Romanian students won three gold medals and two silver medals at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Vietnam

Romanian students won three gold and two silver medals at the 19th edition of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from September 25 to October 5, 2026. The competition brought together 315 contestants from 64 countries.

The gold medals were won by Alexandru-Ioan Jicu, from “Gheorghe Vrănceanu” National College in Bacău; Teodor Bichir, from the International Computer Science High School in Bucharest; and Robert-Cristian Amariei, from “Sfântu Nicolae” Theoretical High School in Gheorgheni. Vlad Toncu, from “Tudor Vianu” National Computer Science College in Bucharest, and Vlad-Tudor Bolohan, from the International Computer Science High School in Bucharest, won silver medals.

The contestants took theoretical, practical, planetarium, and data analysis tests, as well as a team event. The selection and training of Romania’s team took place in Suceava, with the support of “Ștefan cel Mare” University, the Suceava County School Inspectorate, and the CYGNUS Scientific Society. The team was coordinated by teachers and school inspectors from Suceava and Bucharest.