Hanoi (VNA) - The 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2026) officially opened at Phenikaa University in Hanoi on September 26, drawing 67 teams and 320 contestants from 66 countries and territories.
It marks the first time Vietnam has hosted the IOAA and is the largest edition of the competition to date.
The IOAA is an annual international competition for high school students worldwide. It aims to ignite a passion for astronomy and astrophysics, discover and nurture young scientific talent, and foster academic exchange, knowledge sharing, and cross-cultural connections among participating nations.
Welcoming the teams to the competition, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau said the Vietnamese Party and State have consistently identified education and training, science and technology, and innovation as top national priorities and strategic choices for the country’s future.
He stressed identifying, nurturing and creating an environment for young talent to develop is of particular importance.
Vietnam’s hosting of IOAA 2026 is a concrete step toward putting that policy into practice, while creating more opportunities for young Vietnamese people to connect and engage with the international education and scientific communities, the official continued.
At the same time, he added, Vietnam is gradually investing in the development of space science, including Earth-observation satellites and observatories in Hoa Lac and Khanh Hoa, where the Vietnamese team recently trained in observational astronomy for the competition.
Chau stressed that in a world marked by uncertainty, science is a common language that can bring people closer through knowledge, truth and a spirit of cooperation. The competition therefore carries significance beyond a contest. It is not only an event for outstanding students but also a forum for young scientists, where they can share knowledge, discover their talents and gain new experiences.
Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Vu Dai Thang stressed that the capital is giving science, technology and innovation an increasingly important role in its development strategy while proactively expanding cooperation with knowledge, research and innovation hubs in the region and around the world.
As a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network and Global Network of Learning Cities, Hanoi aims not only to embrace the world’s knowledge and creative values but also to make increasingly active contributions to international cooperation networks in education, science and innovation, he said.
Hosting IOAA 2026 is significant for Hanoi, providing an opportunity to gain exposure to new ideas, promote academic exchanges and further inspire young people’s passion for science, Thang said.
IOAA President Aniket Sule said the competition provides participating teams with an opportunity to experience and appreciate Hanoi’s rich history and traditions.
Vietnam is participating in IOAA 2026, which runs through October 5, with a 10-member team selected in accordance with regulations set by the Ministry of Education and Training.
Since first participating in the IOAA in India in 2016, the Vietnamese team, with Hanoi students forming its core, had consistently achieved strong results at competitions held in Thailand, China, Hungary, Colombia, Georgia, Poland, and Brazil./.
