The 6th International Student Olympiad on Theory of Machines and Mechanisms (SIOMMS2025)

The 6th Student International Olympiad on Mechanisms and Machine Science (SIOMMS 2025) was held from November 26 to 28, 2025, in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan IFToMM National Member Organization, Satbayev Kazakh National Research Technical University, and the Joldasbekov Institute of Mechanics and Engineering organized the Olympiad, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The international event brought together 11 student teams from 6 countries, including Kazakhstan, China, Spain, Romania, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan, with a total of 33 participants representing leading technical universities and research institutions. The Olympiad focused on fundamental sections of Mechanisms and Machine Science (MMS) and aimed to promote analytical thinking, engineering culture, and international academic cooperation among young researchers.

The competition program consisted of eight theoretical problems covering the main areas of MMS. Participants were given four hours to solve the tasks, demonstrating a high level of theoretical knowledge, analytical skills, and engineering reasoning. The evaluation was conducted by an international jury chaired by Professor Sayat Ibrayev.

A distinctive feature of SIOMMS 2025 was the introduction of monetary prizes for outstanding individual performance. For the first time in the history of the SIOMMS Olympiad worldwide, the Kazakhstan IFToMM National Member Organization established cash awards for top-performing students, making the Kazakhstan MMS community the first to introduce financial incentives within the SIOMMS framework. The prizes were awarded to eight participants who achieved the highest individual scores.

In addition to the competition, the Olympiad included a scientific and educational program, featuring a lecture by Professor Sayat Ibrayev entitled “Approximate Synthesis of Linkages: Development of Levitsky–Sarkissyan Concepts in the Kazakh MMS School”, as well as an open meeting of the IFToMM Permanent Commission on Education. Participants also attended laboratory tours and cultural events.

The Olympiad concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing team and individual achievements, notable nominations, and the contribution of organizers and mentors. SIOMMS 2025 highlighted Kazakhstan’s leadership role in advancing MMS education and its proactive contribution to the global SIOMMS tradition.