The 2023 International Mathematics Competition for University Students is organised by University College London and hosted by the American University in Bulgaria. In total, 393 university students from 108 universities worldwide participated.

It is the second time that Zifan Hua attended this competition. He is majoring in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. He told us that he took this competition as a stimulus for him to keep learning new stuff.

"I found it a challenging competition. Every time I participated, I encountered entirely new mathematical questions, thus posing significant challenges to us." Zifan Hua never felt disheartened. Instead, he constantly explored the vast world of mathematics through unfamiliar questions and innovative problem-solving approaches. This year, he successfully surpassed himself and received the First Prize.

Professor Behrouz Emamizadeh, Head of the Department of Mathematical Science, extended his congratulations to the UNNC Olympiad team, “Once again, our Mathematics Olympiad team proved that they have the resolve to achieve high goals. They demonstrated that perseverance indeed pays off. We are proud of both of them for making our UNNC and city of Ningbo distinguished. I as the Head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Zifan and Zekai and wish them even more success in their next endeavour."

The IMC mainly tests students' mathematical thinking and abilities in algebra, real and complex analysis, number theory, geometry, and combinatorics. Over the past competitions, it has had participants from over two hundred institutions from over fifty countries.

Zekai Li, from the Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence programme, emphasised that one of the biggest gains for him is the exchange and communication with participants from other countries and universities. "This year, we were the only team from China. During interactions with other teams, I learned much about research and study life in Europe, which has provided insights for my future graduate applications and university selections."

As a prospective final year Computer Science student, Zekai Li clarified that he was inspired and encouraged by his tutor who is also an expert in theoretical computer science to take this challenge. He would like to enhance his mathematical capabilities through this competition and plans to apply a postgraduate study in theoretical computer science in the nearly future. Despite his commendable performance, Li felt a hint of regret about his results and hopes to achieve better outcomes for next year.

This year, three academic staff from Department of Mathematical Science, Dr Hamid Reza Daneshpajouh, Dr Elio Eduardo Espejo Arenas, and Dr Fan Jun extended the training courses from the perspective of their different expertise. Dr Hamid Reza Daneshpajouh, as the team leader, has also provided generous on-site support to students in Bulgaria.

Moreover, Starting from the autumn semester of 2022/23 academic year, the Department of Mathematical Sciences has regularly held undergraduate research seminars, aiming to encourage more students to participate in a relaxed setting and stimulate their interest in exploring mathematics. This initiative creates a platform for open and equal communication between students and teachers. Zifan Hua, who won the first prize in this competition, is a regular attendee of these seminars.

The authentic English teaching environment, the patient supervisions from tutors, and mutual support among teammates were crucial for the students to achieve outstanding results in this competition. Undoubtedly, the robust backing from Faculty of Science and Engineering and the University was indispensable.

This year marked University of Nottingham Ningbo’s second participation in the IMC, and we hope to see more of its students achieving remarkable results on the international stage next year!