Uzbekistan to host the International Olympiad in Informatics for the first time
The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) will be held in Tashkent from August 9 to 16 this year.
Uzbekistan will host this prestigious competition for the first time in its history. Detailed information about the upcoming event was shared at a press conference in the capital.
Uzbekistan secured the right to host IOI 2026 in 2023. Welcoming the world’s most talented young programmers to the country where the great mathematician Muhammad al-Khwarizmi was born, from whose name the term “algorithm” derives, carries historical and symbolic significance.
A total of 386 school students from more than 97 countries have registered to participate in the Olympiad. The total number of guests will exceed 900, setting a record for the IOI.
Preparations for Uzbekistan’s national team began in November 2025 and proceeded in stages. International experts from Kazakhstan, Poland, and Romania participated in the process, and about 10 training camps were organized. Alongside the students’ technical preparation, particular attention was paid to their psychological well-being. Of the 100 students selected from across the regions, eight were chosen for two national teams, with four members on each team.
Uzbekistan first participated in the International Olympiad in Informatics in 2015. By 2025, the national team had won one silver and four bronze medals.
Particular attention was paid to security, transportation, guest reception and accommodations, catering, technical infrastructure, and the cultural program during the Olympiad’s organization. For eight days, Tashkent will become a meeting place for young programmers, mentors, and international experts.
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N. Usmanova, photos by U. Khayitov, UzA
