61st International Mathematical Olympiad Officially Open at Herzen University
Published 08.10.2020
The opening ceremony in St Petersburg was attended by Viktor Basyuk, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Irina Potekhina, Vice Governor of St Petersburg, and the Russian team with its coach Kirill Sukhov.
The studio set in the Mariinsky grand hall broadcasted the ceremony through the official YouTube channel of the Olympiad. Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Education, Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, Stanislav Smirnov, Fields Medalist, Geoff Smith, President of the IMO Board and Sergei Bogdanov, Rector of Herzen University, all greeted the audience.
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To prepare and take part in the Olympiad, one needs a high level of commitment and awareness, as well as the ability to learn quickly, focus and make decisions under pressure,” Sergei Kravtsov noted, “I am quite sure that you have all put in great work. What matters now is your determination!”
“We knew the Olympiad could never be cancelled”, Geoff Smith emphasized, “Some of you will be sitting the contest papers late at night, or early in the morning. The organizing committee will be working around the clock. I do hope that everything runs smoothly. Good luck and see you on the other side!”
“For our city, we are focused on developing the knowledge economy,” Alexander Beglov stated, “This, of course, cannot be done without mathematics, which is, as we say, the mother of all sciences. Mathematics is a universal language bringing together whole nations and continents. This year, the Olympiad is virtual. Young mathematicians from over 100 countries will be solving problems at home, coordinated through modern technology which would be impossible without mathematics.”
Sergei Bogdanov also welcomed the Olympiad participants, “Today is an amazing day; today, the past, the present and the future are united. Why the past? Because with your help, we are upholding a very important tradition of many years, the tradition of holding international mathematical contests for school students. Why the present? Because together we are facing challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is our common enemy; never before has the Olympiad been held online. But the beautiful past we are preserving and the tough yet noble present will undoubtedly lead us into a beautiful future. I very much hope that you will yet be able to see the magnificent city of Saint Petersburg with your own eyes and not on a screen.”
The opening ceremony also featured the parade of teams. All in all, over 600 young individuals from 108 countries will be participating in the contest.
The Russian team comprises six students who were chosen through the official selection procedure. This year, they are from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Sochi. St Petersburg is represented by Maksim Turaevsky from the Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239.
A recording of the official opening ceremony is available on the IMO 2020 YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxJDBiB5_etj-B_HVqkOaQ
IMO Website: https://imo2020.ru/ru/main/
The studio set in the Mariinsky grand hall broadcasted the ceremony through the official YouTube channel of the Olympiad. Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Education, Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, Stanislav Smirnov, Fields Medalist, Geoff Smith, President of the IMO Board and Sergei Bogdanov, Rector of Herzen University, all greeted the audience.
“
To prepare and take part in the Olympiad, one needs a high level of commitment and awareness, as well as the ability to learn quickly, focus and make decisions under pressure,” Sergei Kravtsov noted, “I am quite sure that you have all put in great work. What matters now is your determination!”
“We knew the Olympiad could never be cancelled”, Geoff Smith emphasized, “Some of you will be sitting the contest papers late at night, or early in the morning. The organizing committee will be working around the clock. I do hope that everything runs smoothly. Good luck and see you on the other side!”
“For our city, we are focused on developing the knowledge economy,” Alexander Beglov stated, “This, of course, cannot be done without mathematics, which is, as we say, the mother of all sciences. Mathematics is a universal language bringing together whole nations and continents. This year, the Olympiad is virtual. Young mathematicians from over 100 countries will be solving problems at home, coordinated through modern technology which would be impossible without mathematics.”
Sergei Bogdanov also welcomed the Olympiad participants, “Today is an amazing day; today, the past, the present and the future are united. Why the past? Because with your help, we are upholding a very important tradition of many years, the tradition of holding international mathematical contests for school students. Why the present? Because together we are facing challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is our common enemy; never before has the Olympiad been held online. But the beautiful past we are preserving and the tough yet noble present will undoubtedly lead us into a beautiful future. I very much hope that you will yet be able to see the magnificent city of Saint Petersburg with your own eyes and not on a screen.”
The opening ceremony also featured the parade of teams. All in all, over 600 young individuals from 108 countries will be participating in the contest.
The Russian team comprises six students who were chosen through the official selection procedure. This year, they are from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Sochi. St Petersburg is represented by Maksim Turaevsky from the Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239.
A recording of the official opening ceremony is available on the IMO 2020 YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxJDBiB5_etj-B_HVqkOaQ
IMO Website: https://imo2020.ru/ru/main/
