About the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM²C)
The International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM²C) is a global competition that brings together talented secondary school students to apply mathematics to real-world problems. Through mathematical modeling, students develop the analytical, communication, and collaborative skills needed to address complex challenges across disciplines and cultures.
Our Mission
IM²C exists to help students experience the power of mathematics as a tool for understanding, analyzing, and solving real-world problems. By engaging students in authentic, open-ended problems, the competition encourages creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication.
Through international participation and collaboration, IM²C helps prepare students to become thoughtful problem solvers, informed decision-makers, and future leaders in STEM and related fields.
Years of Competition
Students Competing to Advance Each Year
Average Number of Students Advancing to International Round Each Year
Max Teams Selected per Country/Region
Countries/Regions Represented
History & Legacy
Founded in 2014, IM²C was created to provide an international platform for secondary school students to apply mathematical modeling to authentic real-world challenges.
The competition launched in 2015 with participation from 10 countries and regions and 17 teams. Since then, IM²C has expanded into a global initiative that connects students, educators, and academic leaders worldwide. By 2026, participation had grown to 37 countries and regions and 68 teams, reflecting increasing interest in mathematical modeling and interdisciplinary problem-solving worldwide.
Today, IM²C continues to bring together students from diverse educational systems and cultures through a shared commitment to mathematical modeling, collaboration, and real-world problem solving.
IM²C Timeline
IM²C was founded.
First IM²C with 17 teams from 10 countries and regions.
Largest participation year to-date with 69 teams from 39 countries and regions.
Inaugural in-person IM²C Summit held in Hong Kong, SAR.
Second annual IM²C Summit held in Boston, MA, USA.
Leadership & Organizing Partners
IM²C is organized through a partnership between COMAP (the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications) and NeoUnion ESC Organization. Together with regional organizers, educational institutions, and partners around the world, these organizations help guide the competition’s continued growth and international impact.
The competition is overseen by an international organizing committee composed of leaders in mathematics education, research, and academic outreach. Drawing on expertise from multiple countries and educational systems, the committee helps ensure the quality, integrity, and global relevance of IM²C.
Organizing Committee
Solomon Garfunkel
COMAP
USA
Ben Galluzzo
COMAP
USA
Alfred Cheung
NeoUnion ESC Organization
Hong Kong, SAR
JunFeng Yin
Tongji University
China
Frederick Leung
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR
Vladimir Dubrovsky
Moscow State University
Russia
Mogens Allan Niss
Roskilde University
Denmark
Jie “Jed” Wang
University of Massachusetts
USA
Tan Liang Soon
Ministry of Education
Singapore
Kristy Osborne
LaTrobe University
Australia
Emeritus Members
Keng Cheng Ang
National Institute of Education
Singapore
Ross Turner
Australian Council for Educational Research
Australia
Henk van der Kooij
Freudenthal Institute
The Netherlands
Educational Impact
IM²C was founded on the belief that students learn mathematics most powerfully when they apply it to authentic, real-world challenges. More than a competition, IM²C serves as a platform for promoting mathematical modeling and helping students experience how mathematics can be used to better understand, analyze, and solve complex problems.
By engaging students in open-ended investigations that require teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning, IM²C helps bridge the gap between classroom mathematics and the challenges students will encounter in higher education, the workforce, and society.
As mathematical modeling continues to grow in importance across education, industry, and public policy, IM²C provides students and educators with opportunities to develop the skills needed to navigate an increasingly data-rich and interconnected world.
Why Mathematical Modeling?
Mathematical modeling is the process of using mathematics to better understand, analyze, and solve real-world problems. Unlike traditional textbook exercises, modeling challenges often involve incomplete information, competing priorities, uncertainty, and multiple possible solutions.
From climate change and public health to transportation, economics, and artificial intelligence, mathematical modeling helps individuals and organizations make informed decisions in an increasingly complex world.
Through IM²C, students experience this process firsthand by investigating authentic challenges, developing mathematical models, and communicating evidence-based recommendations to real-world audiences. Learn more about the mathematical modeling mindset and how students can develop it through modeling competitions.