The International History Bee and Bowl is in the process of planning the inaugural International History Olympiad which will take place at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA from 9 July-15 July 2015. An optional trip to visit cities and universities in the Northeast USA from Washington to Boston will then follow from 15-23 July. With IHBB competitions now active in over 20 countries around the world, the Olympiad will offer students with talents and interests in history a unique opportunity to meet and compete in a series of competitions over the course of a week. Planning for the Olympiad will be ongoing throughout 2014 and 2015. A dedicated website will debut online in the fall at www.historyolympiad.com; until then, basic information is available through a link on our global homepage.
Students in Asia can qualify for the 2015 International History Olympiad by finishing in the top half of the competition at any Regional tournament in either the History Bee or the History Bowl. The qualification is valid for two years, so any students who qualify for the Olympiad in the 2014-15 school year can attend in either 2015 or 2016 (when we anticipate it will be held in Hawaii). Students who qualified in the 2013-14 school year may attend the 2015 Olympiad. Students who are in their final year of secondary school studies in 2014, but qualify for the Olympiad may still attend even if they have commenced university studies.
The Olympiad will feature numerous events, both competitive and non-competitive. The competitive events will feature many buzzer quiz competitions in both the Bee and Bowl mode, but there will be other competitions as well (think historically-themed board games, computer games, historic simulations, a research competition, exams, and physical competitions). Non-competitive events will include lectures and seminars with distinguished historians, field trips, discussion groups, and more. It promises to be an incredible celebration of history, and we wish all students in Asia good luck in qualifying!