WHAT IS NEO?
NEO is an education and knowledge movement to mainstream earth and environmental science education in Bangladesh. NEO aims to educate, inspire, and nurture future scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to generate necessary knowledge and provide thought leadership for a more just, fair and sustainable Bangladesh and world.
Who is eligible
All school/college students enrolled in classes 8 to 12 and private candidates of equivalent levels are eligible to participate. If anyone appears on the HSC exam/ A level but is not admitted into University, he/she can also participate in NEO.
THEME
Reimagining Our Ecological Future: Eliminating Pollution for a Thriving Planet
The Bengal deltaic ecosystem used to be one of the rich biodiversity hotspots of the globe. It is the home to famous poets and writers who have described the enchanted beauty of this place in numerous poems and novels. Even emperor Aurangzeb described Bengal as the ‘Abde Jannat’, the Nations of Paradise in all its gazette. Even during the 1970s, the capital city Dhaka was serene and surrounded by marshlands, forests, and mighty rivers. The social metabolism of this place, the way the society produced materials and goods to fulfill its physical, cultural and communitarian needs, was localised entirely. Society had a complex network of ecologically sustainable production system that helped reproduce human life and the rich biodiversity—the strong bonding of humans with nature defined Bangladeshi’s lifestyle in the past.
Why you should participate
- Learn about local and global environmental challenges
- Develop your leadership skills and lead actions in your community and beyond
- Become a part of the nationwide network of 2000+ NEO Alumni
- Opportunity to represent Bangladesh in the International Earth Science Olympiad 2024
The Journey
PRELIMINARY ROUND
April 3 – May 1, 2024
You must answer 12 MCQs correctly out of a set of 20 MCQs to pass this round. You may retake this exam as many times as needed until May 1st, 2024
DIVISIONAL ROUND
May 3, 2024
The online exam will be around one hour long, consisting of approximately 40-50 MCQs.
GREEN DAY TRAINING (GDT)
May 7 – 14, 2024
A workshop designed to introduce the participants to inter-connected environmental concerns and debates instils motivation to become problem solvers.
NATIONAL ROUND
May 20, 2024
Divisional toppers will sit for the National Round. Top 30 participants will be selected for the Bangladesh National Team Selection Exam. National round to take place online.
Bangladesh National Team Selection Exam
June 7, 2024
Top 30 from the National Round will participate in this exam. 4 toppers will go through a rigorous training camp for participating in the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO).
17th International Earth Science Olympiad
August 8 – 16, 2024
The top 8 will have the opportunity to represent Bangladesh in the 17th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) in China.
Study Resources
To do well in NEO, we highly recommend participants read all the materials provided in the resource sections.
FAQs
School/college students enrolled in classes 8 to 12 or private candidates of equivalent levels are eligible to participate in NEO. If anyone appears on the HSC exam but is not admitted into University, he/she can participate in NEO. However, in case of the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), their rules and regulations state that previous medal winners at the IESO cannot participate again and to compete for medals at IESO, you must be under the age of 19 by 01 July of the year of the IESO.
Yes, they can participate. During registration, SSC/HSC candidates who haven’t enrolled in their subsequent institute (college/university) can use the name of the institute (school/college) where they graduated from most recently. For O/A Level Private Candidates, you have to use the name of your examination body or curriculum in the place of institute name (such as: British Council, Edexcel Private Candidate, etc)
The questions for the 1st round are mostly based on the basic earth science knowledge and natural phenomena that we encounter in Bangladesh, and some critical thinking questions relating to the theme of NEO from the respective year; while the national round dives deep into the fundamental understanding of Earth Science. For beginners, the book “High School Earth Science”, or class 9-10 level geography textbook by NCTB could be a handy resource for primary review, but there are other books too that we recommend. Please follow the Syllabus and Preparation Guideline sections thoroughly to understand how to prepare accordingly.
The question will be in English as well as Bengali.
After making through the divisional round, toppers from each division participate in the Green Day Training (GDT). GDT is a specially designed workshop to impart understanding of interconnected environmental issues through interactive games, puzzles, simulations, etc. It also helps young citizens develop their leadership skills and instill motivation to act on tackling the local and global environmental issues. It’s a day-long training which will be held in person, in all 8 divisions of Bangladesh. The overarching goal of the GDT is to create a nationwide network of empowered young citizens who will act as a catalyst to bring about positive socio-economic and environmental change.
IESO is the International Earth Science Olympiad, an annual competition for secondary school students (not older than 19 years during the contest). The students have to test their skills in all major areas of Earth sciences, including geology, meteorology, hydrology, planetary science and environmental sciences. The official language of IESO is English; however, supervisors may translate the written examinations and related materials into the participants’ native language. Selected national winners from NEO get a chance to train for and after a further selection, the top 4 to 8 students get to participate in the IESO.
25-30 toppers of each division will get the opportunity to participate in GDT. Those who successfully complete the GDT, are recognised as a NEO Alumni and receive a certificate of completion. Top 30 winners in the national round also get another certificate.
There is an IESO team selection process right after the national round, which includes a series of theoretical tests, and a few group assessment activities (online or offline). Prior to the assessments, students go through a few discussion/study sessions, mostly online.
The Organizer
Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI) is set up to educate, empower and inspire the Bangladeshi youth to take action for a prosperous and just Bangladesh. We believe that a new generation of planetary stewards with consciousness, capacity and motivation to act can transform the vision of a more just, fair and sustainable Bangladesh into a reality.
Associate Partner
Media Partner
Strategic and Knowledge Partner
Department of Geology, University of Dhaka
Independent University, Bangladesh
