According to the Communications and Information Center of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, Hossein Afshin, Vice President for Science, stated, “We are at the beginning of the journey. Although the registration of over 440,000 students and the participation of 33,000 in competitions is a remarkable figure, this is only a starting point, and the path of supporting AI education will continue.”
Afshin said that AI, as today’s driving force, requires a creative generation.
He explained that the Vice Presidency, recognizing this transformation, has made training the future builders of this field its main goal, and within the framework of the “Digital Iran” plan, is providing free AI education to more than two million students.
He added that these lessons present AI through games and entertaining activities, turning a complex concept into an enjoyable and practical experience for children and teenagers, adding by entering the world of AI through play and competition, they learn how to turn their ideas into reality.
According to Afshin, so far more than 440,000 students have registered for the program, and over 20,000 teachers are collaborating to widely develop programming and AI skills. Alongside student training, a platform has been created for teacher education, with Sharif University of Technology also participating in teacher training.
The vice president further announced that this initiative will continue until next summer, and support for top participants will also be sustained throughout the year.
Afshin noted that the National AI Competition, held online with the participation of 33,000 students on a public platform, set a rare record in the history of student competitions in the country in terms of scale and geographical diversity.
He stated that 33,043 participants came from 398 cities and 653 educational districts, with 20,218 girls and 12,822 boys, a meaningful statistic indicating greater female participation.
Afshin, who is also the President of the National Elites Foundation, assessed the participation of secondary school students as more prominent, noting that 6,658 were in primary school and 26,382 in secondary school. The provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, and Hormozgan had the highest number of participants, marking an unprecedented figure.
Afshin described the competition, in terms of scale, nationwide spread, and prize value, as the largest programming and AI competition in the country and the region.
He added that the Computer Student Olympiad has about 7,000 registrants, the Mathematics Student Olympiad about 14,000, the programming section of the Khwarizmi Youth Festival about 4,000, and the programming section of the Khwarizmi Young Adults Festival fewer than 1,000 participants.