How Kazakhstan Performed At IESO 2026

From August 20 to 27, 2026, Turin, Italy, hosted the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), bringing together 160 school students from 40 countries. Kazakhstan was represented by four students who had successfully passed a rigorous national selection process earlier this year. The team comprised Amir Darynov from Ust-Kamenogorsk, Nuriya Mukhanbetali from Karaganda, Sara Mukhtarkhanova from Astana, and Mansur Tursungaliyev from Pavlodar.

Galimzhan Yessenov, founder of the Yessenov Foundation, businessman, and philanthropist, commented on the students’ success:
“We have been sponsoring Kazakhstan’s IESO team since 2017, supporting them at competitions in France, Thailand, South Korea, China, and Italy. Every year, they return with medals: 6, 7, and this year, 9. Kazakhstan’s school students keep pace with their international peers in terms of knowledge, compete at the highest level, and, in some areas, even outperform them. We congratulate Nuriya, Amir, Mansur, and Sara on this well-deserved success. Supporting talented young Kazakhstanis is our top priority, while developing the country’s intellectual potential is the mission of the Foundation.”

Zhanat Ismailova, Director of the Zhas Geolog Corporate Foundation, the organizer of the Kazakhstani team’s participation in the Olympiad, added:
“Preparation for IESO 2026 was very intensive: the students trained with professors from Nazarbayev University and KBTU, studied geology and other Earth sciences in depth, completed practical and field training, and learned to work as a team. I am very happy with our team’s victories; the students represented Kazakhstan on the international stage with dignity.”

Our national team finished the Olympiad with 9 medals: 1 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze. Mansur Tursungaliyev won the gold medal in the Earth Science Project (ESP). Amir, Sara, and Nuriya brought the team 2 silver medals and one bronze in the same category. In the International Team Field Investigation (ITFI), where students from different countries are grouped into multinational teams to conduct field research, Mansur and Sara won silver medals, while Amir and Nuriya took bronze. Amir Darynov secured another bronze medal for the Kazakhstani team in the written test, which included questions covering various Earth science disciplines.

What do the Kazakhstani participants think about their IESO experience?

Mansur Tursungaliyev shares:
“The flights, accommodation, and overall organization of the Olympiad were top-notch. I truly hope that through participation in such olympiads, Kazakhstani students will continue to integrate into the international community, and collaborate on joint projects and research.”

Sara Mukhtarkhanova says:
“I really enjoyed the Automobile Museum in Turin and the incredibly scenic ride on the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car. The olympiad tasks were both interesting and, in some ways, quite unusual. We communicated with peers from different countries, shared experiences, and had a lot of fun!”

Amir Darynov shares:
“I was particularly impressed by the practical part of the olympiad, especially working with a microscope, as it was my first time doing that. What’s next? I plan to study well at a university abroad, where I’ve already been admitted.”

Nuriya Mukhanbetali adds:
“What stayed with me most were the locations where the IESO field investigations took place. We climbed Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and visited the Sacra di San Michele, an abbey built in the 10th century. Back home, I am starting to prepare for the geography olympiads at both the national and international levels.”

The Kazakhstani team has been participating in IESO since 2015, with the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation serving as the team’s general sponsor since 2017.

The IESO is an international olympiad for school students in Earth sciences, including geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, and other disciplines. It has been held since 2007. The 20th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) will take place in Japan from August 22 to 28, 2027.