Pham Quoc Toan, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training and head of the Vietnamese delegation to the competition, noted that this year’s competition was the largest in IOAA history.

According to him, significant changes were introduced to both the exam content and format compared to previous years. The competition consisted of three main components - Theory, Data analysis, and Observation, which involved star maps, telescope use, and planetarium sessions.

Despite tough competition and limited awards, only 144 medals were granted among 288 contestants, all five Vietnamese students won medals, a result Toan described as “a testament to their outstanding performance and dedication.”

IOAA 2025 took place in Mumbai from August 12 to 21, bringing together 325 contestants from 64 countries and territories.

The IOAA is an annual international science Olympiad for high school students, focused on astronomy and astrophysics. Since its inception in Thailand in December 2007, it has become a prestigious platform for nurturing young scientific talents worldwide.

The Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi has been chosen to host the 2026 edition, reaffirming Vietnam’s rising reputation and leadership in international education and science competitions.

Vietnam among top four at 2025 International AI Olympiad

The Vietnamese national team excelled in both individual and team events at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) held recently in Beijing, China.