At the 65th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), which took place in Bath, United Kingdom, on July 11, Pakistan's team had an outstanding performance.

With participation from over a hundred countries, the IMO has expanded from its founding seven to become the biggest and most renowned international olympiad.

The UK has been involved in the competition since 1967 and has hosted it three times before (1979, 2002, and 2019). The event this year was scheduled to take place in Ukraine.

They are pleased to have taken on the role at this unique occasion once more in light of Russia's actions towards Ukraine. The organisers of IMO2024 and the IMO Board intend to hold an IMO in Ukraine as soon as circumstances permit. 

The team demonstrated their remarkable mathematical abilities on a global platform by winning both silver and bronze medals. Muhammad Ahmad Bhatti, also from Karachi, took home a bronze medal, while Raazi Hassan Mansoor of Karachi took home a coveted silver medal.

Furthermore, Muhammad Mahad Arif of Lahore was given an honourable mention for his excellent work.

The STEM Careers Programme, a joint effort between the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), funded the Pakistani team's participation in the Olympiad.

At Comsats University, Lahore Campus, the team received intense training from Drs. Hani Shakir and Sarfraz Ahmad.

Every year, PIEAS, which is a division of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), holds the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) in four different academic areas: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.

The STEM Careers Programme prepares the best students for international contests, and the NSTC, which takes place in 19 cities throughout Pakistan, finds them. For each subject, Home Institutes (HI) hosts residential training camps for the top 50 candidates from the screening exam.

After multiple training camps, this number is whittled down to 4-6 students per topic to represent Pakistan in International Science Olympiads (ISOs).