Türkiye has clinched the top spot in the 28th Young Balkan Mathematics Olympiad, held in Antalya, under the coordination of Türkiye's Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBITAK). The award ceremony, hosted at Akdeniz University's Atatürk Conference Hall from June 26-30, celebrated the achievements of participants from 22 countries, including 11 Balkan nations.
A total of 135 students competed in the Olympiad, earning 10 gold, 56 silver and 39 bronze medals. Türkiye's teams A and B collectively secured 177 points, with three gold and three silver medals for Team A and four silver and two bronze medals for Team B. Bulgaria and Romania secured the second and third places, respectively, in the overall standings.
During the ceremony, TÜBITAK President professor Hasan Mandal and Akdeniz University Rector professor Özlenen Özkan presented medals to the winning students.
Stating that the students have been demonstrating their knowledge and skills in mathematics since the beginning of the week, Mandal said: "We are proud to be first as a country."
Stating that students from all over the world got to know Antalya and Turkish culture through the Olympiad, Mandal said: "In the future, we will continue to work together with these children and scientists of the future as a country. There is a need for science-based solutions at the point of being the designer, developer and producer, not just the user of artificial intelligence. Scientists are needed for science-based solutions, and this need spans beyond the adult scientists of today to include the scientists of the future, which is much more critical."
He also added that the "135 children competing here today are the scientists of the future. We have very successful students, including in our country. We trust these students, our youth, and we see science as a tool of diplomacy, peace between countries, and an important tool for solving the world's problems."
