The International Young Naturalists' Tournament (IYNT) is an annual international competition for students aged 12-16, focused on interdisciplinary natural science research. Founded on the concept of the IYPT and running since 2013, the global finals rotate between host countries each year (2026: Tbilisi, Georgia).
How it works:
Teams spend up to a year researching a set of open-ended science problems published in advance. Problems span biology, physics, chemistry, and other natural sciences, requiring experimental work and empirical evidence rather than textbook answers.
At the global finals, teams compete in Science Fights — structured scientific discussions modeled on seminar presentations and thesis defenses. In each round, teams rotate between three roles:
- Reporter — presents the team's solution to a problem
- Opponent — challenges the Reporter's approach and findings
- Reviewer — evaluates the quality of both presentations
Professional scientists and educators serve as jurors and grade each team's performance. The format rewards depth of research, critical thinking, collaborative investigation, and scientific communication.
The IYNT is open to students who qualify through national-level tournaments in their country. The global finals have rotated between host countries including Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Iran, China, and Turkey.