Uzbekistan to Host International Olympiad in Informatics for the First Time
Uzbekistan will host the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics in Tashkent from August 9 to 16, bringing together 386 students from 97 countries.
For the first time ever, Uzbekistan is set to host the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). The 38th iteration of this global competition is scheduled to run from August 9 to August 16, drawing 386 high school students from 97 nations.
The Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan projects that the total attendance will surpass 900 individuals, a figure that includes delegation heads, coaches, members of the international committee, and various guests.
Preparatory details for the Olympiad were unveiled during a press conference held in Tashkent.
The ministry reported that the training regimen for Uzbekistan's national team commenced in November 2025. Approximately ten training camps were organized, featuring experts from Kazakhstan, Poland, and Romania. From an initial pool of 100 students, a rigorous selection process led to the formation of two national teams, consisting of eight participants in total.
Uzbekistan secured the privilege to host the Olympiad in 2023. Their bid received approval during the 35th IOI, which took place in Szeged, Hungary, from August 28 to September 4.
The International Olympiad in Informatics is an annual event that gathers high school students globally to tackle problems requiring analysis, the design of algorithms and data structures, programming, and testing.
Each nation participating sends a team of four students, accompanied by a delegation leader and a deputy leader. The competition unfolds over two days, with each participant individually solving three algorithmic problems during a five-hour session on both days.
The Humo bird serves as the official symbol for IOI 2026. The logo's design integrates geometric forms, lines reminiscent of electronic circuits, and the binary digits 0 and 1. The binary sequence embedded within the logo signifies both the year of the Olympiad and the host country.