10:00, Sun 19th July 2009 at Corn Exchange
Summer Vacation

In the 40-year history of the Chemistry Olympiads 2009 will be the first time it is hosted by the UK. In the last few years the number of the participant countries has been continually growing, this year it has reached 67 participant and 3 observing countries.

Each participating country can nominee up to four students and two mentors. During the Olympiad the mentors and the students have to be separated until the exams have been taken. To make the students stay more comfortable the host country provides a guide to each team. This works out a group of 550-580.

The Opening Ceremony is traditionally held on the second day of the Olympiad (which will be this year the 19th July 2009). The event will take place in one of Cambridge most impressive venues in the Corn Exchange and will be followed with a reception in the Guildhall. In the previous years the Opening Ceremony was a fairly formal event when speeches and performances chopped and changed each other. The Ceremony has some essential parts such as the Opening speech and the introduction of the participating countries.

Usually it has been a long and boring event, but it’s time to change!

We would like to combine the funny and entertaining pantomime with the anniversary of the University and also with the tradition of the Olympiad.

Our suggestion is to have a “pantomime-style” Opening Ceremony. After the opening speech we would like to see a play which includes some of the traditionally UK performances but also the introduces of the countries.