IOAI 2026 will take place in Astana

The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is one of the most prominent international AI olympiads for school students. This year, the location moved from Abu Dhabi to Astana—a major event for Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan became one of the leading candidates to host the olympiad instead of the UAE largely because of the work and reputation of DSML residents Anuar Aimoldin and Nurdaulet Akhanov. Both serve on IOAI's international scientific committee and contribute to problem development and olympiad organization.

Last year, DSML and CPFED jointly ran Kazakhstan's first national AI olympiad and prepared the national team for IOAI. These were important first steps for school-level AI education in the country. We again thank the residents who developed the initiative with Anuar and Nurdaulet in 2025: Alen Bayev, Daniil Orel, and Assel Yermekova 🫶🏽

Stay tuned for IOAI 2026 news—there is much more ahead!