Participants in scientific Olympiads up 40% year/year
TEHRAN – The number of students participating in Olympiad competitions has increased from 87,000 in the past Iranian year 1403 (March 2024- March 2025) to 121,000 this year, indicating an increase of 40 percent, the head of Young Scholars Club has said.
This year, the number of students has been the highest over the past ten years, ISNA quoted Reza Hosseini as saying.
The provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Mazandaran had the largest number of participants. The highest number of students in relation to student population belonged to North Khorasan (with 24 percent), Mazandaran, South Khorasan, and Kordestan, respectively.
The number of participants in Markazi, Kerman, and Ardabil provinces experienced an increase of 232, 119, and 109 percent, respectively, Hosseini noted.
Boys accounted for 52 percent of participants, and girls accounted for 48 percent, the official added.
According to Hosseini, Iran ranks eighth worldwide in international Olympiads as the country stood respectively third, seventh, and eighth in mathematics, computer, and physics Olympiads last year.
Many countries, such as China and the U.S., as well as the 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 International Physics Olympiad can major in technical and engineering fields.
The club aims to improve the country’s ranking in international Olympiads, Hosseini stressed.
31st scientific Olympiad slated for spring
The 31st scientific Olympiad for university students is scheduled to be held on April 17.
The event will be held in 23 fields namely, Persian Literature, Geography, Economics, Quran and Hadith, Educational Sciences, Law, Psychology, Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Plant and Animal Biology, Statistics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Design, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Computer Engineering, agroecology and Plant Genetics Engineering, Stem Cell Science and Technology, and Tissue Engineering, Mehr news agency reported.
Established in the Iranian year 1366 (1987-1988) to promote and expand basic sciences in the country, the Young Scholars Club is in charge of holding scientific Olympiads and preparing students to participate in international scientific competitions in different fields, such as mathematics, biology, computer science, chemistry, astronomy, and astrophysics.
MT/MG