RIYADH: Two Saudi girls have achieved advanced positions in the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad 2023, which is being held in Slovenia from April 13-19.
The EGMO is an international competition in mathematics targeting female high school students whose commitment to mathematics goes beyond the usual school curriculum.
To participate at the EGMO, students must qualify first at a national competition, after which they, together with their advisors, form their respective national delegations.
“Saudi Arabia, represented by King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education won two medals in the EGMO 2023 in Slovenia,” Mawhiba tweeted on Tuesday.
The young talents have raised Saudi Arabia’s medal tally to 26 in all editions of the EGMO, in which 213 students representing 55 countries are currently participating.
Saudi students Jana Ali Saad Al-Dosar from the Eastern Region and Fatimah Hassan Mohammed Bu Ali from Al-Ahsa won a bronze medal and a certificate of appreciation, respectively.
Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa congratulated the winners and expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support of higher education, which led to these achievements.
Al-Hazzaa noted that the students’ successes embody the integration between Kingdom’s institutions and its commitment to advancing young talents through education and training in line with international standards.
She also praised the cooperation between Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a partnership that aims to develop Saudi human capital and increase competitiveness in the labor market in line with the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030.
The Saudi girls participating in the EGMO 2023 have undergone intensive training to develop their scientific skills and were nominated to participate based on the results they achieved in the training forums held by Mawhiba.
The EGMO was initially launched in the UK, which hosted its first edition in April 2012 with 19 participating countries.
The international competition aims to motivate more female students to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad, where girls currently constitute only 10 percent of the participating students.
This is Saudi Arabia’s 11th participation in the EGMO. The Kingdom has achieved two gold medals, six silver medals, 12 bronze medals, and six certificates of appreciation.
The EGMO 2023 awards are scheduled to be distributed on Wednesday during a final ceremony.
