Horizon Labs Introduces the Winners of the International Research and Programming Olympiad (IRPO)
Las Vegas, Nevada – July 20, 2025 — Horizon Labs, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, today announced the winners of the first-ever International Research and Programming Olympiad (IRPO), a groundbreaking three-month contest that challenges secondary-school students to apply programming within scientific research.
- 1st place is Shah Mahek Ravikumar from the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) in Singapore
- 2nd place is Nidhi Veerendra from Downingtown STEM Academy in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA
- 3rd place is Ahanaf Ariq from Ideal School & College, Motijheel in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Grand-Final Research Projects
- UHI (Urban Heat Islands) — Mahek
- Thermal Perception — Nidhi
- Hybrid Physics-Informed ML for Thermodynamics — Ahanaf
Competition Highlights
- 64 competitors from 17 different countries entered the 2025 pilot edition.
- Physics served as the common scientific theme, with emphasis on thermodynamics.
- The Olympiad featured three stages — Opens, Invitationals, and Grand Finals — culminating in team "mini research papers" that combined data science with physics theory.
About the International Research and Programming Olympiad
The IRPO represents a new approach to academic competition, emphasizing practical application of programming in scientific research rather than theoretical knowledge alone. The competition allows participants to use external resources while prohibiting artificial intelligence and tutoring services, ensuring original work and authentic learning.
Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication to the field of science and technology!