Dear Leaders and Observers,
On behalf of the 48^th IPhO 2017 organizer and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) Republic of Indonesia, I would like to inform you that the venue for IPhO 2017 will be changed from Bali to Yogyakarta without changing the dates, which are still from 16^th to 24^th July 2017.

Some reasons for the venue change are as follows:

1.    The MoEC must organize 2 (two) international scientific events in 2017: first, the 48^th IPhO 2017 and second, the WSDC (World School Debating Championships) 2017 which will be held in Bali, only a week after IPhO 2017 and with less number of country delegates. The Ministry feels that it is quite hard to let both LoCs spend resources in the same place/venue if the IPhO 2017 must also be held in Bali. Finally, after considering some important circumtances such as avoiding the resource congestion and concentration, it is decided that the IPhO could be held in another part of Indonesia. Yogyakarta was then decided as the ideal venue for the 48^th IPhO 2017.

2.    On behalf on the Indonesian Government, our Minister wants to share his belief that Indonesia not only has Bali but also has many other nice places to visit. And Yogyakarta was also used to be the venue of the 2nd International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). So, Yogyakarta has some cultural attractions and experiences for such prestigious events, including the IPhO. Perhaps the youngsters will miss the beaches of Bali, but you will find that there is so much more to see in Yogyakarta as well, such as Borobudur and Prambanan Temples (UNESCO World Heritage Sites), Batik, Gamelan, Mt. Merapi (one of world?s most active volcanos and the most active volcano in Indonesia), and more.

3.   Among Indonesian people, especially the young generation, Yogyakarta is most well known as the leading and distinguished town in education to where many parents send their children to study in various schools and universities. Therefore we believe that Yogyakarta is the truly right choiceas the venue for the upcoming 48^th IPhO 2017. And the LoC is of course ready to organize the event in this town.

I hope this urgent notice is useful for you, especially for arranging the flights of your national delegation, from your home town to Yogyakarta, for attending and participating in the IPhO 2017. We will soon be updating all the required details on our official website located at https://ipho2017.id/ , so please do check it for more updated information. Thank you.

Best wishes and happy new year,

Prof. Dr. Kamsul Abraha
Chairman of the 48^th IPhO 2017