HSE University Wins Two Medals at the International Mathematics Competition for University Students

© HSE University

Two students, one graduate and one undergraduate, from the HSE Faculty of Computer Science (FCS) programme in ‘Applied Mathematics and Information Science’ won prestigious awards at the International Mathematics Competition for University Students (IMC). Graduate Maksim Kazadaev and first-year student Daria Linichenko both represented HSE University at the IMC, winning gold and silver medals respectively.

The IMC is one of the most prestigious international mathematics competitions. This year, it was organised by University College of London and hosted in early August by the American University in Bulgaria. It is not easy to qualify for the FCS team that competes in the IMC, as students must actively participate in other mathematics competitions throughout the year. Selection is also based on the results of the Open Student Mathematics Olympiad (autumn and spring).

For more details on competition results, click here.

Andrey Gavrilyuk, Expert of the HSE Centre of Student Competitions

'Our students have once again won medals at an international mathematics competition’ —this is how the news looks at first. However, I would like to add some context to the picture. In our country, there is a unique situation with academic competitions: almost every school student, without even realising it, undergoes some sort of selection process—whether they receive a recommendation to participate in the school or municipal stage of the All-Russian Olympiad of School Students. Not to mention there exists a wide variety of other olympiads both standard and more narrowly focused. It turns out that student involvement in subject olympiads starts as early as school and is no less intense than sports competitions.

Being in such a competition-rich environment, it is easy to overlook the fact that the level of even similarly well-known olympiads can vary greatly. While some olympiads allow you to simply register and attend, others require a complex multi-stage selection process. Some people may even think that after securing university admission, olympiads lose their importance and become ‘irrelevant.’

However, the IMC is one of the most prestigious international university-level mathematics competitions and the only one of its kind on our continent. To qualify for the FCS team, students must pass a selection process that includes at least three major olympiads and several lower-level competitions.

The IMC has become so significant that several globally renowned companies regularly sponsor the competition, seeking to attract the attention of IMC participants. I would like to note that the first stage of the new olympiad cycle at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science will start in September. It will be our traditional Autumn Olympiad, where we warmly invite all interested students, particularly those in their 1st to 4th years of undergraduate studies.'

Maksim Kazadaev

'Participating in the International Mathematics Competition for University Students was a significant event for me. Beyond the competition itself, I was most impressed by the opportunity to meet students from all over the world who share my interests. For me, it was not only a test of mathematical ability but also a chance to establish friendships that I highly value. Most of all, I remember our excursion to the Rila Monastery near Blagoevgrad—an interesting cultural addition to our trip. I hope to return to the IMC next year, improve my achievements, and meet again with my friends.'

Daria Linichenko

'I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the competition, and the opportunity to freely communicate with students from other countries. The problems were interesting, though sometimes less creative and more technical than I expected. Compared to the problems of previous years that have seen, there were quite a few easy tasks. It was also encouraging that knowledge from my first year was enough to solve these problems.'

Text by Maria Vorontsova