HSE University Wins Seven Medals at International Mathematics Competition for University Students
HSE students were among the winners of the International Mathematics Competition for University Students (IMC), which was held in August in Bulgaria. The medallists are students of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science (FCS) programme in Applied Mathematics and Information Science and the Faculty of Mathematics programme in Mathematics.
The IMC is one of the most prestigious international mathematics competitions. This year, the competition was held from July 28 to August 3 in Blagoevgrad (Bulgaria). It has traditionally been organised by University College London and the American University in Bulgaria. More than 430 students from over 50 leading universities around the world took part in this year’s competition. It is not easy to qualify for the FCS team that competes in the IMC, as students must actively participate in other mathematics competitions throughout the year, including the Open Student Mathematics Olympiad.
At the IMC, HSE University was represented by five FCS students (gold medals were awarded to Aleksandr Klimchuk, second-year student, Artemii Bakaev, first-year student, and German Kuznetsov, fourth-year student, and silver medals to Daniil Solunov, second-year student, and Igor Vorotnikov, third-year student) and two students from the Faculty of Mathematics (silver medals were awarded to Mikhail Evseev, fourth-year student, and abronze medal to Konstantin Sereda, fourth-year student). Ivan Kukharchuk, Expert of the FCS Centre of Student Competitions, accompanied the HSE team. During the academic year, he conducts mathematics competition training for students.
For more details on the competition results, click here.
Ivan Kukharchuk
‘The International Mathematics Competition for University Students stands out for its challenging problems that do not require knowledge of algorithms, but a creative approach to solving them,’ says Ivan Kukharchuk. ‘HSE achieved respectable results: three gold medals, three silver medals, and a bronze. Now, the doors of the best finance and IT companies are open to these students. Based on the results, HSE University ranked among the world’s top twenty universities. We will continue to work hard to maintain this high standard.’
Aleksandr Klimchuk
Aleksandr Klimchuk liked the atmosphere at the competition. ‘The nice city, the university, the community, the company stands—all of it made participation enjoyable,’ he remarked. ‘I had the chance to meet with new people from different universities and to reconnect with old friends. The competition turned out to be both challenging and interesting. It was especially important to reset after the first day, when the second task left many of us stunned. I managed to do it, so in the second round I did way better. Although I found some of the problems boring—especially in linear algebra, where I expected something more interesting—overall I enjoyed solving them.’
Igor Vorotnikov
Igor Vorotnikov reflected on the quality of the problems at the IMC. ‘It’s one of the best competitions,’ the student noted. ‘In general, all the problems, except one or two, were solvable. For me, personally, the hardest part was choosing strategies in each round. I didn’t like the grading system—for example, giving points for drafts. I had never encountered thisbefore, and I don’t think it’s a good rule. It was nice to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the international community and to meet people from different parts of the world.’
Text by Maria Vorontsova
Ivan Kukharchuk
See also:
‘Our Result Was Recognised Not Only Within the Project Defence but Also on International Scale’
This year, the European AI Conference (ECAI 2025) accepted an article titled ‘Multi-Agent Path Finding for Large Agents is Intractable’ by Artem Agafonov, a second-year student of the Applied Mathematics and Information Science Bachelor’s programme at HSE University’s Faculty of Computer Science. The work was co-authored by Konstantin Yakovlev, Head of the Joint Department with Intelligent Technologies of System Analysis and Management at the Federal Research Centre ‘Informatics and Management’ of the RAS and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences. In the interview, Artem Agafonov explained how he came up with the idea for the article and how he was able to present it at an A-level conference.
'Today, Human Existence Without Mathematics Is Difficult; Tomorrow, It Will Be Simply Impossible'
Mathematicians around the world share a common language and continue to collaborate despite the challenges of recent years. The hub of mathematical networking has been shifting to China, where scientists from various countries meet at conferences and other academic events. Partnerships with leading Chinese universities offer promising opportunities to strengthen existing ties and forge new ones. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Valery Gritsenko, Head of the HSE International Laboratory for Mirror Symmetry and Automorphic Forms, discusses this and other topics, including what AI is and why the state should engage with mathematicians.
HSE Scores Best Results among Russian Universities at International Olympiad in Uzbekistan
At the Third Al-Khorezmi International Mathematical Olympiad (AKHIMO), held at Urgench State University in Uzbekistan, students from HSE University's Faculty of Computer Science scored best results among participants from Russian universities. The olympiad also featured contestants from Brazil, the USA, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Russian Scientists Assess Dangers of Internal Waves During Underwater Volcanic Eruptions
Mathematicians at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod and the A.V. Gaponov-Grekhov Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences studied internal waves generated in the ocean after the explosive eruption of an underwater volcano. The researchers calculated how the waves vary depending on ocean depth and the radius of the explosion source. It turns out that the strongest wave in the first group does not arrive immediately, but after a significant delay. This data can help predict the consequences of eruptions and enable advance preparation for potential threats. The article has been published in Natural Hazards. The research was carried out with support from the Russian Science Foundation (link in Russian).
'The Six Handshakes Rule Applies to Social Media'
Ivan Samoylenko specialises in graph theory; in his third year of university, he developed an idea that later became the foundation of a highly cited academic article. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he speaks about the Watts-Strogatz small-world model, being a performer in the Bolshoi Children's Choir, and making the choice between science and industry.
‘HSE Is a Very Good Place: Intelligent Students, a Strong Teaching Staff’
Since March 2025, the HSE Faculty of Mathematics has welcomed a leading Russian mathematician, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh, National Professor of China, and recipient of the Lyapunov Prize—Sergey Kuksin. In an interview with the HSE News Service, he spoke about the role of the individual in mathematics, KAM theory, and why analysis is so relevant today.
Scientists Disprove Bunkbed Conjecture
Mathematicians from Russia, including two HSE graduates, have disproven a well-known mathematical conjecture that, despite lacking solid proof, had been considered valid for 40 years. The ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’ belongs to percolation theory—a branch of mathematics that studies the formation of connected structures in independent environments.
'Our Mathematics Is for Far-Reaching Minds'
Anna Presnova focuses on automatic control theory, a branch of science that addresses global problems. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she talks about her aspiration to achieve practical results, the energy she gains from teaching, and why she would be interested to meet with Alexandr Lyapunov, founder of stability theory.
'It Was a Great Learning Experience for the New Generation of Mathematicians'
From November 5 to 9, 2024, HSE University hosted a five-day conference on algebraic geometry and mathematical physics, organised jointly with the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications. Over 30 mathematicians from the world's leading universities, including early-career scientists, participated in the event.
‘My Dream Is to Help as Many People as Possible, Making the World a Healthier and Happier Place’
Nikolay Bogdanov, 28, from Sofia, Bulgaria, graduated from the Psychology programme of the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences in 2022. Currently, he is based in the Netherlands, where he pursues a master's degree in behavioural sciences at Radboud University and works as a life coach. In an interview with the HSE News Service, Nikolay shares his experience at HSE University, his professional challenges and achievements, as well as the importance of teamwork, persistent curiosity, and self-improvement.