Iranian students achieved a strong result at the third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026), winning one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. The competition was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from August 2 to 8, bringing together more than 400 participants representing over 100 countries.
The gold medal was won by Shayan Rezazadeh, while Mohammadreza Darvishi and Mohammadamin Nazamfar earned silver medals. Mani Monjipoor completed Iran's medal tally with a bronze medal. Their results demonstrate the growing strength of Iranian students in artificial intelligence and related technical disciplines.
The achievement is particularly notable because the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is a relatively new international competition for secondary-school students. The first edition was held in Bulgaria in 2024, followed by the 2025 competition in Beijing. The event is designed to encourage young people to develop skills in artificial intelligence and computational problem-solving, while creating an international community of future AI researchers and engineers.
Iran's performance also reflects a broader emphasis on developing young talent in AI, mathematics, computer science, and robotics. Earlier this year, more than 1,000 Iranian students participated in a national AI and robotics competition, showing the country's expanding pipeline of students interested in emerging technologies. The four medals at IOAI 2026 therefore represent not only an individual achievement for the students, but also a significant result for Iran's efforts to develop the next generation of AI talent.
