International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO)

The International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) is an annual international philosophy competition for high-school and other pre-university students. It aims to promote critical, creative and independent thinking, philosophical reflection and the ability to construct coherent and persuasive arguments. The main competition consists of a four-hour philosophical essay. Students choose one of several philosophical prompts and develop their own argument. Essays are evaluated based on criteria including relevance to the topic, philosophical understanding, coherence, argumentative power and originality. Students cannot normally apply directly to the IPO. Countries send national delegations, generally consisting of up to two students selected through national-level competitions. The 2026 IPO in Warsaw was the largest edition to date, with 57 national delegations and 118 students. Kazakhstan was among the participating delegations.

Develops critical and philosophical thinking. Strong argumentation skills. Advanced analytical writing. Ability to analyze complex and abstract ideas. Independent thinking. Written communication. International academic exposure. Opportunity to represent one's country internationally. Medals and Honourable Mentions are strong academic achievements. Particularly relevant to Philosophy, Law, Politics, International Relations, History, Economics, Social Sciences, Literature and Humanities.

Students must generally be enrolled in high school. IPO is open to students from countries around the world. The maximum age is 20 by the end of the calendar year in which the IPO takes place. Certain recent high-school graduates may remain eligible under the IPO rules. Students who have already enrolled at university may still qualify in specific circumstances related to when they completed high school. Students cannot normally apply directly to the international IPO. They must qualify through a national selection process. Each country generally sends one or two students. National organizers may impose additional eligibility requirements.