ISLAMABAD: Pakistan secured two bronze medals and two honourable mentions at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad 2026 in Shanghai, recording what officials described as the country’s best performance in the prestigious global mathematics competition.
The national team also achieved Pakistan’s highest aggregate score since it began participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad, according to a statement issued by COMSATS University Islamabad.
The 2026 Olympiad was held in Shanghai, China, from July 10 to 21 and brought together young mathematicians from around the world. Organisers had expected a record 685 contestants representing 119 countries.
Pakistan’s students also took part in a separate Chinese mathematics competition organised by the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications in Beijing, where they secured two third-place positions, the statement said.
The selection and preparation of the national team was conducted through a joint framework involving the Higher Education Commission, the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences and COMSATS University Islamabad.
Under the STEM Careers Programme, jointly run by HEC and PIEAS, students were initially screened through the Pakistan National Science Talent Contest.
Those selected for the International Mathematical Olympiad team were then trained by the Department of Mathematics at COMSATS University Islamabad’s Lahore Campus, which serves as the national training centre for the team.
The students completed a year-long preparation programme consisting of four intensive residential camps.
Two consecutive training camps were held in August and September 2025, followed by another in December. A final preparatory camp took place in June 2026 shortly before the team travelled to China.
Faculty members at the COMSATS Lahore mathematics department also provided online mentoring, advanced problem-solving sessions, assignments and academic guidance throughout the year.
Prof. Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad, chairman of the Department of Mathematics at the Lahore Campus, said the results demonstrated that Pakistani students could compete with leading young mathematicians when given sustained and structured preparation.
He described the country’s highest team score at the Olympiad as a milestone for the institutions involved in selecting and training the students.
COMSATS University Rector Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar said the institution would continue supporting mathematics and wider STEM education to help develop future scientists, researchers and innovators.
Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar also congratulated the Pakistani contingent in a message shared on social media.
The International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual competition for secondary-school students and is widely regarded as the leading global contest in pre-university mathematics.
Pakistan’s previous 2025 participation produced two honourable mentions, according to the official IMO results archive, making the reported two-bronze performance in 2026 a significant improvement.
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