TASHKENT, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) opened Monday in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, according to the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan.
The ministry said in a news release that the IOI is being held in Uzbekistan for the first time.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, the country's Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov noted that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to turning the country into a regional information technology (IT) hub. He emphasized the symbolism of holding the Olympiad in the homeland of the great scholar Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, whose name gave rise to the term "algorithm."
During the event, IOI President Sun Teck Tan stated that the mission of the Olympiad is to support talented youth and create an international platform for the exchange of experiences. He stressed that the future of technological progress is determined primarily by the creativity, integrity, and determination of young professionals capable of solving complex tasks.
As part of this year's IOI, young programmers from around the world will demonstrate their knowledge and skills in programming and algorithmic design, which will help strengthen ties within the international IT community, the ministry said. ■