Students from Iran achieved success at the 22nd International Geography Olympiad (iGeo), which took place from August 11 to 17 in Istanbul, Turkey. They won one bronze medal and three honorable mentions.
The International Geography Olympiad is a leading academic competition for middle school students worldwide. It is held under the auspices of the International Geographical Union (IGU) and organized by the IGU Olympiad Commission. This year, over 180 participants from more than 50 countries took part in the competition.
Helia Khodabandelu received the bronze medal, while Setayesh Haknazari, Artina Heidari, and Sana Karbalaei earned international honorable diplomas.
The iGeo consists of three main components: the Written Test (40%), which covers analytical questions on physical, human, and regional geography; the Multimedia Test (20%), which includes interpreting maps, graphs, photographs, and data analysis; and the Practical Assignment (40%), which involves collecting and analyzing data in real-world conditions (this year in Istanbul venues).
Four students also participated in the OpenGeo 2026 International Geography Olympiad, where they won four medals for the first time, including one silver and three bronze. According to IRIB, Heidari won the silver medal, while Haknazari, Karbalaei Vali, and Khodabandelu received bronze medals.
These achievements demonstrated the comprehensive expertise of Iranian students in the field of geography. The goal of OpenGeo is to increase interest in geography among schoolchildren globally, develop geographical thinking, analytical, and practical skills in students and future geographers, and support international ties among young geographers.
Recent Successes
Iranian students also won medals and an honorable mention at the 9th International Economics Olympiad (IEO 2026), held from July 12 to 20 in Shenzhen, China, as well as at the 38th International Informatics Olympiad (IOI), which took place from August 9 to 16 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
At the IEO, which involved 270 students from 54 countries, Mobin Karimidisichekh won a silver medal. Additionally, he received an honorable mention and the 'Best in Finance' award, according to the Borna agency.
Mohammad-Hossein Rahiminejad, Alireza Atashi, and Ehsan Zolfaghari won bronze medals at the IEO. IEO is an annual competition for high school students worldwide in the fields of economics and finance, supported by Eric Maschin, a Nobel laureate in Economics in 2007.
Meanwhile, a total of 386 students from over 97 countries participated in the IOI. Hamed Ghaffari-Aghdas and Arash Ostadsharif-Memar received silver medals, and Mohammad Shayan received a bronze medal. Furthermore, Bahamin Shafaki received an honorable mention.
IOI is one of several international scientific olympiads held annually around the world. Outstanding high school students from different countries compete in this prestigious algorithmic contest to hone their informatics skills, such as problem analysis, algorithm and data structure development, programming, and testing.
Iranian students also triumphed at the third International Artificial Intelligence Competition (IOAI 2026), held from August 2 to 8 in Astana, Kazakhstan, winning one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. IOAI is an International Scientific Olympiad in AI for high school students aimed at inspiring youth worldwide with science, with a special focus on AI. The competition provides a platform for top AI students selected through national competitions to compete, exchange ideas, and build connections, fostering dialogue about the possibilities and ethical issues of AI among students and society. As reported by IRNA, Shayan Rezaeizadeh won the gold medal, while Mohammad-Reza Darvishi and Mohammad-Amin Nazmfar received silver medals, and Mani Monjipor received the bronze.
This year, over 120 teams, comprising more than 500 students from 103 countries and territories worldwide, participated in the competition, competing in tasks related to AI and Machine Learning (ML).
Iranian students showed outstanding results by winning three gold medals and one silver medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), as well as three silver and one bronze medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
The 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2026) took place from July 12 to 19 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event gathered participants from about 80 countries across five continents. According to IRIB, Radin Bayani, Mohammad-Reza Vaezi, and Amir-Hossein Nosrati won gold medals, while Amir-Hossein Hemmati received the silver medal.
The 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO 2026) was held from July 10 to 19 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. More than 350 students from 90 countries participated in the event. Ali Shamsi-Mofakhar, Mahyar Najjar, and Amir-Reza Hosseini won silver medals, and Ariyo Seirafi won the bronze.
A five-member team of Iranian students demonstrated a remarkable achievement by winning three gold medals and two silver medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). IPhO 2026, held from July 4 to 12 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, gathered over 400 students from more than 90 countries, according to Javanonline.ir.
The Iranian physics team achieved a stunning triumph at the 2026 International Science Olympiad in Physics, winning two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. According to IRNA, Hirbod Foudazi placed first among all participants, earning the title of absolute winner by achieving the best result in the theoretical exam, and also winning a gold medal and a national diamond.
Amir-Sam Goharpayeh won another gold medal; Kian Zarrabian and Mohammad Mirmohammadi received silver and bronze medals, respectively.
