What’s the fuss about maths!?
The Swiss Mathematical Olympiad has taken place every year since 2004, and is the most prestigious maths competition for high school students in the country.
Its purpose is twofold: both to introduce talented young students to the beautiful problems and creative reasoning one finds at Olympiads (which is very different to what kids do at school) and to create a social experience where these teenagers can share their love for the subject and make friendships for life.
Every year, around 1,800 students take part. Our best participants (around 15 people) find themselves representing the country at international events, such as the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO), both prestigious events where top participants find themselves offered scholarships to universities like MIT and Cambridge (although many agree that the best place to study is right here at home in Switzerland!).
Why is attending EMO important?
This year is the first edition of a new competition, the European Mathematical Olympiad, which will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania in April 2026, with 25 teams across Europe taking part. Competing teams will spend a week in Vilnius, filled with opening and closing ceremonies, two exams, an excursion and other fun activities. We need your help to send a team representing Switzerland to the 1st EMO!
The Swiss Math Olympiad is an association. Our Program is run entirely by around 80 volunteers, most of whom are former participants who give thousands of hours of their free time whilst pursuing their own studies. Accompanying the team in Vilnius will be two young volunteers, Felix Xu and Jerry Schupp, who are both doing a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at ETH Zurich. Felix won only our third IMO gold (golds are awarded to the top 50 contestants in the entire world) ever in 2024, and we hope his and Jerry’s past achievements will inspire the team to glory!
And speaking of the team… right now, some of our strongest participants ever are taking Swiss excellence to new heights. After winning our first gold at IMO in 2006, we did not win another gold until 2023, but have now won gold medals in the last three years in a row. IMO 2025 set a new record for the best Swiss performance (and made it onto Blick!) and five participants from that strongest team ever are still competing this year. The maths is simple: we stand a real chance of a very strong finish at this inaugural EMO, and we are determined to show we can mix it up with the traditional European powerhouses when it comes to mathematical excellence. The youth is not afraid to dream!
And why does my help matter?
The EMO event was only announced midway into the current financial year. Because we are an association run by volunteers, our work is only possible thanks to the generosity of our long-term sponsors (federal and cantonal governments, foundations, companies and private individuals). Taking part in this new competition was not part of our budget for 2025/2026 and we need additional funding to make it happen - That’s why we’re reaching out to you! With your help, we will cover the logistical and travel costs to Lithuania, with a well-rested happy team to represent our country!
