OSU wins bid to host International Physicists’ Tournament in 2026
Monday, August 18, 2025
Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | egosney@okstate.edu
For the first time in its history, the International Physicists’ Tournament will be hosted in the United States — at Oklahoma State University.
In May 2026, around 200 faculty and students from 21 universities in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia will come to Stillwater to compete in the “World Cup of undergraduate physics research,” said Dr. Flera Rizatdinova, head of the OSU Department of Physics.
“Hosting the IPT is a major international recognition that puts OSU on the global stage as a top-tier STEM education institution,” Rizatdinova said. “The tournament brings together the world's brightest undergraduate physics students and first-year graduate students. Hosting will give Oklahoma State University significant international visibility and will allow our students to interact with students from about 20 other countries, enriching them not only from a physics perspective, but also giving them an incredible cultural experience.”
In the past, IPT has typically been hosted in Europe, as the majority of participating universities are across the Atlantic. But through the efforts of Rizatdinova, recent Ph.D. graduate Rosty Martinez, physics professor Dr. Joe Haley and other members of the OSU IPT organizing committee, OSU came out on top.
“Hosting the IPT ... may very well be the largest international academic event ever held on our campus — and the fact that it’s centered on science makes it even more special,” Martinez said. “OSU combines strong academic programs with a welcoming and inclusive community, making it an ideal setting for an international competition like the IPT.”
During the weeklong event, attendees will participate in a series of physics “fights,” presenting solutions to multidisciplinary problems that they’ve had nine months to solve.
“These physics problems require designing their own experiments, developing their own theoretical models, collecting data and analyzing their results,” Rizatdinova said. “Students involved in these competitions learn how to tackle complex problems that aren’t in the textbooks, and this prepares them for real-world challenges.”
The OSU Physics Team has represented the U.S. in three IPT finals — 2023 in Paris, 2024 in Zurich, and 2025 in Warsaw, Poland — and hosted the U.S. finals in Stillwater in 2024 and 2025.
“This competition attracts some of the most brilliant minds in the world and inspires our students to rise to their level,” Martinez said. “Participating in — and leading — this event is a testament to the strength and quality of education at OSU. We aim to show that any student from Oklahoma can compete with the best in the world.
“I’ve seen firsthand how this competition takes great students and pushes them to become even better — sharpening their research skills, deepening their understanding of physics and building their confidence as communicators and collaborators.”
With about 10 more months to plan the event, the OSU IPT organizing committee and members of the Department of Physics are in the fundraising stage. Individual and corporate sponsors keep participant costs low, and in turn, get the opportunity to promote their organizations, receive recognition and interact with the dozens of participants. For Rizatdinova, the latter is one of the things she’s most looking forward to.
“We get to showcase Oklahoma State University as a fantastic place to study — not just for our national students, but for international students as well,” she said. “Many of these students will be heading to graduate school — why not OSU?
“I’m excited to show off OSU hospitality and Oklahoma’s culture to international visitors. Many international tourists only see the most popular places and big cities. IPT is our chance to show them what Oklahoma has to offer.”
As a recently graduated international student, Martinez knows firsthand exactly what OSU offerings Rizatdinova is speaking about.
“OSU fosters a spirit of collaboration, curiosity and determination — values that align perfectly with the essence of the IPT,” Martinez said. “Hosting the tournament here sends a message that world-class science can happen anywhere, including right here in Oklahoma.”
Learn more about the 2026 International Physicists’ Tournament at OSU here.