Kazakhstan emerges as a global hub for student science competitions in 2026

Kazakhstan is emerging as a leading educational hub for international student competitions, a clear testament to the government's policy of treating education and science as strategic priorities for national development. As part of state-led initiatives, the country is systematically fostering talented students and nurturing their scientific and intellectual potential, the press service of the Ministry of Education has reported.

From January to April 2026, Kazakhstan successfully hosted four major international educational and scientific competitions at the highest organizational level.

In Almaty, the 22nd International Zhautykov Olympiad in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science brought together over 600 high school students from 16 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, India, and Uzbekistan. The competition awarded 324 medals, underscoring the participants' exceptional academic preparation.

Astana played host to Alem Tech Fest 2026, Central Asia's largest robotics and STEM technology event, which attracted more than 5,000 students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Estonia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong SAR, China. Following the festival, Kazakhstan's national robotics team was formed, and the top 16 teams earned spots in the FIRST Championship 2026 world finals in the United States.

From April 8 to 12, Astana hosted the 20th International Science Competition "Discovering the World of Science", uniting young researchers in space exploration. Nearly 200 high school students from Kazakhstan, China, and Turkey took part, with 115 winners selected. The project aims to spark interest in scientific research among young people and strengthen international academic collaboration.

The capital also welcomed the International Umirzak Zholdasbekov Research Project Competition in Mathematics and Mechanics, featuring 135 young researchers from Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Turkey. Of the 99 projects submitted, 77 received awards.

Hosting these international Olympiads and scientific competitions enhances the competitiveness of Kazakhstan's education system, expands the use of the Kazakh language in global academic and scientific circles, and reinforces its status as a language of international scholarship, the Ministry of Education's press service noted.