Prishtina, 23 December, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci, participated in the opening ceremony of the XVI Mathematical Olympiad of Kosovo.
At the beginning of his speech, the Prime Minister said that “Mathematics, as we all know, is not just a subject, but a universal language that transcends borders, cultures and identities. It is a language of precision and truthfulness, but also of imagination and unlimited possibilities”.
Further, he mentioned the support in the field of education, where in 2023, as the Government, we have allocated 1,882 scholarships for girls studying in the STEM fields, in addition to the other 2,748 scholarships allocated in the previous two years. This year, we supported students financially with 3 million euros, in five different scholarship schemes, at all levels. Currently in the Republic of Kosovo, half of the students in STEM are girls, while the average in the European Union is 17%.
In addition to direct support, improving the quality and infrastructure in education, we are committed to ensure that pupils and students of all levels have optimal and equal conditions so that they can learn and show their talents.
Mathematics is an incredible tool that serves as a tool for human being to solve challenges and problems in the daily path regardless of the direction. It is the tool that guides us to solutions, allowing us to explore, analyze and find ways out in different ways.
“I would even say that mathematics as a universal language, and the beautiful Albanian language, are the two tracks of professional and intellectual development for each of us”, added the Prime Minister.
In conclusion, he said that “Our commitment to provide unreserved support to you students, to our students everywhere and to the children of Kosovo, will be continuous. I wish each of you success here and in the competitions to come.”
We remind that from this Olympiad the team of six students will be selected to represent the state of Kosovo in the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad – IMO 2024, which will be held in the United Kingdom, the team of four girls will be selected to represent the state of Kosovo in the 13th European Mathematics Olympiad for Girls – EGMO 2024, which will be held in Georgia next year, and the students who will represent the state of Kosovo in the 5th Olympiad will be selected Mathematical Kosovo – Albania, which will be held in July in 2024.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Every time I come here, I feel like I’m coming back here, and I think how I should come more often.
Dear students and professors,
Honorable Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci,
Honorable Deputy Minister, Taulant Kelmendi,
The Honorable Rector of the University of Pristina, Qerim Qerimi,
Dear President of Mathematicians of Kosovo, Valdete Rexhëbeqaj Hamiti,
Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Isak Shabani,
Dear teachers, students, participants in the 16th Mathematics Olympiad of Kosovo,
Ladies and gentleman,
Mathematics, as we all know, is not just a subject, but a universal language that transcends borders, cultures and identities. It is a language of precision, and truth, but also of imagination and unlimited possibilities. And when used by the brightest and smartest minds, who become even brighter and smarter just by using math, regardless of gender or background, it becomes a tool for innovation and progress.
I am happy that in this hall I am among many mathematicians and young mathematicians, with teachers, parents and participants who love mathematics. The reason why we are together today is precisely mathematics, the 16th Mathematical Olympiad of Kosovo, which comes after the regional competitions in which all the municipalities of our Republic participated.
Yesterday, together with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, we were at the ceremony where we distributed 88 awards and recognition to the winning students of Kosovo and international competitions in the fields of natural sciences. The number of winning students has doubled compared to the previous year, and the financial support for them is 34 thousand euros.
While today we are together in this Olympiad, where I am convinced that there will be other winners who will represent our country in competitions with peers from different countries of the world and will bring even more medals.
From this Olympiad, the team of six students will be selected to represent the state of Kosovo in the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad – IMO 2024, which will be held, as Professor Valdete said, in the United Kingdom and the team will be selected of the four girls who will represent the state of Kosovo in the 13th European Mathematics Olympiad for Girls – EGMO 2024, which will be held in Georgia next year and the students who will represent the state of Kosovo in the Olympiad will be selected 5th Mathematics Kosovo – Albania, which will be held in July of the coming year.
In 2023, as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we have allocated 1,882 scholarships for girls studying in STEM fields, i.e. science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in addition to 2,748 other STEM scholarships allocated in the previous two years. This year, we supported students financially with 3 million euros, in five different scholarship schemes, at all levels. This support will increase every year because we have noticed that the effects of this support are turning into successful results.
Currently in the Republic of Kosovo, half of the students in STEM are girls, while the average in the European Union is 17%. This shows what a great return on investment the scholarship is for female students in STEM.
In addition to direct support, improving the quality and infrastructure in education, we are committed to ensure that pupils and students of all levels have optimal and equal conditions so that they can learn and show their talents.
Mathematics is an extraordinary tool that serves as a tool for the human being to solve challenges and problems in the daily path regardless of the direction that each of us takes. It is the tool that directs us towards solutions, allowing us to research, analyze and find different ways out that were not even thought of by us initially looking for them. It enables us to create new knowledge and find creative ways to solve the complex, increasingly complex challenges of our world. Therefore, mathematics is not only knowledge, sharp intelligence, but also curiosity and imagination.
I would even say that mathematics as a universal language, and the beautiful Albanian language, are the two rails of professional and intellectual growth for each of us. So, mathematics as a universal language and our beautiful Albanian language. I am one of those who believe that we cannot use logic, we cannot understand it, we cannot explain it, and we cannot describe it at all, without mathematics. And beyond that, apart from mathematics as a universal language, and the beautiful Albanian language, we will be able to say that they are the two rails for all peoples, for all people, throughout history, in fact, they are logic and linguistics, which they give and take with each other, but just as we can not only think about language but also think through language, exactly the same, we can not only think about mathematics but also think through mathematics.
Therefore, you are lucky to have this task, to be at the top of mathematics in our country, and I wish you the best of international competitions where many of you will participate.
All these ideas, your approaches, you will be able to express through numbers, equations and functions after our speeches when the Olympics starts. The zeal that pushes you forward in solving those equations, I am convinced that it will also turn into zeal for work, when you develop even further in your future commitments in solving problems that are not said to be only mathematical.
Our commitment to provide unreserved support to you students, to our students everywhere and to the children of Kosovo, will be continuous.
I wish each of you the best of luck here and in the competitions to come. Good luck and success always. I know what pre-competition fever means, having been in math competitions myself, but let me finish by wishing you a happy New Year, and all the best in 2024.
Thank you.
Last modified: December 27, 2023