site.btaBulgarian Students Win 8 Medals at 41st Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Bulgarian students won eight medals at the 41st Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, which ended on Wednesday in Varna. The ceremony awarding the winners was attended by caretaker Education Minister Galin Tsokov, Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, representatives of the Union of Bulgarian Mathematicians, the head of the regional department of education in Varna, Dr. Irena Radeva.

Alexander Velinov, secretary of the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad organizing committee, said that this year there were a record number of 173 participants. A total of 23 teams from 22 countries took part in the competition. Bulgaria, as the host country, participated with two teams. Bulgarian students won a total of two gold, two silver and four bronze medals. The gold ones went to Marin Hristov from the Sofia High School of Mathematics and Deyan Hadzhi-Manich from the Varna High School of Mathematics. 

Velinov commented that Bulgarian students perform excellently at other international Olympiads in natural sciences as well.  Bulgarian participants in the  International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad, which took place in China this year, brought home a gold medal, which is very difficult to achieve, he noted.

Educatuin Minister Tsokov said that with the construction of STEM-centres in schools, a process is beginning that will strengthen children's interest in natural sciences. He noted that this requires a different way of teaching, with more interactive work and integral learning. Tsokov specified that so far more than 300 schools are starting to build STEM-centres, and about 1,900 more have initiated the process.