LAHORE, Feb 9: Pakistan has been made a full member - 87th - of the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) and invited to attend its next world conference scheduled to be held on July 5 at Merida, Mexico.

Six students of O and A levels and FA/FSc selected from about 1,000 students from all over the country will participate in the Olympiad along with two professors. The moot will continue for one week.

Government College University (GCU) School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) director-general Dr A. D. Raza Choudary told Dawn that earlier Pakistan had been invited for the first time in the 45 years history of the Olympiad to send an observer to the international moot in Mexico. This was in accordance with the normal procedure of the IMO's advisory board before recommending full membership for any country.

But in case of Pakistan, the world renowned mathematician, Dr Mircea Becheanu, who had been engaged as a coach for its team, had recommended that Pakistan should be invited as a regular member without first requiring it to send its observer to the Mexico moot.

He said the IMO advisory board approved Pakistan's request on the plea that recommendation had been made by a very experienced member of the IMO, on whose "judgment we can rely."

Dr Choudary said the six students selected for the Olympiad had undergone a series of tests held since August last. These tests were held at various districts in the country. A batch of 45 students qualified the test and 13 of them were selected for intensive training. Of them six were selected to form the national team for the IMO moot.

The selected students are; Muhammad Hanif of F. G. Sir Syed College, Rawalpindi Cantt, who stood first, Hira Manzoor of Beaconhouse School System, Garden Town, Lahore, Amir Siddique of GCU, Lahore, Salman Malik of Army Public Degree College, Multan, Fawad Ahmad Najam of F. G. Degree College for Men, Wah Cantt, and Rehman Farhatullah Khan of Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karachi.

He said those who could not be selected would be awarded special certificates that would help them in their future career, as they would be given preference in obtaining admission to foreign universities.

He said another major achievement of Pakistan was that it had been a member of Mathematique sans frontiers (mathematics without borders), also known as Kangaroos of Mathematics.

He said he had presented Pakistan's case at a meeting of the union of productive learning institutes held at Berlin recently and the union accepted Pakistan's membership. India had not been given membership of the union so far.

Pakistan would participate in its first international Kangaroos Contest on March 17 to be attended by about 10,000 students from grades 3 to 12. The contest would be held in all member countries of the world. About three million students would participate in the contest. In Pakistan the contest would be held at all those schools who had confirmed their willingness to participate in the contest.

He said the programme had been recognized to be most effective in promoting and popularizing mathematics among schools students, thus giving a world-class recognition to participating students and their institutions.

The SMS chief said the second annual world conference on 21st century Mathematics would be held at the school on March 4. World renowned mathematicians and international experts on mathematical sciences would attend the three-day conference. Higher Education Commission chairman and federal minister Dr Ataur Rahman will be chief guest at the conference. The first annual conference was held in March last year.

"We are making our best efforts to raise the level of mathematics throughout the country at all levels. At higher level, the School of Mathematical Sciences (on the pattern of London School of Economics), a prestigious institution of the GCU, was established in August 2002 to initiate research and PhD level studies."

He said he had been able to attract about a dozen of renowned experts in mathematical sciences for advanced research studies.

He said he had personal contacts with them and persuaded them to come to Pakistan. They had come from Romania, Germany, France, Russia and Italy. They were giving instructions to 33 students of PhD and another batch of 20 students would be added soon.

He said HEC chairman Dr Ataur Rahman and GCU vice-chancellor Dr Khalid Aftab had extended full support to SMS to make its programme a success.