News
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04 2023
CoNAS report for 2022 (excerpt)Makerere University
The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in different countries. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from 5 continents. The 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad took place in Oslo, Norway, from 6th July to 16th July, 2022. There were five participants who are high school students in the Ugandan Team. The Performance of Uganda in IMO in 2022 was relatively better than the previous one. Uganda was ranked 100 out of 104 countries that participated. Below is the individual performance of the five participants who managed to represent the country at this Olympiad. Uganda's IMO team 2022 was sponsored by The Romanian Society for Mathematical Sciences under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Radu Gologan; Prof. Sergiu Moroianu of Romania in collaboration with the friends of Uganda mathematical society worldwide; UMS; Parents and school administrators of the contestants.
Mr. Mukalazi Jonathan Benoni got a Honorable mention at the competition.
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07 2021
Romania helps Uganda on its way to the International Mathematical OlympiadSergiu Moroianu, European Math Society Magazine
In 2018, I was one of the coordinators at the 59th IMO in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I spoke to half of the team leaders from all over the world, taking the opportunity to inquire about the Olympiads in their countries. One of these leaders was Jasper Okello, the initiator of Uganda’s participation in the IMO. Before 2018, Uganda had received a Honorable Mention at the IMO twice. The best ranking of the team had been in 2017, where it was in the bottom 14.55 %. I learned that the Ugandan state does not support students’ training or participation in the IMO. I was particularly struck by the fact that the Uganda Mathematical Society had not even been able to obtain support for participation from any international bodies such as the IMU. Together with Jasper, we began sending out funding applications to various charities or learned societies. I also contacted acquaintances in academia, but with no success. It seemed that public funding from rich countries is simply not aimed at talented young people in countries like Uganda.
I finally opened a private online donation list. I estimated the total participation cost for the team as around 10,000 euros, of which I expected to raise 10 %. The response was overwhelming. Donations started to pour in from family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers who learned about our project. We reached the initial target in under three weeks. The Romanian Society for Mathematical Sciences became involved in the project. Colleagues with solid experience in IMO training offered online lessons.
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02 2020
It all adds upLaura Carter, MIT News
MIT students train teams in Ghana and Uganda for the International Mathematical Olympiad through MISTI-Africa
A new program invites MIT undergraduates, particularly those with a background in competition mathematics, to travel across the globe to train the national teams in Uganda and Ghana.
"We are fortunate at MIT to have students who are not only mathematically brilliant but also care about helping others develop their passion for mathematics," said Professor Michel Goemans, head of the Department of Mathematics. "It is an amazing experience for both the MIT students and these students from Ghana and Uganda. This program provides the talented students from these African nations the opportunities and mathematical resources that they would not otherwise easily have access to."
This January, during the MIT Independent Activities Period (IAP), three more MIT students, Andrew Gu, Eshaan Nichani, and Carolina Ortega, flew to Ghana and an additional three, Sean Elliot, Violet Felt, and Michael Ren, made their way to Uganda.
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01 2020
26 finalists lined up for Mathematics Olympiad contentsGeoffrey Mutegeki, New Vision
KAMPALA - A total of 26 students out of 77 who have been undergoing intensive training in preparation for the upcoming International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in Russia have been selected for further training.
The students have been undergoing a week-long training at Light Academy Secondary School in Lweza.
From the 26 who will go for another week's training, six will be selected to represent Uganda at both the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) between March and April in Tunisia and IMO in Russia later this year.
According to the Uganda Mathematics Society (UMS) president, Ismail Mirumbe, the contestants were examined in the areas of geometry, number theory, algebra and combinatorics following the IMO board regulations.
“Mathematics is not difficult but only a challenge. Like any other challenge, we have to find solutions. Getting a wrong solution is easier than getting a correct one, but never give up. In math, the starting point matters and if you have passion, you will always make it,” Mirumbe said.
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05 2019
Romania aids Ugandan students for global mathematics competitionJeff Andrew Lule, New Vision
The Romanian Mathematical Society (RMS) has extended financial support worth $3,400 (about sh12m) towards a team of six Ugandan students who are set to represent the country in this year's International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO).
The annual competition which attracts over 100 countries will take place in Bath, United Kingdom from 10th to 22nd July 2019.
Uganda will be represented by six students including Reagan Yuggu Leri from Bishop Cypriano Kihangire, Hagar Namubiru of St. Mary's college Namagunga, Naturinda Emmanuel of St. Mary's College Rushoroza, Gloria Aliwayoki of Iganga SSS, Ian Mugisha of Ntale School, and Gerald Akakunda of St. Paul's Seminary Kabale.
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03 2019
Scrisoare deschisă către o pisicăDomino
Dragă Doamnă Pisică,
Vă scriu pentru a vă cere ajutorul. Este vorba desigur de matematică, pasiunea noastră comună. La fel ca străbuna Voastră îmblănită, cunoscută în istoria fizicii drept „pisica lui Heisenberg”, sunteţi şi Dumneavoastră chemată să jucaţi un rol cel puţin la fel de spectaculos. Ajutându-i pe tinerii matematicieni ai Ugandei, veţi rămâne în analele matematicii drept „pisica lui Lagerfeld”, binefăcătoarea geometriei, aritmeticii şi a combinatoricii!
Înălţimea Voastră aţi beneficiat încă din pisicuţie, graţie bipedului pe care l-aţi avut în îngrijire, de cele mai educative şi mai atractive calendare pentru mâţe de toate vârstele, elaborate după metoda Motanului Murr, un alt faimos felin cu care vă înrudiţi cu siguranţă, judecând după delicateţea purtărilor, agerimea minţii şi lungimea mustăţilor. Este foarte trist, dar undeva pe planeta aceasta, în ţara Ugandei, nu există încă matematicieni profesioniști, iar pisicile nu au calendare! Cum ar putea însă cineva să se instruiască şi să se educe fără calendar?!
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01 2019
Six students to represent Uganda in math competitionsJeff Andrew Lule, New Vision
KAMPALA - A total of 18 students out of 61 who have been undergoing intensive training in preparation for the upcoming International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in the United Kingdom have been selected for further trainings.
"We selected 160 students from both O' and A' Level basing on their excellent performance in the national mathematics contest 2017/18 and invited them for training. Only 61 turned up and after the exams, we have managed to select the best 18 for further trainings," said Jasper Okello, the IMO co-ordinator.
During their week-long training at Light Academy in Lweza, contestants were examined in the areas of geometry, number theory, algebra and combinatorics following the IMO board regulations.
The IMO is the world championship mathematics competition for youth under 20 hosted by a different country each year.
Uganda was admitted into the competitions in 2011 with the first batch of students representing the country the following year in Argentina.
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01 2015
UMS - THE 2015 MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD COMPETITIONums.ug
Mathematics student Maria Nyamukuru from St. Mary’s Namagunga is grateful after finally making it to the 2012 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in Argentina. IMO is the world championship mathematics competition for high school students and it is held annually in a different country.
Speaking from the Argentine coastal city of Mar Del Plata, where the event has been running since July 4 and ends today, Nyamukuru paid tribute to businessman Frank Gashumba who paid for her return air ticket plus upkeep money.
"He is a great, generous man," said the 19-year-old, who also scored 14 points at A-Level doing PCM last year. "I walked to him in the last week and he made sure I flew out the next day. I had lost hope after going to several public offices and they ignored me."
The Ugandan State minister for education, John Chrysostom Muyingo met the six representatives before they departed for Argentina and he regretted his office not being able to finance their trip.
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