor prize "Ecology is everyone's business" is out of the competition. However, all children will receive certificates confirming their participation in one of the most prestigious intellectual competitions in the world, and they will also be able to attend an innovative educational camp on Lake Baikal or one of the unique thematic educational shifts at the All-Russian children's centers. According to Svetlana Radionova, the award team consisted of four schoolchildren from different parts of the country. Andrey Savchenkov from Moscow is the winner of the special prize of the fifth season of the award in the "Generation of the Future" nomination. Andrey has developed a model of a device for capturing methane from the atmosphere in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Varvara Bobrysheva, a participant in the VI season of the award from Stavropol, presented a project to create manganese micro-fertilizer from recycled batteries using safe reagents. Daniil Dyakonov, also from Stavropol, is a participant in the sixth season of the award and the author of the development of an antiseptic ecogel based on aloe and silver nanoparticles with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. Zakhar Akolzin from the city of Svobodny, Amur Region— is a participant in the sixth season of the award, who proposed a cylindrical wind turbine project using the Magnus effect to increase energy generation efficiency.

The prize's ambassadors from Egypt, Jordan and Thailand, who have created national teams of their countries, will also compete at the Olympics. They are the authors of projects on water purification, environmental education, and resource reuse.

As Svetlana Radionova noted, the participation of the winners and laureates of the Ecology is Everyone's Business Award in the Mendeleev Olympiad is an opportunity to see the scale of modern science, feel the atmosphere of serious intellectual competition and strengthen interest in research. The Rosprirodnadzor International Award forms a new generation of young leaders interested in science, ecology and the development of intercultural cooperation, unites talented youth from all over the world. It should be recalled that all regions of Russia and over 105 countries participate in the project. Thanks to the support of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Chemical Faculty of Moscow State University, students can reach their potential. For the participants of the Rosprirodnadzor Award teams from different countries, the Mendeleev Olympiad will become not only an important event, but also a symbol that environmental initiative, science and education are going side by side today and creating new opportunities for international cooperation. During the cultural program, the participants of the Olympiad will visit the scientific laboratories of Moscow State University and meet with Russian scientists and cosmonauts.

The International Rosprirodnadzor Award "Ecology is Everyone's Business" has been in existence for five years. The project brings together active and caring children, youth and adults from all over the world who are involved in the environmental agenda and offer ideas, developments, initiatives in the field of sustainable development and environmental conservation.