Nichita Țurea, a graduate of the «Vasile Alecsandri» Theoretical Lyceum in Ungheni, was one of the four students who represented the Republic of Moldova at the International Biology Olympiad — the world’s leading biology competition for high-school students. The 37th edition was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, and ended on 19 July.
Moldova’s team came back with three distinctions. The bronze medals went to Delia Sidlețchi, from the «Mircea Eliade» Theoretical Lyceum in Chișinău, and to Cătălin Gorincioi, from the «Spiru Haret» Theoretical Lyceum in Chișinău, while the honourable mention went to Gabriel Diug, from the «Aristotel» Republican Lyceum in Chișinău. The fourth member of the team was Nichita Țurea, the only one from outside the capital.
According to the Ministry of Education and Research, this year’s edition drew 305 students from 79 countries. Moldova’s team was led by Mihai Leșanu, an associate professor at Moldova State University, and by Constantin Babuc, himself a former international olympian, now a medical student.
For Nichita Țurea, the Vilnius olympiad comes at the end of a year in which his name appeared several times on the town’s list of achievements. In June he was among the six graduates from Ungheni with a Baccalaureate average of 10 — four of them from «Vasile Alecsandri». At the graduation ball he was awarded in the «Academic Performance» category, for his results at the national olympiads.
In biology, his progress has been steady. According to data published by the lyceum, he took place II at the national stage in 2024, 2025 and 2026, place III in 2023 and a mention at a subject contest in Romania. This year’s result earned him selection to the national team for the international olympiad.
The «Vasile Alecsandri» Theoretical Lyceum is the oldest institution of its kind in Ungheni district and, according to the 2025 ANACEC ranking, the only one outside Chișinău to reach the country’s top ten. Around 620 students study there. A place on a national team of four, at an international olympiad, is an achievement few schools outside the capital reach.
Moldova’s olympic team is formed in three stages. The biology olympiad starts in schools, passes through the district stage and reaches the national round, hosted at Moldova State University; the winners then enter the selection for the team that goes to the international olympiad, coordinated by the National Agency for Curriculum and Assessment. The Republic of Moldova takes part in this competition every year and has gathered bronze and silver medals over time. One of the team’s current leaders, Constantin Babuc, was himself awarded at past editions, before crossing over to the other side, that of the coaches.
With the Baccalaureate passed and the Vilnius olympiad behind him, Nichita Țurea thus ends his high-school years at «Vasile Alecsandri» — at the close of a journey he carried, step by step, from the national stage to the team that represented Moldova before 79 countries.
The Republic of Moldova team’s result, the composition of the team and the names of the winners are those reported by the Ministry of Education and Research (together with the National Agency for Curriculum and Assessment) and confirmed, independently, by the state agency MOLDPRES. The official period of the competition — 12–19 July 2026 — is the one published by the organisers, on the website of the Vilnius edition. The number of participants (305 students from 79 countries) is the one reported by the ministry; the organisers’ official statistics had not been published at the time of writing. Nichita Țurea’s record at the biology olympiads is the one published by the «Vasile Alecsandri» Theoretical Lyceum. His 2026 Baccalaureate results and the award at the graduation ball were documented earlier by Triunghi.md, based on the official lists of the Ministry of Education.