Iran Shines Bright: Secures Second Place at the International Biology Olympiad!

In a remarkable display of talent and hard work, four Iranian students have achieved outstanding success at the 36th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2025), earning three gold medals and a silver medal. This impressive performance not only secured them second place among 81 participating countries but also marked an improvement from their third-place finish in 2024.

The IBO, recognized as the world’s premier biology competition for secondary school students, took place from July 19 to 27 in Quezon City, Philippines. This year’s event saw the participation of 81 delegations representing various countries and territories, including three observer delegations, with a total of 298 contestants competing in rigorous theoretical and practical examinations.

About the International Biology Olympiad

The International Biology Olympiad consists of two main types of assessments:

• Theoretical Exams: These exams test competitors’ understanding, processing, and application of biological knowledge through two three-hour tests.
• Practical Exams: These exams evaluate contestants’ ability to address biological problems using skills and methods typical in biological laboratories, comprising four exams, each lasting one hour and thirty minutes.

In the previous edition of the IBO, held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from July 7 to 14, 2024, Iranian students achieved notable success, winning two gold medals and two silver medals.

Recent Achievements of Iranian Students

The accomplishments of Iranian students extend beyond the IBO. Recently, five Iranian students secured silver medals at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2025), ranking 11th globally. This prestigious event took place from July 18 to 24 in Paris, bringing together 440 candidates from over 90 countries.

The students who earned silver medals include:

• Mohammad-Hassan Sadeqinejad Simaki
• Arya Zarabi
• Ilya Qashaee
• Mohammad-Hassan Golabdar
• Milad Mohammadi

The primary aim of the IPhO is to assess the highest levels of knowledge, analytical abilities, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in both theoretical and experimental physics. Candidates compete individually in two five-hour tests—the first being experimental and the second theoretical, focusing on various phenomena and their modeling.

Moreover, at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2025), held from July 10 to 20 in Australia, Iranian participants achieved remarkable results, winning:

• 2 Gold Medals: Bardia Khosh-Eqbal and Mehdi Aqajanloo
• 3 Silver Medals: Mohammad-Reza Attaranzadeh, Mohammad-Sajad Memari, Amir-Hossein Zarei
• 1 Bronze Medal: Parsa Tajallaei

The IMO is recognized as the largest and most prestigious of all international Olympiads, growing from participation by seven countries to over a hundred each year. It showcases the brightest young minds from around the globe, reflecting years of mathematical endeavor and problem-solving efforts.

Additional Competitions and Achievements

Furthermore, the Iranian team ranked second in the 3rd International Mathematics Summer Camp (IMSC), which took place in Beijing, China, from June 20 to July 12, 2025. The competition featured a three-week training program aimed at enhancing students’ problem-solving skills in fundamental mathematical areas such as:

• Algebra
• Geometry
• Number Theory
• Combinatorics

At this event, Bardia Khosh-Eqbal won a gold medal, while Mehdi Aqajanloo, Parsa Tajallaei, Mohammad-Reza Attaranzadeh, and Mohammad-Sajad Memari earned silver medals. Amir-Hossein Zarei also secured a bronze medal. Over 300 participants, including students and lecturers, from 32 countries participated in IMSC 2025.

Earlier, during the 65th IMO, held from July 11 to 22, 2024, in Bath, United Kingdom, the Iranian team achieved 19th place with a score of 137 points, competing against 609 students from 108 countries.

In another notable event, Iranian students participated in the second International Mathematics Olympiad for high school students in Turkmenistan, where they managed to win seven bronze medals. This event took place from April 21 to 26 and attracted over 230 talented students from 15 countries.

Iranian students also achieved success at the Turkic International Mathematics Olympiad (TIMO), held from April 17 to 22 in Antalya, where they ranked fourth, winning two silver and two bronze medals. The competition engaged over 27,350 students from 35 countries in preliminary rounds.

Overall, these accomplishments highlight the dedication and skill of Iranian students in various international competitions, showcasing their intellectual prowess and commitment to academic excellence.

Related topic: Iranian students achievements in international competitions