Statement by the EPS Executive Committee about the 2024 International Physics Olympiad in Iran

Statement by the Executive Committee of the European Physical Society about the organisation of the 2024 International Physics Olympiad in Tehran, Iran

14th December 2023

"The European Physical Society (EPS) supports the International Physics Olympiad, which provides a wonderful opportunity to gather promising young physicists from around the world to discuss physics and solve physics problems in a safe, peaceful, and collaborative atmosphere.

Nevertheless, the EPS asks the organisers of the upcoming International Physics Olympiad in 2024 to reconsider Tehran, Iran, as a suitable location. The EPS is deeply concerned about the actions of the Iranian regime, particularly its ongoing repression of women and girls, as well as the recent violent crackdowns on political protests. Such circumstances, the EPS believes, create an environment where the safety of future physicists cannot be assured and where the diversity found among physicists is not respected.

Supporting the International Physics Olympiad in Iran is an endorsement of the actions of the Iranian government. Consequently, the EPS cannot endorse the event if it is held in Iran and recommends relocating it to a country where democratic ideals are respected and all participants will be welcomed regardless of their nationality, religion, or gender identity."