January 21^st saw the opening of the first Mathematics Olympiad Training Camp (Camp) at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). 102 middle school students and 14 team mentors from 22 provinces participated in the training. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and SUSTech Vice President Tang Tao attended the opening ceremony.

Tang Tao spoke at the opening ceremony, saying that the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) was a good platform for enlightening many young math enthusiasts. Many internationally renowned mathematicians had been gold medalists in the IMO. The Camp aimed to cultivate middle school students’ interest in mathematics, improve the scientific literacy of students aiming to specialize in mathematics, and promote the development of the study of mathematics. It was hoped that students would cherish this opportunity and learn from each other.

Director of Office of Teaching Affairs Huang Kefu briefed the students about SUSTech. He pointed out that SUSTech’s undergraduate teaching plan reflected its student-centered uniqueness. Allowing students to complete two years of general education before declaring their major enables students to fully activate their interests, laying a foundation for specialty selections. He also briefed on the strong faculty of SUSTech and its leading research level in China.

National Mathematical Olympiad coach Fu Yunhao, threw a question to the attending teachers and students: “What is mathematics?” He believed that mathematics is a very interesting subject which requires practitioners to study and do research for many years. The significance of the IMO is to provide students with opportunities to dig into a problem, thus exploring the wonders and fun of mathematics.

The Camp was hosted by the Office of Admissions. The coaches at this year’s Camp include Fu Yunhao, Han Jiarui and many other gold medal winners of previous IMOs. The coaches will conduct a variety of courses in areas such as applied mathematics, advanced mathematics, and traditional mathematics.