MBL Balkans 2024

The third edition of Maths Beyond Limits Balkans took place from 18.03. to 27.03.2024 in Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total, there were 41 participants and 19 tutors from 20 countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, North Macedonia, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Every regular day, there were three 90-minute-long blocks of Mathematical Classes. They were devoted to mathematical concepts outside the high school curriculum. During every block, there were three lecture sessions to choose from, each concerning a different mathematical field. Classes were followed by an hour-long TAU, short for Time Academic Unscheduled, that was designated for the students to work on problems independently or with the help of tutors. Another regular mathematical event was Camper Talks, i.e., 30-minute-long presentations given by some participants on mathematics-related topics they were interested in. Maths was not the only thing the camp was about, therefore, the hard work was followed by the Evening Activities. They were fun, challenging, educational, or thought-provoking.

Since this was the second time that MBL left Poland, special days were packed with trips around Bosnia. Students visited a nearby viewpoint during the first special day and had a blast touring Mostar, a beautiful city in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the second special day.

Participants also got a chance to talk about careers, universities, and olympiads with tutors and organisers during the Questions Evening Café, but also to hear about the experiences of some of the most successful Balkan athletes, such as Razija Mujanović, during the Panel discussion on the second day of the camp. This year the traditional Pub-Quiz was organised. Together with the sponsor Jane Street, we also ran the Estimathon™, which was a team-based contest that combined trivia, game theory, and mathematical thinking. Moreover, the participants were able to improve their problem-solving skills thanks to Team Problem Solving.

Everyone also had a lot of fun together during the Karaoke night and Dernek – which is named after a traditional dance party in Bosnia. All these little things contributed to making MBL Balkans 2024 such a great, inspiring, and unforgettable camp.