On 28 February and 1 March 2026, the national selection round for the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026 was held at the School of Mining and Geosciences of Nazarbayev University in Astana. The event took place in offline format on the university campus with the participation of SMG and the corporate foundation “Zhas Geolog.”
The International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) is one of the largest international Olympiads in Earth sciences, bringing together school students with a strong interest in such fields as geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. Each country is represented at the Olympiad by a team of four participants.
According to the organizers, IESO 2026 will take place in Turin, Italy, from 20 to 27 August 2026. Kazakhstan’s participation, including the team fee, flights, and uniforms, is supported by the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, the general sponsor of the team’s participation in the Olympiad.
School students from different regions of Kazakhstan took part in the selection round. The selection process was conducted in two stages. On 28 February, participants completed a written test covering the key areas of Earth sciences. Based on the results of the first stage, 11 strongest participants advanced to the final round.
The final stage, held on 1 March, included practical tasks and an interview. Participants worked with geological materials, demonstrated their practical and analytical skills, and took part in a final interview conducted with the participation of professors from Nazarbayev University. At the end of the second day, four finalists were selected to represent Kazakhstan at IESO 2026 in Turin.
The judging panel included professors from the School of Mining and Geosciences of Nazarbayev University. Among the SMG professors involved in the selection process were George Paul Mathews, Jovid Aminov, and Kamal Regmi.
As a result of the national selection round, the following students earned the right to represent Kazakhstan at the International Earth Science Olympiad 2026:
Nuriya Mukhanbetali — Karaganda BIL
Sara Mukhtarkhanova — Astana BIL
Mansur Tursungaliyev — Pavlodar NIS
Amir Darynov — Oskemen BIL
In addition to the competition itself, participants were also offered an introduction to the university. The program included a tour of the Nazarbayev University campus, which allowed the students to become more familiar with the university’s academic environment.
Hosting the national selection round at Nazarbayev University became an important contribution of the School of Mining and Geosciences to the development of Earth science education in Kazakhstan. For talented school students from across the country, this was not only an opportunity to qualify for the national team, but also a chance to become more familiar with the university’s academic environment and strengthen their interest in geosciences.
The School of Mining and Geosciences of Nazarbayev University is proud to have been part of this important initiative and congratulates all participants, finalists, and partners on the successful completion of the national selection round. The next stage — preparation of the national team and participation in the international Olympiad — will continue with the support of CF “Zhas Geolog” and the general sponsor, the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation.