TEHRAN – Iranian students have delivered an outstanding performance, clinching three gold medals and a silver medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), and three silver medals and a bronze medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).

The 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2026) took place from July 12 to 19 in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. The event brought together participants from some 80 countries across five continents.

Radin Bayani, Mohammad-Reza Vaezi, and Amir-Hossein Nosrati grabbed gold medals, while Amir-Hossein Hemmati won the silver medal, IRIB reported.

The IBO is the world’s leading biology competition for high school students, held each year in a different host country. The inaugural event took place in 1989 in the former Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), with participants from six nations. Since then, the IBO has grown significantly.

By bringing together talented young individuals, the IBO seeks to challenge and inspire them to further develop their abilities and pursue scientific careers. The competition aims to highlight biology as a fascinating and essential discipline, covering areas such as genetics, behavior, and ecology—fields that are crucial for tackling global challenges like sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and climate resilience.

Additionally, the IBO provides a platform for comparing biology curricula and teaching practices worldwide, which can offer valuable insights for enhancing biology education at the national level.

As the foremost international competition for high school biology students, the IBO aims to discover and nurture future leaders in the life sciences, encouraging them to build global networks and pursue meaningful contributions in the scientific community.

The 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO 2026) was held from July 10 to 19 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Over 350 students from 90 countries attended the event.

Ali Shamsi-Mofakhar, Mahyar Najar, and Amir-Reza Hosseini secured silver medals, while Ario Seirafi won the bronze medal.

The IChO is a chemistry competition for students at the secondary school level with the aim of promoting international contacts in chemistry. It is intended to stimulate the activities of students interested in chemistry by way of the independent and creative solution of chemical problems.

The IChO competitions help to facilitate cordial relations between young adults of different nationalities; they encourage cooperation and international understanding.

Each participating country’s delegation consists of competitors and accompanying persons (also known as mentors). It is expected that there are four competitors and two mentors in the delegation.

The competitors are secondary school students or recent graduates who have not started university education. Competitors must be under 20 years of age on the 1st of July of the year of the competition.

Recent achievements

The five-member team of Iranian students has demonstrated a remarkable achievement, garnering three gold medals and two silver medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).

Held from July 4 to 12 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, the IPhO 2026 brought together over 400 students from more than 90 countries, Javanonline.ir reported.

Hirbod Foudazi, Kian Zarrabian, and Mohammad Mirmohammadi secured gold medals, while Amir-Sam Goharpey and Nima Koushki won silver medals.

Iran’s Physics Olympiad team, consisting of five students, has achieved an astounding triumph at the International Scientific Physics Olympiad 2026, winning two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.

Hirbod Foudazi was ranked first among all participants, receiving the title of absolute winner, achieving the best result in the Theoretical Exam, and grabbing the gold medal and the national diamond, IRNA reported.

Amir-Sam Goharpey won the other gold medal; Kian Zarrabian and Mohammad Mirmohammadi received a silver medal and a bronze medal, respectively.

The Iranian team showed brilliance, claiming the championship at the fourth International Mathematics Summer Camp (IMSC) held in Beijing, China, from June 17 to July 12, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and dedication to mathematics.

Aryan Zandi, Arsha Azizoddin, Seyyed Amir-Hossein Tayeb, Alireza Sharifi, Radin Nik-Eqbali, and Ali Joonbakhsh Najafabadi won 4 gold medals and two silver medals, outperforming students from Poland and Brazil, IRNA reported.

This year’s event brought together 58 teams from 46 countries and regions, including 41 international teams and 17 teams from China, with over 500 Chinese and international students, teachers, and coaches in total.

Four Iranian female students attended the Open International Geography Olympiad (OpenGeo) 2026, winning four medals, including a silver medal and three bronze medals for the first time.

Artina Heidari won the silver medal; Setayesh Haqnazari, Sana Karbalaei Vali, and Helia Khodabandelou received the bronze medals, IRIB reported.

The achievement showcased the Iranian students’ comprehensive expertise in geography and serves as a significant step in preparing students for successful participation in the International Geography Olympiad (IGO).

The OpenGeo aims to promote interest in geography among secondary school students worldwide; develop geographical thinking, analytical, and practical skills among school students and future geographers; and support international connections between young geographers.

Organized by the Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow State University High School, and Primakov School, the competition was held online on June 20 and 21, with competitors from 27 countries attending the contest.

The participants were students aged between 14 and 19 years old enrolled in secondary school or graduating in 2026.

The competition consisted of a Written Response Test (WRT) taking 2.5 hours, a Practical and Mapping Exercise (PME) taking 2.5 hours, and a Multimedia Test (MMT) taking one hour.

MT/MG