Quezon city: Taiwanese high school students have achieved commendable success at the 2025 International Biology Olympiad held in Quezon City, Philippines, by securing one gold and three silver medals. All four members of the Taiwanese team were recognized with awards for their performances.

According to Focus Taiwan, the awards were announced during a ceremony on Saturday evening. Chen Chun-ying from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School won a gold medal. Lin Po-chen from the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University and Hung Tzu-chin from Taipei First Girls High School both earned silver medals. Kuo Che-yu, also from Chien Kuo High School, received a silver medal but was not present at the award ceremony.

Chen attributed his success to the techniques taught by his teachers and his rigorous practice with past exam papers, which helped him tackle the competition’s challenging theoretical and practical tests. Lin shared that his experience in the Philippines was positive and reminiscent of Taiwan, in terms of culture and the friendliness of the people. Hung expressed that she gained valuable knowledge from the competition and is committed to continuing her efforts.

The participants who achieve gold, silver, or bronze at international Olympiads are rewarded with cash prizes of NT$200,000 (US$6,776), NT$100,000, and NT$50,000, respectively. These students also qualify for direct admission to related university programs or can be recommended for other fields of study.

The 36th International Biology Olympiad took place from July 20-27, with participation from over 300 students representing nearly 80 countries and regions, as reported by the organizers.