Azerbaijani School Students Achieve Success at International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
Azerbaijani school students successfully represented their country at the 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2026), held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from September 25 to October 5, 2026.
According to the final results, the Azerbaijani team won three bronze medals at the international competition.
The medal winners were:
- Artoghrul Maharramli — a 10th-grade student at the Baku Turkish Anatolian High School of the Turkish Maarif Foundation — Bronze Medal;
- Mehdi Gasimli — an 11th-grade student at the Baku Turkish Anatolian High School of the Turkish Maarif Foundation — Bronze Medal;
- Orkhan Tagiyev — a 10th-grade student at the Physics, Mathematics and Informatics Lyceum in Baku — Bronze Medal.
In addition to his individual bronze medal, Orkhan Tagiyev also emerged as a winner in the team competition.
The 2026 edition of IOAA brought together 65 teams from 64 countries and territories, with around 320 student contestants. The competition included theoretical, telescope, data analysis and planetarium components, alongside a dedicated team competition.
Azerbaijan’s Astronomy Olympiad pathway
Azerbaijan’s national team for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is formed based on the results of the Azerbaijan Astronomy Olympiad.
The national Olympiad aims to increase students’ interest in astronomy, encourage a stronger role for astronomy in the education system, identify talented students and provide selected participants with preparation for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics.
This pathway gives talented Azerbaijani students an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in astronomy and astrophysics and compete at the international level.
Supporting young scientific talent
The Azerbaijan Astronomy Olympiad is organised with the participation of several leading educational and scientific institutions.
The organisers include Baku State University (BSU), the Institute of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory named after N. Tusi, the State Agency for Preschool and General Education, the Republican Children and Youth Development Center, and the Amateur Astronomers Society Public Union.
The Azerbaijan Astronomy Olympiad is held with Tusi-Bohm Planetarium as its principal sponsor.
A growing international scientific community
IOAA is one of the International Science Olympiads for secondary-school students and is designed to inspire interest in astronomy and astrophysics, identify young scientific talent and promote international academic exchange.
The 2026 competition in Hanoi was the largest edition of IOAA to date, bringing together nearly 500 international participants, including students, team leaders, observers and invited guests.
For Azerbaijan, the three bronze medals and the team-competition victory represent another important achievement by the country's school students on the international scientific stage.
Edumap.az congratulates Artoghrul Maharramli, Mehdi Gasimli and Orkhan Tagiyev, as well as their teachers, mentors and the Azerbaijani team, on this achievement and wishes them continued success in their future education and scientific careers.
