Bhutan’s budding problem-solvers are finding a new outlet for their talents. In a bid to elevate the country’s mathematical prowess to international standards, five recent high-school graduates have launched Olympiad Mathematics, Bhutan, a grassroots initiative that brings monthly, competition-level puzzles to students across the kingdom.
Each month, the team—two of whom were national math champions—crafts a challenging Olympiad-style problem and releases it on social media. Participants, limited to Bhutanese students in grades 1–12 (including those studying abroad), submit their written solutions for a chance to win 500 ngultrum. Top entries are then dissected and discussed in a live Zoom workshop, allowing young learners to see multiple approaches to the same problem.
One of the founders, Tandin Tshering, first encountered the rigor of international competition as a member of Bhutan’s debut squad at last year’s International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Though the team placed 103rd out of 108 countries, Tshering returned home inspired. “IMO problems demand creative, deep-level thinking—quite different from the step-by-step procedures we learn in class,” he explains. “I wanted to give Bhutanese students regular exposure to this style of problem solving, so they could begin to enjoy mathematics on its own terms.”
The group’s mission goes beyond problem-writing. “We’re cultivating a passion for STEM that reaches far past rote learning,” says tutor Roshan Dahal. “In our increasingly AI-driven world, analytical skills and inventive thinking aren’t optional—they’re critical. We hope to see today’s challenge-seekers become tomorrow’s innovators, right here in Bhutan.”
Current participation hovers around 30 students each month, but the founders have ambitious plans to scale up as word spreads. They’ve also begun producing video solutions for the Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) math exams, with Class 10 material forthcoming.
Another tutor, Jigme Yoezer, highlights the collaborative spirit at the heart of Olympiad-style math. “Unlike classroom exercises, these problems often admit multiple valid solutions. We encourage students to share and compare strategies—it makes math a lot more fun.”
At a moment when Bhutan’s education system is wrestling with concerns over teaching quality and STEM engagement, initiatives like Olympiad Mathematics, Bhutan demonstrate how motivated students themselves can spark meaningful change—one problem at a time.
