Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) on Thursday kicked off the second edition of the Moroccan Tournament of Young Mathematicians (MTYM).
From December 26 to 29, 2024, 176 high school students, handpicked from 800 candidates from all regions of Morocco, will take over the campus to compete against each other in this high-level intellectual competition.
Organized in partnership with the “Math Maroc” association, the MTYM aims to celebrate the mathematical excellence of Moroccan youth, to stimulate scientific research among the youngest and to make mathematics a lever for innovation and equality of odds.
Speaking at this meeting, the executive director of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI), Cherif Belefkih, stressed that this gathering brings together first and second year baccalaureate students interested in the field of mathematics, and more particularly applied mathematics.
He specified that the competition began with the participation of 800 secondary school students from all over Morocco, and that selection phases made it possible to retain these participants for the final phase.
“Today, we welcome to Al Akhawayn University 176 participants from 9 regions of Morocco, a third of whom are young girls,” he declared, highlighting one of the main objectives of this gathering which is to encourage young people to take an interest in mathematics.
He stressed that the ambition is not to train a restricted elite, but to “generalize quality” and make it accessible to all.
Mr. Belefkih also spoke of the abstract nature of mathematics, while emphasizing its concrete applications in almost all sciences, calling it the “mother of sciences”.
For his part, Manal Saou, member of the Math Maroc association, explained that the objective of this competition is to increase the passion of Moroccan students for mathematics, particularly in the field of scientific research.
She clarified that the goal is to provide them with a set of mathematical problems that have no known solutions, noting that their goal is to provide the ideas that bring them closer to the final solution.
“We expect them to stimulate their scientific imagination in order to offer us the best and most effective solutions to solve the problems at hand,” she added.
In a statement to MAP, Professor of Mathematics at Al Akhawayn University and member of the jury, Oualid Kafi, stressed that this edition is different from the classic Olympiads.
“Concretely, this group of students will be divided into 48 teams and there will be a competition around a set of mathematical problems and theses,” he explained.
He described the process as a “scientific contest” aimed at encouraging scientific research from an early age, highlighting the objective of encouraging these young people to develop their critical and analytical minds.
He also mentioned the integration of artificial intelligence in the teaching of mathematics as an avenue for reflection and one of the expected results of this tournament.
This edition is marked by the exceptional participation of a first year college student, member of a team from the city of Tangier, who managed to qualify for the final stages.
According to the organizers, this tournament represents an exceptional opportunity for young people to develop essential skills such as problem solving, teamwork and public speaking.
LNT with MAP
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