STEM trailblazers: Iran’s brightest young minds dominate intl. Science Olympiads

By Ivan Kesic

At the Science Olympiads in mathematics, physics, and biology earlier this month, Iran’s young talents once again proved their mettle, walking away with a bunch of medals and reaffirming the country’s reputation as a hub of scientific innovation and excellence.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has established itself as a formidable force in international science Olympiads, showcasing its stupendous prowess in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

These competitions, including the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), International Biology Olympiad (IBO), and others, involve students typically aged 15-18 competing at a global level.

Iran’s active participation and consistent results reflect not only the deep national investment in education and a clear ambition to secure a place among the world’s leading scientific nations.

The country began participating in international science Olympiads in the late 1980s and early 1990s, marking its first notable appearance at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 1987.

Since then, the country has consistently dispatched its teams, selected through rigorous national competitions organized by the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (NODET) and other educational institutions that scout for talent.

Despite crippling economic sanctions and geopolitical challenges, the performance of Iranian participants has improved steadily, driven by a strong emphasis on STEM education.

Iranian team grabs six medals at 66th Int’l Mathematical Olympiad

The Iranian team has grabbed six medals at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Australia.

Since the 1990s, Iran has amassed over 600 medals across various Olympiads, with a remarkable increase in gold medals, averaging 10–15 per year in recent years, thanks to enhanced training programs.    

Iran is consistently ranked among the top 10 countries in the IMO, IPhO, IChO, and IOI, often placing between 4th and 7th.

In the 2024 composite rankings across Olympiads, Iran was estimated to be among the global top five, only behind powerhouses such as China, Russia, the United States, and South Korea.

Mathematical achievements

With two gold, three silver and one bronze medals, Iran took 12th place at this year's 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2025) in Australia, an improvement from last year's 19th place.

Students Mehdi Aqajanloo and Bardia Khosheqbal snatched the gold medal, Mohammad-Sajad Memari, Mohammad-Reza Attaranzadeh, and Amir-Hossein Zarei won silver medals, while Parsa Tajallaei received the bronze medal.

Although the IMO has been held annually since 1959, Iran did not participate for the first 26 years, and only became a regular participant in 1987.

This was due to the IMO initially being limited to countries from the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, the Pahlavi regime’s lack of investment in education and science, and the disruptions caused by the war imposed on the Islamic Republic in the 1980s.

In 40 events, representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran won 220 medals, including 53 gold, 116 silver and 51 bronze, with five honorable mentions.

This continues a trend of strong performances, with Iran consistently securing gold medals at the IMO since the early 2000s. Over the past decade, the Iranian team has averaged 3 to 4 gold medals annually, reflecting a robust mathematical talent pool.

Iranian students win 3 gold and 1 silver at the 36th International Biology Olympiad

Iranian students

These achievements placed Iran 12th in the international rankings of the most successful IMO countries, just behind Germany and ahead of Japan.

In team rankings, Iran has ranked among the top 10 teams globally on nineteen occasions, including a historic first-place finish in 1998.

Notable individual accomplishments include perfect scores of 42/42 by students such as Maryam Mirzakhani (1995), Iman Eftekhari (1997), Omid Amini (1998), and Ali Akbar Daemi (2005).

Among these exceptional talents, Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017) stands out with the most distinguished mathematical career. She became both the first Iranian and the first woman to receive the Fields Medal in 2014, the highest honor in mathematics.

Mirzakhani’s genius reshaped modern mathematics. She remains a symbol of brilliance and perseverance, inspiring thousands of young Iranian mathematicians.

Physics achievements

At the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2025) in France, Iran's physics team clinched five medals, helping Iran secure 11th place among 94 participating countries.

Students Mohammad‑Hassan Sadeghinejad, Aria Zarabi, Ilya Ghashaei, Mohammad‑Hassan Golabdar, and Milad Mohammadi each earned a silver medal.

Iran has been participating in the IPhO since 1990 and has so far bagged 153 medals, including 37 gold, 77 silver and 39 bronze medals, with 12 honorable mentions.

The achievements rank Iran 13th among countries in the world, ahead of Japan and the major European countries Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Iranian students win five medals at 2025 Int'l Physics Olympiad

Iran’s high school physics team claimed five silver medals at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2025) in Paris.

Iran achieved a peak performance in 2010 when it ranked 3rd globally. In IPhO 2024, held for the second time (since 2007) in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Iran won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal, finishing fourth out of 86 countries.

Since 2005, Iran has consistently maintained a top-10 ranking, with a particular emphasis on experimental physics playing a key role in its continued success.

Biological achievements

At the 36th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2025), held in the Philippines, Iranian students secured four medals, including three gold and one silver.

Siavash Pezeshpour, Ali Soleimanzadeh Kalahroudi, and Ali-Akbar Nourollahi earned gold medals, while Radin Bayani won silver.

With this achievement, Iran ranked second overall among 81 participating countries and 298 contestants. In the previous year’s competition, IBO 2024 in Kazakhstan, Iran was placed third, taking home two gold and two silver medals.

Iran has emerged as a rising force in the field of biology, with steadily increasing medal counts since 2015. Over the last ten IBO competitions, Iran ranks as the seventh most successful country, having earned a total of 11 gold medals.

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