Under the patronage of Mrs. Asma al-Assad, the final competitions of the Syrian Science Olympiad to select the winners for 2016-2017 season kicked off in Damascus on Sunday with the participation of students from all provinces.

The tests include two morning and evening rounds-each lasts for three hours of the competitions that include 417 students from all provinces.

The questions have been prepared by central scientific committees at the Syrian Scientific Olympiad. Names of winners will be announced on Monday.

The top ten students of each subject (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Informatics and Biology) will join the national team in order to be trained for representing Syria in the international Olympiad.

Head of the National Commission for the Syrian Science Olympiad Imad al-Azb underlined the high percentage of participation despite difficult circumstances across the Syrian territories, noting that it set evidence on the determination of Syrian students to take part in the Olympiad competitions and prove their ability to be creative and distinctive.

He said that this year’s questions are more challenging if compared to the last one, adding that the questions and their level of difficulty varied from one subject to another.

Al-Azb highly appreciated the cooperation between ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Communications and Technology, the Revolutionary Youth Union and other specialized educational institutions for providing all facilitations to make the Olympiad competitions a success, adding that the Syrian Science Olympiad has become a national project to spotlight the Syrian youth’s capabilities.

The commission will launch a new program within the next year’s competitions that includes cultural controversial discussions in English, added to the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics and sciences, Al-Azb added.

In turn, Head of the Revolutionary Youth Union Ma’an Aboud noted that the wide participation reflects the Syrian youth’s cultural and scientific awareness, adding that the results will have positive impact on the progress and prosperity of their homeland.

Some of the participant students said that the questions were comprehensive, accurate and allow students to explore different ways of thinking.

The names of winners will be announced on Monday during a special festivity at the Opera House (Dar al-Assad for Culture and Arts)and those who rank in the first three places in each subject will be crowned.

The top ten students of each subject (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Informatics and Biology) will join the national team in order to be trained for representing Syria in the international Olympiad.