Around 170 elite geography students and 80 education practitioners from 43 countries/regions gathered at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) from 30 July to 5 August 2019 for the 16th International Geography Olympiad (iGeo), the first-ever geography competition held in Hong Kong.
Organised by the Department of Social Sciences at EdUHK and Hong Kong Geographical Association, iGeo was held in Hong Kong for the first time with the theme of “Discovering a vibrant city for our smart future”. The annual event intends to arouse interest in geography and environmental studies among young people around the world.
At the opening ceremony on 31 July 2019, Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of EdUHK, addressed the audience and said that: “Equipping students with geography-related knowledge, such as climate change, natural hazards, globalisation and international cooperation, will enable the development of a smarter future as these skills and competencies can drive progress and innovation in the teaching profession and different sectors of the society.”
During the Olympiad, the participants strived to demonstrate their best knowledge as well as mapping, inquiry and graphicacy skills in a component test which consisted of a field trip, a written assignment and a multimedia test on earthquake, desertification, agricultural and climate change issues.
In addition to the field trip, a series of activities, including poster presentations on smart cities and sustainable development, cultural exchange programmes, excursions to Ap Chau and Lai Chi Wo in Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, and a Victoria Harbour tour, were organised for participants.