Australia’s brightest informatics students have competed at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), held 28 August to 4 September 2023 in Szeged, Hungary.
“Informatics” is competitive computer programming – using mathematics and coding to solve problems. The IOI is the highest-level pre-tertiary competition of its sort in the world, with 87 countries and 350 students participating in this year’s event.
This year’s Australian team of four achieved a Gold Medal, two Silver Medals and an Honourable Mention.
The four students who participated were:
- Evan Lin from Melbourne High School (VIC) – Gold Medallist (26th overall)
- Jerry Zirui Li from James Ruse Agricultural High School (NSW) – Silver Medallist (55th overall)
- Miles Conway from Melbourne Grammar School (VIC) – Silver Medallist (75th overall)
- Arthur Wenqi Sun from Scotch College (VIC) – Honourable Mention (204th overall)
This is the first time that Australian students have travelled to the IOI since 2019, with COVID-19 risk mitigation measures limiting in-person attendance over the last several years. During the COVID-19 period, the team competed remotely.
“Our team performed really strongly in their first year back at a face-to-face event – it’s wonderful that we are able to provide this opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in person once again” said Ben Kirk, Director of Performance and Pathways at the Australian Maths Trust (AMT).
The Australian Maths Trust’s CEO Nathan Ford also praised the students for their achievements.
“Evan, Jerry, Miles and Arthur represent Australia’s best young informatics students and their outstanding results at the IOI are a testament to their hard work, creativity and perseverance. These are incredibly challenging problems to solve under intense time pressure. Congratulations to them and all our staff and volunteers who have supported their journey this year,” said AMT CEO, Nathan Ford.
The Australian Olympiad programs, including both Informatics and Mathematics, are supported by funding from the Australian Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources and National High-Performance Program Sponsor Optiver.
For more information about the Olympiads program, visit https://www.amt.edu.au/olympiad-programs
