97 Medals at International and European Olympiads Were Won by Bulgarian Science Teams

Bulgarian teams in the natural sciences have won a total of 97 medals at international and European Olympiads this year. On December 15, they held their annual meeting, where they were congratulated by Vice President Iliana Iotova.

Highlighting the teams’ achievements, Iotova emphasised that they represent the intellectual strength of the Bulgarian nation.

“Unlike many people, I do not believe there is bad education in Bulgaria. We have missed not one, but several generations, because at the moment we seem to have more issues with parents than with children,” Vice President Iotova said.

Elena Yordanova, a student at the Mathematics High School in Ruse, won a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Astrophysics and a bronze at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament. She stressed that diverse problem-solving is key to preparation.

“Above all, understanding and making sense of what you are solving is crucial. The goal is not to memorise every type of problem, but to grasp them, so that when you face something completely new at an Olympiad, you can handle it,” said Yordanova.

Alexander Gatev, who won a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics, said he enjoyed the environment at the Sofia Mathematics High School clubs, which inspired him to continue studying informatics after high school.

“I started attending optional clubs at Sofia Sofia High School of Mathematics and really enjoyed the atmosphere and problem-solving, so I decided to keep pursuing it,” Gatev, now a university student and alumnus of Sofia High School of Mathematics, explained.

From Wednesday, Sofia Airport will host the travelling exhibition “Fantastic Minds”, featuring photographs of medal-winning students and their teachers.