--- title: "Moldovan students won three medals at the International AI Olympiad" url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/82944/moldovan-students-won-three-medals-at-the-international-ai-olympiad published: 2026-08-12T17:54:26Z language: en author: "Redacția TRM" section: "Social" source: radiomoldova.md --- # Moldovan students won three medals at the International AI Olympiad > The Republic of Moldova achieved significant success at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) 2026, held in Kazakhstan, winning one silver and two bronze medals. Alin Popescu earned the silver medal, while Ion Pavelescu and Octavian Harcel, students from the "Orizont" Theoretical Lyceum, secured the bronze medals. This marks Moldova's first participation in this prestigious competition, which featured students from over 100 countries. ![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/d0da2156-5467-4dcf-a756-9c6856200e07.jpg) The Republic of Moldova achieved significant success at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) 2026, held in Kazakhstan, winning one silver and two bronze medals. Alin Popescu earned the silver medal, while Ion Pavelescu and Octavian Harcel, students from the "Orizont" Theoretical Lyceum, secured the bronze medals. This marks Moldova's first participation in this prestigious competition, which featured students from over 100 countries. In the report, we get to know two of these young people who wrote a new page in the history of Moldova's participation in international competitions: **Octavian Harcel** and **Ion Pavelescu**. For Octavian, the road to the medal was marked by emotions, but the final result compensated for all the difficult moments of the competition. *"After the first day I was a little disappointed with the results, but I managed to succeed on the second day. (...) There were a lot of emotions before the competition, after the competition, while I was waiting for the results. I can say that there were pleasant emotions when I got the medal"*, Octavian Harcel confessed to the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova. The performance of the young people was supported by constant training, in a relatively new field, in which study resources are still limited, but the role of mentors Mihai Moglan and Sergiu Corlat was remarkable. *"We thank our mentors who helped us until this Olympiad, with whom we worked every week all year. And luck was also on our side. Especially since it is complicated to prepare when the field is so new, and there are few resources, but I think we succeeded, the Olympian said. **Six hours for three problems** The IOAI tests tested not only the participants' technical knowledge, but also their ability to concentrate and resist fatigue. The young people had approximately six hours to solve complex artificial intelligence problems: *"Every minute of the six hours, I think I sat and read and solved everything, wrote code on the computer"*, explained Octavian Harcel. For Ion Pavelescu, the competition was also a psychological test because the previous experience affected his confidence in his own strength. *"I think the hardest thing for me was to overcome a psychological barrier. Before the competition in Kazakhstan, I was in Cluj, and there I ranked very, very low. My morale was down. When I arrived in Kazakhstan, I didn't think I could get the medal, but I did it,"* Pavelescu said on the show "Zi de Zi". **AI, passion and performance** Ion Pavelescu confessed that his interest in AI existed before preparing for the Olympics, but the studies he carried out with his mentors gave him a deeper understanding of the technologies behind it. *"I was always passionate about AI, I never knew how it works, what is hidden behind it. Taking the courses with our mentors paved the way for me to understand what all this consists of, LLMs and how they work,"* the young man explained. For him, success at the Olympics does not just mean a medal, but the beginning of a professional path in a rapidly developing field: *"This period is full of opportunities and even if I wanted to rest, my conscience does not allow me, because I know that opportunities come once in a lifetime"*, Pavelescu said. **"Every problem has a solution"** The two Olympians believe that international performance is accessible to any young person willing to work and overcome difficult moments. For Harcel, the journey is as important as the final result. *"I would tell all aspiring Olympians that every confrontation, every step, every difficult problem always has a solution. Not only the medal matters, but even the path I have traveled so far. All the knowledge I have accumulated will certainly be very useful in the future"*, Octavian Harcel said. Ion Pavelescu, in turn, insists on the discipline to achieve performance: *"Anyone could get here, it just takes a lot, a lot of work"*, the Olympian said. **The future of AI and how we use it** The success at IOAI has led young people to view artificial intelligence not only as an academic field, but also as an opportunity for development. Octavian Harcel believes that technologies must be seen as tools that can open up new perspectives. *"We cannot consider technologies as a burden. Rather, they actually give us new opportunities or help us if we use them correctly in any field"*, he said. However, Ion Pavelescu also draws attention to the challenges facing his generation. In his opinion, young people must take more advantage of existing opportunities and be active. *"The biggest challenges of today's youth are social media, this addiction to phones, to screens. (...) I think that the fact that we have no experience and we can live life a little more freely, to do new things, to enjoy every moment. At the moment, young people in Moldova have something to do, they have something to get involved in. I don't think that excuse is valid anymore"*, said Ion Pavelescu. **Knowledge abroad for the development of Moldova** The results obtained at IOAI do not end with medals. Next comes studies, new challenges. Octavian Harcel is going to continue his studies at a university in Europe, where he intends to deepen his knowledge. "Many opportunities are opening up in the future. I was admitted to Delft University in the Netherlands. From September, I will be there with many other colleagues. (...) I hope to continue my passion for AI at the university. Right now I am thinking of doing my master's degree in this field", Harcel said. For Ion Pavelescu, however, the accumulation of experience abroad is linked to a broader objective: contributing to the development of society. "My dream is that after I have gathered all the knowledge from abroad, I will create something here in Moldova to help the country's economy and make it flourish," Ion Pavelescu said the public radio station. The world competition took place from August 2 to 8 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The competition brought together 435 students from 131 countries, and the result obtained by the Republic of Moldova team confirms the potential of young people passionate about new technologies. ![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/c7a8724d-28fb-4bf9-b218-60ece838d493.jpg) **Moldova secures second place at the ICON World Contest 2026** A team of students from the Republic of Moldova earned second place at the e-ICON World Contest 2026, held in South Korea. **Cristian Rudico** and **Daniel Stanchevici** from the “Gheorghe Asachi” Theoretical Lyceum in Chisinau collaborated with South Korean students to develop the “SnapCare” application. This innovative app, powered by artificial intelligence, is designed to enhance medication administration safety. “SnapCare” can analyze photos of prescriptions, medications, or labels, transforming the information into pictograms, color codes, and audio explanations. This solution aims to minimize the risks associated with medication errors, such as omissions or overdoses. Through “SnapCare”, the students from the Republic of Moldova tackled a public health issue by creating an accessible technological solution, showcasing their capacity to develop innovative projects with international relevance. Their achievement is particularly impressive considering that 252 applications were submitted in the preliminary stage, with only 20 teams advancing to the finals—10 from South Korea and 10 from other countries.