Welcome of the Italian Minister of Education

Dear students,

This year, the International Earth Science Olympiad – IESO 2011 – will be held in Italy. On behalf of the Italian Government, I would like to invite your country to participate in this important event.
It will be an honour to welcome you in the beautiful city of Modena from the 5th to the 14th of September 2011. Italy was the first European country to take part, with a full selected team, in the Taiwan games in 2009, and, now, it is the first to host the IESO in Europe.
Italy strongly believes in encouraging friendship among people from different countries, promoting international cooperation, exchanging ideas and materials on earth science and improving geoscience education in secondary schools.
IESO 2011 offers a unique opportunity to encourage students’ interest in a topic which affects our lives and our presence in the world as human beings. Respecting nature and our planet is a value that we wish to inspire in all participants.
2011 also marks Italy’s 150th unification anniversary. For this reason, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia together with the Ministry of Education are all the more proud to have the opportunity to organize the Olympiad this year.
Your country’s participation in this event would be highly appreciated. I look forward to seeing you in Modena where I am sure you will have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty, the culture and the traditions of our country.

Good luck!

Mariastella Gelmini
Ministro dell’Istruzione, dell’ Università e della Ricerca