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Organization of Japan Biology Olympiad Committee (JBO)

Established in 2005.

Website: http://www.jbo-info.jp, http://www.jbo-info.jp/default-e.html

Olympiad promotion: Letter of invitation to all schools and responsible office of each prefecture. Web page and other media are also mobilized for the promotion together with open seminars for local students and school teachers.

JBO is basically composed of two committees related to each other; one is Organizing Committee (chaired by Dr. Makoto Asashima) based on academic societies of biology in Japan, and the other is Steering Committee (chaired by Dr. Sadao Yasugi). Steering Committee has several functional divisions; 1) general affairs 2) public relations 3) international affairs, 4) conducting primary examination 5) performing secondary examination 6) selecting IBO delegates. Members of Steering Committee are mainly university faculty members and high school teachers related to biology. Secretarial office resides in Japan Science Foundation (JSF).
Address of JSF; 2-1, Kitanomaru-Koen, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0091 Japan.

National Competition and Selection of IBO Delegate: JBO holds national competition of biology for high school students. Selection of the IBO delegates is made through this national competition. Students at age under 20 before entering high educational institution or specified course can join this national competition. Student with any nationality but resident in Japan can challenge this competition as well. However, language used in the examination is Japanese.
Primary selection, composed of about 30 theoretical examinations with alternative choices, covering the standard curriculum of Japanese high schools and considering advanced IBO examination, is performed to high school students.

Study Aids for Selected Students: The delegate students are supported by faculties at nearby universities through e-mail or by visiting their laboratories. Special training for them is carried out with hands on practice and lectures by a project team of JBO.

Study materials: A project team of JBO prepares the special textbooks for the secondary selection and the special training. JBO also recommends Japanese edition of “Campbell’s Biology” as a reference.

Awarding of students, prizes: After primary selection, top 5% and 10% students are awarded a certificate from JBO. Admission offices of several Japanese universities treat this certificate as a preferential criterion.

Media coverage: The IBO competition and selection of Japanese delegates are well exposed on both nation-wide and local media.

Financial support/resources: Grants from Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) support JBO activities including primary, secondary and final examination for delegates selections, students training, travel of a delegation team to the site of IBO, etc. MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology of Japan) is the main funding body of JST.

Donation: Private persons and companies donate to JBO. It is used for items, which can not be covered by the governmental support.

National competition: Students of grades 7 to 12, and students under age 20, who are not enrolled in the higher educational institution, are eligible to participate in the national biology competition, which serves as primary selection for the IBO competition in part.

Selection procedure for the IBO competition: Students are able to enter primary selection (theoretical question) by ordinary mail, or from the web site, and they can choose one of nearby examination locations in Japan.
At the primary selection (theoretical examinations), top 80 students are selected. Secondary selection (practical examinations) is performed for the students. At the secondary selection, top 15 students, who will fit for the coming international competition, are selected. Finally, top 4 students are chosen as the delegates for IBO based on their scores of a theoretical and essay examination.

School year: From April to March

Biology hours/week: Typically 4 hours at maximum, and 0 hours in minimum.

Statistics over the years: In 2004, 399 students participated in the primary selection, and two Bronze Medals were awarded in IBO 2005. These numbers have been increased since the first year of Japanese participation as shown below.

National committee : The president of JBO is Dr. Makoto Asashima, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo.
Terms of membership of the steering committee and the organizing committee are not specified in this charter.

IBO coordinator: Dr. Ryoichi Matsuda
Professor, Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan. Phone# +81-3-5454-6637, Fax# +81-3-5454-4306, e-mail; cmatsuda@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Secretary: Mr. Tsutomu Ueki
Science, Technology and Education Department, The Japan Science Foundation,
2-1, Kitanomaru-Koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0091 Japan.
Phone# +81-3-3212-8487, Fax# +81-3-3212-0014, Email; ueki@jsf.or.jp

The 20th International Biology Olympiad 2009 held in Tsukuba, Japan

• Link to IBO2009 Tsukuba Web Page