A team of five high school students from Macedonia has departed for Bucaramanga, Colombia, to compete in the 56th International Physics Olympiad from July 4 to 12. The delegation arrives with strong momentum after securing a silver medal at the European Physics Olympiad in Gothenburg, Sweden, and multiple medals at the 8th Balkan Physics Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, signaling a rising competitive profile for the small Balkan nation on the international science stage.
The team comprises Iskra Nečakovska and Mihail Šapčeski from Yahya Kemal College in Skopje, Andrija Mladenović from the Mathematical-Informatics Gymnasium in Skopje, Panče Krstev from Yahya Kemal College, and Andrej Donevski from Goce Delčev Gymnasium in Kumanovo. They are led by Professor Dr. Lambe Barandovski of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje and Dr. Hristijan Kočankovski. The Society of Physicists of Macedonia credited the Faculty and the Institute of Physics for providing training facilities, while noting that the Ministry of Education and Science now fully covers registration and travel costs for international Olympiad participation.
The recent European success was highlighted by Iskra Nečakovska, who won silver at the Gothenburg competition held June 12–16 in a field of 199 students from 41 countries. Swedish Minister of Education Lotta Edholm personally presented the medal, underscoring the achievement’s prestige. Earlier, at the Balkan Physics Olympiad in Istanbul from June 27–30, Valentino Atanasoski earned silver, while Filip Hadži-Velkov and Andrej Tasić took bronze, Jakov Gegovski received an honorable mention. All medalists at the Balkan competition hailed from Yahya Kemal College, reinforcing the school’s reputation as a hub for physics talent in the country.
The International Physics Olympiad in Colombia represents the pinnacle of secondary school physics competition, drawing national champions from roughly 80 countries to solve grueling theoretical and experimental problems. For Macedonia, the 2026 team carries hopes of translating its recent European and regional momentum into a strong global showing. The increased state backing reflects a strategic bet that investing in young scientific talent can help reverse brain drain and build a future knowledge based economy. As the five students prepare to face the world’s best physicists, their journey embodies both individual excellence and a nation’s push to claim its place in international science.
