School students from 106 countries experience the Kazakh yurt and national cuisine at IOAI 2026

International school students participating in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026) in Astana took part in the Kazakh Ethno Day cultural programme. During the event, participants were introduced to the traditional Kazakh yurt, national customs, traditional cuisine, and folk games, El.kz reports.

The Olympiad is held under the patronage of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and UNESCO. It is organized by the Sports Programming Federation of Kazakhstan. During the opening ceremony, the Head of State emphasized the importance of providing high-quality education and comprehensive support for talented young people.

“We attach particular importance to high-quality education and comprehensive support for gifted children. Last year, at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence held in Beijing, Kazakhstan’s students won three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. This is an achievement of which our country is rightfully proud.”

The President also stressed that the true significance of the Olympiad extends beyond competitive results.

“The true value of this Olympiad lies not only in winning medals. Above all, it provides an opportunity to learn from one another, exchange ideas, build new friendships, and work together to address the challenges of the future.”

On the third day of the programme, participants took part in an educational excursion and an ethnocultural event. In the morning, the students visited the Alem AI International Artificial Intelligence Centre, where they learned about Kazakhstan’s latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence. They then attended the Kazakh Ethno Day celebration.

According to Tolkyn Nauryzbayeva, Chief Operating Officer of the Sports Programming Federation of Kazakhstan, the organizers sought to introduce participants not only to the Olympiad itself but also to the country’s rich cultural heritage.

“In addition to the competition programme, we want participants to enjoy their stay and leave Astana with positive impressions. Today is a rest day with no competitions scheduled, so we organized a visit to the Alem AI International Artificial Intelligence Centre, where they became acquainted with Kazakhstan’s achievements and innovations in artificial intelligence. We also organized Kazakh Ethno Day to provide participants with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Kazakh culture.”

The Kazakh Ethno Day programme offered participants an immersive introduction to Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage. International students visited a traditional yurt, learned about the nomadic way of life and national customs, explored traditional crafts, and sampled authentic Kazakh cuisine. They also participated in traditional games, including asyq atu, with many trying the game for the first time.

Kazakh national cuisine attracted particular interest among participants. During the tasting session, students sampled baursaks, kurt, and traditional Kazakh sweets before sharing their impressions. Varun Sharma, a participant from India, said that discovering Kazakh cuisine was one of the highlights of the cultural programme.

“I really enjoyed the baursaks. They are soft, light, somewhat similar to bread rolls, and very delicious. We also tried kurt. This was my first experience with Kazakh cuisine, and it left a very strong impression.”

Varun also noted that some Kazakh sweets reminded him of familiar desserts from India.

“I especially liked one of the sweets that resembles a crispy fried pastry. It was very sweet. We have similar desserts in India, so the flavour felt familiar to me. It was a very interesting experience.”

He added that although this was his first visit to Kazakhstan, he had become familiar with Kazakh chocolate long before his trip.

“This is my first visit to Kazakhstan. My father had travelled here before and brought local chocolate home. Later, I would ask friends visiting Kazakhstan to bring some back as well. I still have some at home, so it was especially exciting to finally see the country with my own eyes.”

After sampling the national cuisine, Varun said he had also enjoyed other dishes he tried during his stay.

“I really liked the food here. Some of the dishes even reminded me of Indian cuisine, so many of the flavours felt familiar.”

The 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026) is being held in Astana from 2 to 7 August. This year’s edition has brought together more than 500 school students from 106 countries. The programme includes individual and team AI competitions, as well as cultural activities designed to introduce participants to Kazakhstan’s history, traditions, and contemporary achievements. The awards ceremony and official closing ceremony of the Olympiad will take place on 7 August.