The 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) was recently held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

This year’s event brought together 302 contestants from 78 countries and regions, with an additional 4 countries and regions sending observer delegations. The Chinese team delivered an outstanding performance, winning the first place in the overall team standings, with all four contestants winning gold medals and sweeping the top three individual rankings. Notably, the gold medal team leader and key members of the coaching staff are from Beijing Normal University(BNU).

The Chinese delegation for this IBO was led by Professor Zhang Li from the College of Life Sciences at BNU, who served as team leader. The coaching team included several core members from the same college, including Professor Dong Lu, Professor Wang Youjun, and Associate Professor Zhang Bowen. Professor Liu Dong from Tsinghua University, Professor He Xinqiang from Peking University, and Dr. Wang Xiao from the China Zoological Society also participated in the coaching team, contributing to the overall support and logistics for the event.

IBO integrates theoretical written examinations with hands-on practical lab assessments, covering multiple sub-fields from basic biology to ecology. It comprehensively tests contestants' theoretical knowledge, experimental skills, data analysis, logical reasoning, and integrative application abilities. This year’s pre-competition training was jointly undertaken by Tsinghua University and BNU, providing targeted specialized training for the national team members. Focusing on four core competition modules—animal anatomy and systematics, animal physiology, plant computational biology, and molecular biology and biochemistry—the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Life Sciences and Technology Education meticulously organized a systematic training curriculum. The program incorporated local research characteristics of the host country to expand teaching content and fill gaps in the contestants' regional scientific background knowledge. To maximally replicate the real pressure of the competition, the team designed custom mock examination papers, fully simulated the official competition process, and conducted multiple rounds of phased assessments. From theoretical lectures, hands-on practice, and research expansion to stress management and psychological counseling under competition conditions, the training comprehensively honed the contestants' overall competitive abilities, laying a solid foundation for their steady performance during the actual event.

During the competition, the coaching team faced numerous challenges, including the broad scope of exam topics, the immense volume of test materials, and tight preparation timelines. Through effective division of labor and meticulous attention to detail, they completed all supporting tasks, helping contestants accurately interpret questions, maintain stable competitive form, and deliver excellent results.

Since China officially joined IBO, faculty members from BNU’s College of Life Sciences have been deeply involved in the national team selection and training for over 30 consecutive years. They have served as team leaders on seven occasions, cumulatively contributed more than 40 person-times as coaches and observers, and guided the team to over 50 gold medals, making significant contributions to nurturing top-tier talent in life sciences for China.