WATCH: Kurdish students win bronze at international science competition in Qatar
The students competed on behalf of Kurdistan, and when they went on stage to collect their medals, they were all draped in the Kurdistan flag.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A group of students from a college in the Kurdistan Region recently took part in an international science competition in Qatar, where they finished in third place.
Three students from ISHIK College in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province participated in the 16th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) – Qatar 2019 in Doha, which took place from Dec. 3 to 12.
The group of students, all under 15, managed to finish third and collect bronze medals on behalf of Kurdistan.

Although the students were officially representing Iraq at the competition, they competed under the name of Kurdistan, and when they went on stage to collect their medals, they were all draped in the Kurdistan flag.
Over 300 students, aged 15 and younger, from 50 countries around the globe participated in this year’s Science Olympiad to test their knowledge and skills in physics, biology, and chemistry.
The IJSO competition consists of two separate theoretical exams, followed by a practical test. All the tests are completed together by the group.
According to the organization’s website, the purpose of the science competition is “to introduce the students, at a young age, to an international network of beta enthusiasts,” while also promoting “the pursuit of excellence in scientific endeavor.”
Germany will organize the competition in 2020.
Editing by John J. Catherine
(Additional reporting by Masoud Mohammad)