TEHRAN – 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.
Iran among top eight countries in intl. Olympiads
Iran ranks eighth worldwide in international Olympiads as the country stood respectively third, seventh, and eighth in mathematics, computer, and physics Olympiads last year, IRNA quoted Reza Hosseini, the head of the Young Scholars Club, as saying in February.
Many countries, such as China and the U.S., as well as world’s big technological companies are directly in touch with the club to attract Iranian Olympiad winners, he added.
He went on to say that the country allocates specific facilities to these gifted students. The gold winners can major in their specialized fields in Iranian universities without participating in the university entrance exam.
Students who have grabbed gold at the International Biology Olympiad can study medical sciences, and those who won gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad or the International Physics Olympiad can major in technical and engineering fields.
The club aims to improve the country’s ranking in international Olympiads, Hosseini stressed.
Achievements in Olympiads
The Iranian team, comprising four high school students, grabbed two silver medals and two bronze medals at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), held from August 2 to 9, 2025, in Beijing, China.
Arash Yousefnejad and Ali Shayan claimed the silver medals, while Parsa Golestani and Radin Rahmani-Nodehi won the bronze medals, IRIB reported.
Iran won two silver medals and two bronze medals at the Eighth International Economics Olympiad (IEO) 2025, held from July 20 to 29, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan, with 68 countries in attendance.
Four Iranian students clinched three gold medals and a silver medal at the 36th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2025), held from July 19 to 27, 2025, in Quezon City, Philippines, ranking second among 81 countries, up from third in 2024.
Five Iranian students secured silver medals at the 55th International Physics Olympiad, ranking 11th globally.
Held from July 18 to 24 in Paris, the IPhO 2025 brought together 440 candidates from over 90 countries.
Iran secured two gold medals, three silver medals, and a bronze medal at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2025), held from July 10 to 20 in Australia. The event drew more than 600 high school students from 112 countries.
At the second International Mathematics Olympiad for high school students in Turkmenistan, Iranian students won seven bronze medals. The event was held from April 21 to 26, 2025.
More than 230 talented students from 15 countries, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Armenia, Bulgaria, Nepal, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Qatar, and Turkmenistan, took part in the competition.
MT/MG
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
