Romanian students win three gold and two silver medals at astronomy olympiad in Hanoi

Romanian delegation podium results in Hanoi

The 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2026) concluded in Hanoi, Vietnam, with the Romanian student delegation winning three gold medals and two silver medals. The international competition took place between 25 September and 5 October 2026, bringing together 315 high school competitors from 64 countries. The Ministry of Education announced the official results on Sunday, 4 October 2026, confirming that all five Romanian competitors secured podium placements. Gold medals were awarded to Alexandru-Ioan Jicu from the Gheorghe Vrănceanu National College in Bacău, Teodor Bichir from the International Theoretical Computer Science High School of Bucharest, and Robert-Cristian Amariei from the Sfântu Nicolae Theoretical High School in Gheorgheni, Harghita County. Silver medals went to Vlad Toncu from the Tudor Vianu National College of Computer Science in Bucharest and Vlad-Tudor Bolohan from the International Theoretical Computer Science High School of Bucharest. Three of the five Romanian medalists represented state-funded public high schools located in Bacău, Gheorgheni, and Bucharest.

Five stages of competitive evaluation

The olympiad in Hanoi tested participants across five distinct evaluation rounds covering advanced theoretical and practical astrophysics. Competitors sat for a theoretical exam and completed a practical round that required direct celestial observations through optical telescopes. The evaluation also included a specialized planetarium exam, where students navigated projected night-sky constellations and coordinate systems. In addition, competitors took part in a complex data analysis round and concluded with a collaborative team competition round. These five stages required participants to solve complex celestial mechanics problems, process observational astronomical data, and demonstrate practical telescope handling under rigorous time limits.

Academic training and scientific coordination in Suceava

The selection and rigorous academic preparation of the Romanian national team took place in Suceava through an institutional partnership. The training sessions were organized by the Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, the Suceava County School Inspectorate, and the CYGNUS Scientific Society, working in collaboration with the Suceava Sports Program High School. Scientific coordination for the preparatory training was led jointly by Petru Crăciun of the Suceava County School Inspectorate and professor Cristian Pîrghie from the Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava. On-site delegation leadership in Hanoi was managed by Petru Crăciun, deputy general school inspector at ISJ Suceava, Adrian Bodnarescu from the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi National College in Rădăuți, and Naghi Elisabeta Ana, who serves as a member of the IOAA international committee. Institutional coordination was managed through the Ministry of Education and Research's Directorate for Olympiads, Contests, Partnerships, and Extracurricular Education under the supervision of ministry inspector Naghi Elisabeta Ana.

Institutional funding and historical medal record

The Ministry of Education and Research financed the national team's participation in Vietnam by covering registration fees, international travel expenses, and daily allowances for the duration of the event. The ministry also organized and funded the multi-stage preliminary competitions that led to the selection of the team, spanning local, county, municipal, and national qualification rounds. On Sunday, the ministry issued an official statement on social media congratulating the five students on their performance.

Three gold medals and two silver for Romania at the 2026 International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics! Bravo!

The 2026 medal tally continues a multi-year sequence of podium finishes for Romanian astronomy delegations. In the 2025 competition, the national team claimed four gold medals. At the 2024 edition, Romanian students earned three gold and two bronze medals, while the 2023 team returned with one gold, three silver, and one bronze medal.