Recently, the results of the 2020 Mathematical Contest in Modeling and Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (MCM/ICM) were announced, with USTB students achieving great success in both contests. Three MCM teams and one ICM team were nominated as Finalists, one team was named the Meritorious Winner and twelve teams were awarded Honorable Mentions.

MCM and ICM are international mathematical contests in modeling for colleges hosted by the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP). They are generally held in February each year. The competitions’ content includes topics from many fields such as the economy, management, environment, resources, ecology, medicine, security and future technology.

USTB has sent teams of students to take part in the contest since 2008. Through the teaching of optimized methods for mathematical modeling, setting up compulsory and elective courses of mathematical modeling as well as training courses and contest-related lectures (wherein teachers pass on basic mathematical modeling theory and competition skills to stimulate students' enthusiasm for learning and improve their comprehensive ability to build mathematical models and use computer technology to solve practical problems), USTB has sought to cultivate students' sense of innovation, teamwork and willingness to participate in such contests.

Since USTB began entering the contents, its team of instructors has taken advantage of the winter holiday to provide instructions for the participating students. During the epidemic this year, three teachers elaborately designed and formulated a detailed schedule to organize students to take instructions online.

It is reported that the contests greatly reduced the number of awards since 2019 in order to better recognize truly outstanding competitors. This year, only 1.3% of MCM teams and 3.2% of ICM teams were nominated as Finalists.