Cyprus makes successful debut at International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence

Cyprus participated in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) 2026 for the first time, held in Astana, Kazakhstan, securing four bronze medals and two honourable mentions. The eight-member delegation was selected from over 100 applicants from public and private schools through a rigorous performance-based process. The team consisted of two groups, with the first including Amir Daiyrov, Christos Alexandrou, Artyom Konukhov, and Mariia Shilo.

The project was managed by a steering committee chaired by Professor Savvas Chatzichristofis of Neapolis University Paphos, alongside Panikos Masouras from the Cyprus Computer Society and Alexander Avdiushenko of JetBrains. The initiative was supported by a partnership between Neapolis University Paphos, JetBrains, and the JetBrains Foundation. Participation was free, and preparation began in November 2025, involving online machine learning coursework. The process advanced with the AI Winter Cyprus Camp in Paphos for the top 30 students, followed by four months of intensive training and a concluding AI Summer Camp in July 2026 where the final delegation was confirmed.