From al-Khwarizmi to artificial intelligence: Tashkent gathered participants from 97 countries for IOI 2026

From Al-Khwarizmi to Artificial Intelligence: Tashkent Hosts IOI 2026 Participants from 97 Countries

Tashkent is hosting the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics for high school students.

The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) kicked off in Tashkent on August 10. For the first time, Uzbekistan is hosting one of the world's largest programming competitions for high school students.

This year, 386 students from 97 countries are participating in the Olympiad. More than 900 people have arrived in Tashkent, including participants, coaches, international committee representatives, guests, and observers.

Hosting the IOI is of particular significance for Uzbekistan. This is the country's first time hosting the Olympiad, and the number of participating countries this year is a record-breaking number in the competition's history.

Minister of Preschool and School Education Ezozhon Karimova emphasized that the Olympiad was the result of consistent attention to the development of education and the support of talented youth.

According to her, winners of international Olympiads today receive significant financial support. For a gold medal at a major international Olympiad, a student can receive over 1 billion soums, and their mentor receives a large cash prize.

"Uzbekistan turned out to be completely different from what I expected."

For many participants, the trip to Tashkent was their first encounter with Uzbekistan.

Santiago, from Colombia, is participating in the IOI for the third time. He said he was pleasantly surprised by the country.

"Uzbekistan is very different from what I imagined, but in a good way. I really liked the people; they are very kind. I also liked the architecture," he said.

He said the organization of this year's Olympiad also met his expectations. He prepared for the competition for about four years.

Why Uzbekistan?

Holding the IOI in Uzbekistan also has symbolic significance. The country is the birthplace of the great scientist Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, whose name is associated with the development of algebra and the concept of algorithms.

The organizers are paying special attention to the country's scientific heritage and introducing participants to its history and culture.

Digital Technology Minister Sherzod Shermatov noted that hosting the Olympiad has also attracted the attention of major international technology companies. He named NVIDIA and OpenAI among the event's partners.

Furthermore, Telegram founder Pavel Durov celebrated the Olympiad's hosting in al-Khwarizmi's country and established special Algorithm Cups for participants.

From bronze to silver – now awaiting gold

Uzbekistan has been participating in the International Olympiad in Informatics since 2015.

During this time, the national team has won silver and bronze medals. At the 2025 IOI, Uzbek schoolchildren earned silver and bronze medals.

Preparations for the current Olympiad began in November 2025. The team members held approximately ten training camps with specialists from Kazakhstan, Poland, and Romania.

Now the team's main goal is to improve on last year's result and compete for gold medals.

"We won bronze the first time, then silver. We hope to win gold this time," said Sherzod Shermatov.

Temirlan Sadylkhanov, head coach of the Kazakhstan national team, also noted the participants' extensive preparation.

"The main thing is for the guys to demonstrate everything they've learned and their abilities. The medals they win are up to them," he said.

Preparations for the IOI lasted nearly three years.

According to Mukhlisa Kudayberganova, Head of Department at the Center for Digital Education Development, Uzbekistan received the right to host the Olympiad back in 2023. Preparations for the competition began after that.

Uzbekistan's representatives studied the experience of hosting the IOI in Egypt in 2024 and Bolivia in 2025, familiarizing themselves with the competition organization, technical solutions, and the competition day system.

At the closing of the IOI 2025 in Bolivia, the Olympiad flag was officially handed over to Uzbekistan.

Tashkent has now become an international platform for young programmers from around the world for several days.

In addition to the competition program, cultural events have been prepared for the participants. Guests will be able to learn about the history and culture of Uzbekistan, including a visit to the Islamic Civilization Center.

IOI 2026 will run until August 16.

Gozzal Allamuratova