We are immensely proud to announce that the first-ever Central-European Olympiad in AI – CEOAI will be hosted by Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai, through its Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from July 13 to 18, 2026. This event, expected to feature the best high-school students from many European nations, marks a major scientific and cultural achievement for our country.

The CEOAI – https://ceoai-official.org/ – will bring the continent’s top young minds to Romania, firmly placing our country on the map of continental-level AI competitions. We anticipate this inaugural edition will set a new standard for performance in the field and inspire the next generation of AI specialists.

Over an entire week, participants will engage with complex artificial intelligence challenges, blending theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world applications. The competition structure includes:

• Practical Challenges: Developing functional AI models to solve specific problems. These will follow the international AI olympiads structure, preparing students for the global stage.
• Thematic Sections: Focused work on critical areas such as AI in Health, Environment, Education, and Ethics, ensuring students tackle meaningful global issues.
• Workshops and Panels: Opportunities for direct interaction with leading researchers, university professors, and industry representatives.

For the host nation, the selection process for the Romanian team participating in the CEOAI will be conducted via the national platform: olimpiada.nitro-ai.org. This platform will also serve as the selection ground for the Romanian delegation to the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IAIO) in 2027.

University Babeș-Bolyai, The Romanian Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) and the Cluj County Inspectorate are honored to welcome Europe’s AI future to Cluj-Napoca.