Scientific excellence
The national mechanism for selecting the secondary-school students who will represent Senegal at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence.
The international competition
The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) is an international scientific competition for secondary-school students. Created in 2024, it follows in the tradition of the International Olympiads in Mathematics, Physics and Informatics.
It allows participating countries to identify and showcase their talent in artificial intelligence, around skills such as algorithmic reasoning, machine learning and complex problem solving.
In three editions, the Olympiad has grown from 32 to 108 participating countries and territories, and now counts more than 130 accredited countries and territories. GalsenAI is the accredited organisation coordinating Senegal's participation.
32
2024, first edition in Bulgaria
61
2025, second edition in Beijing
108
2026, third edition in Astana
The national programme
Until 2026, despite growing interest in digital technology and artificial intelligence, Senegal had no formal national framework for identifying and selecting its best secondary-school students in AI according to international standards. This gap limited both the visibility of national potential and young Senegalese talent's access to global scientific competitions in the field.
Establishing Senegal's National Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (NOAI) answers this structural need by creating the country's first national mechanism for selecting AI talent at secondary level.
First participation
First national selection cycle, and Senegal's first official participation in the IOAI. Four secondary-school students competed directly in the main competition in Astana, without going through the GAITE support programme.
Vision and objectives
NOAI aims to establish a national benchmark for excellence in artificial intelligence at secondary level, consistent with the standards of the international scientific olympiads.
Second national selection cycle, which will name the Senegalese team for the fourth edition of the IOAI. It builds on the lessons of 2026: short intensive preparation gives way to a year-long track, begun as soon as the first candidates are selected.
Selection process
Every round of the selection, its dates and how it unfolds. The timeline is updated as soon as any date changes.
October 2026
Applications open and national awareness campaign in middle and high schools.
October to December 2026
Sessions open to registered candidates: Python, algorithmics, problem solving, mathematics and introduction to AI. National tour to present the Olympiads.
10 to 24 November 2026
First online selection round covering logical reasoning, algorithmics and problem solving.
28 December 2026 to 9 January 2027
Evaluation of programming, algorithmic and problem solving skills. A programming task in addition to MCQs on Eduspace.
January to February 2027
Advanced training on ML/DL basics.
20 February 2027
On-site exams (IOAI format) to identify the best candidates for the final phase.
25 February to 15 March 2027
Deeper deep learning training and more practice on IOAI/AAI exams.
20 March 2027
Gathering of the best candidates on site (Dakar). Final rounds, intensive training and national team constitution.
April to May 2027
Deepening in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, NLP, Computer Vision and problem solving.
May 2027
Subject to confirmationPotential participation in an African AI Olympiad as a preparation and exposure step to the international competition.
June to early July 2027
Mock exams, At Home Tasks, individual and team training, Team Challenge preparation and familiarization with competition platforms.
July 2027
Participation of the Senegalese delegation in the 4th edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence.
August 2027
Program evaluation, feedback and capitalization for future editions.
National team announcement : April 2027, at the close of Phase 4
How to participate
Applications open in October 2026, alongside an awareness campaign in secondary schools across the country. The exact procedure will be published here when registration opens.
Transparency
How candidates are evaluated at each stage, and how the national team is determined.
Each phase narrows the field. The figures below are the targets set for the programme; the detail of each round appears in the table that follows.
Phase 1: Ignite
2,000 students
Phase 2: Orient
1,200 candidates
Phase 3: Advance
24 finalists
Phase 4: Immerse
4 + 4
Phase 1: Ignite
Spark curiosity and demystify AI. Online multiple-choice test on the EduSpace platform, covering general AI knowledge, logic puzzles and scenario questions. The test is open-resource: looking things up is encouraged.
Expected results / Objectives More than 2,000 students targeted, with a pass rate above 60% expected.
Phase 2: Orient
Assess research ability and understanding of ethical issues. Timed online exam on EduSpace, covering AI algorithms, basic Python logic and use cases.
Expected results / Objectives 1,200 candidates.
Phase 3: Advance
Test technical application in a controlled setting. Supervised on-site competition at 14 regional hubs. Candidates tackle a real-world data task, such as training a classifier to reach a given F-score.
Expected results / Objectives The top 24 students (2 candidates for each of the 14 regions).
Phase 4: Immerse
Final selection and intensive preparation. One-day on-site bootcamp in Dakar, built around scientific and practical rounds in the IOAI format.
Expected results / Objectives Four team members and four reserves.
The results of each round are communicated individually to the candidates, at the end of the compilation period that follows each assessment.
Under the NOAI model, a national team of four members and four reserves are named at the close of Phase 4.
Participation fees
Participation is free of charge at every stage of the selection process.
No fee is charged to candidates at any stage. The costs of the programme are borne by GalsenAI and its partners, drawing first on academic partnerships, in-kind contributions and the commitment of qualified volunteers.
In accordance with IOAI regulations, no institution or individual may charge payments or fees with the intent to profit during any stage of the selection process. Collection of nominal fees is permissible only if they are strictly to offset expenses related to accommodation, travel and the actual costs of the competitions, without any profit being made.
Past cycles
Every cycle keeps its own page: the process actually used, the participants and the results achieved.
2026
First national selection cycle, and Senegal's first official participation in the IOAI. Four secondary-school students competed directly in the main competition in Astana, without going through the GAITE support programme.
View this cycleAny question about eligibility, the timeline or how the rounds unfold will get an answer. Write to us.
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