The Czech delegation excelled at the 18th International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), held in Bombay, India, from August 11 to 21, 2025. This year’s competition featured a record 288 students from 64 countries.
Czech students earned three gold medals—Martin Kudrna, Alex Faivre, and Matouš Mišta—one silver medal for Anita Vaceková, and one bronze medal for Eduard Plic, who also won first place in the accompanying scientific poster contest.
The IOAA is a prestigious global competition for upper-secondary students up to age 20, established in 2007 in Thailand. The Czech Republic has participated regularly since 2010.
Practical and theoretical challenges were conducted in modern facilities at the Westin Mumbai Hotel and the Nehru Planetarium. Participants also engaged in team projects measuring cosmic radio signals with specialized antennas, reflecting India’s strong focus on radio astronomy.
The Czech team was supported by the Czech Astronomical Society, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Silesian University in Opava, and other partners.
Source: Silesian University in Opava
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