YEREVAN/BEIJING — A team of Armenian high school students from the Generation AI program represented the country at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), held August 2–9 in Beijing, and returned with a bronze medal.
The team was formed from 11th-grade students of the Generation AI program, jointly implemented by the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia. The selection was based on the results of a local stage involving around 400 participants. As part of this process, FAST obtained accreditation and became the official representative of the Olympiad in Armenia.
Competing against 80 teams from more than 60 countries, four students — Aram Amirkhanyan, Seryozha Nazaryan, Vahe Pluzyan, and Davit Jaghatspanyan, from Vanadzor’s Evrika and High School No. 11 — completed the challenges under the guidance of their AI teacher, Tigran Ishkhanyan.
In the team competition, Armenia placed 16th, while in the individual competition, Aram Amirkhanyan earned a bronze medal.
Now in only its second year — the inaugural Olympiad was held in Bulgaria in 2024 — the IOAI has quickly earned a reputation for its complexity. This year’s format featured three stages: three home assignments in July; an on-site team challenge in two parts, a simulation exercise and the Galbot robot; and six individual AI tasks, also completed in two stages. “This is a very important achievement for Armenia, marking our country’s entry onto the international map of nations leading in artificial intelligence,” said Anush Ayvazyan, FAST’s Head of Education Programs.
“In particular, the Olympiad’s challenges required not only general literacy in AI but also deep algorithmic and mathematical thinking. Unlike many other countries that relied on extracurricular training, our team included students from the regions who had studied AI as part of their academic curriculum, and with only a short period of additional preparation, they were ready to compete and succeed.”
