Dr. Ali Sharifi Zarchi, faculty member of the Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics Group at Sharif University of Technology’s Department of Computer Engineering, has been unanimously reappointed as Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) for the second consecutive year.
The IOAI is the world’s premier AI competition for high school students, with participation from over 94 countries. Each national team consists of four top students competing in individual and team events.
The International Scientific Committee (ISC)—comprising 11 leading AI experts from global universities and tech companies—is responsible for designing problems, setting syllabi and rules, overseeing the competition’s academic integrity, and determining winners. Dr. Sharifi Zarchi was first elected by the ISC and then confirmed by the IOAI International Board, whose members represent countries including Iran, the U.S., China, Russia, Brazil, Singapore, the UAE, and Bulgaria.
In Iran, the National AI Olympiad has been organized since last year by the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (NODET), with Dr. Mahdieh Soleymani—also from Sharif University’s AI Group—serving as Chair of its Scientific Committee. Gold medalists in the national competition earn direct admission to their preferred university and major without taking the national entrance exam.
