The Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (IChemC) held a felicitation ceremony on 6th October 2026 at its Malabe campus to recognize students who represented the country at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) and the International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO) in 2025 and 2026.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Guest Professor Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology, and Guest of Honour Mr. Rajitha Kariyawasam, Managing Director of Haycarb PLC, along with representatives from the Council, academia, industry, the Chemistry Olympiad Sri Lanka (COSL) Committee, mentors, teachers, parents and students.
Sri Lanka achieved four bronze medals at the 58th IChO held in Uzbekistan in 2026, with all four team members receiving medals. Three Sri Lankan students also won bronze medals at the IMChO 2026 in Russia, following the country’s first bronze medal at the competition in 2025. The ceremony also recognized Sri Lankan medal winners from the 2025 IChO held in Dubai.
In her welcome address, Professor Emeritus Chandani Perera, President of IChemC, congratulated the students and acknowledged the contributions of the Olympiad committee and mentors. Minister Professor Chrishantha Abeysena highlighted the importance of chemistry in addressing national and global challenges and emphasized the Government’s vision of advancing science, technology and innovation.
Professor Ireshika De Silva, Chairperson of the COSL Committee, highlighted the achievements and challenges of the programme and called for greater recognition of international Olympiad winners, suitable higher-education opportunities and continued support from government, industry and well-wishers.
In his presentation, “Chemistry: From the Classroom to Changing the World,” Mr. Rajitha Kariyawasam demonstrated how chemistry can transform natural resources, including coconut shells, into valuable materials and technologies. He encouraged students to remain curious and pursue new ideas, highlighting Sri Lanka’s potential for scientific innovation.
Organized by IChemC through the COSL Committee, the National Chemistry Olympiad has been conducted annually since 2017. Students selected through a competitive process receive intensive theoretical and practical training before representing Sri Lanka internationally. Since the country’s first participation in the IChO in 2020, Sri Lankan teams have won one silver medal, 25 bronze medals and three Honourable Mentions across the IChO and IMChO.
The preliminary selection examination for the 2027 National Chemistry Olympiad is scheduled for January 2027, with applications expected to open in November 2026.