Teacher aided math whiz during contest, probe finds

A student at a vocational school who had been recognized for her exceptional math skills after outperforming prestigious university graduates in the preliminary round of a high-stakes competition was found to have been assisted by her teacher during the exam.

In a terse statement released on Sunday, the organizing committee of the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition, which offers a $30,000 prize for gold medal winners, announced that fashion design major Jiang Ping, 17, had received help from her teacher, Wang Runqiu, during the preliminary round.

Wang and Jiang had advanced to the competition's final round together. The pair, from Lianshui Secondary Vocational School in Jiangsu province, had breached a rule prohibiting discussions with other test-takers during the open-book exam, which took place in April, the committee confirmed.

Organized by the Alibaba Foundation and the technology-driven DAMO Academy — both associated with e-commerce giant Alibaba Group — the event has attracted widespread attention.

Having emerged as the sole vocational school student among 801 participants worldwide to make it to the finals, the schoolgirl from a rural family in Jiangsu became an instant media sensation this summer.

Her story has also raised discussions about stereotypes faced by women in science studies and an education system that restricts vocational high school graduates' access to mainstream universities.

Jiang ranked 12th in the preliminary round, but neither she nor Wang placed among the winners in the final round in June, which required a closed-book exam, the committee said on Sunday.

"This incident has brought to light issues such as flaws in the competition system and inadequate management. The organizing committee extends its sincere apologies for this," the statement said.

The official list of the competition's winners was unveiled on Sunday. Eighty-six participants were honored, with five winning gold medals, 10 getting silver and 20 netting bronze. The remaining 51 received honorable mentions.

Among the five gold medalists are students from Peking University, Tsinghua University and the University of Maryland, College Park in the United States. Notably, an 18-year-old senior high school student from Chongqing, Qu Xiaoyu, once again won the gold prize at the competition this year. Previously, it was reported that Qu achieved a perfect score last year, making him the youngest perfect-score gold winner in the competition's history.

The competition, described in the statement as a nongovernmental event fostering the exchange of ideas among math enthusiasts, aims to provide a platform for intellectual engagement.

The organizing committee pledges to learn lessons from this episode, refine regulations and enhance the standardization of competition activities. "We encourage ongoing attention, support and oversight from all segments of society," it said.

Since its inception in 2018 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the contest has garnered significant popularity. It stands out for its inclusivity, welcoming people from all walks of life, including parcel delivery drivers, to participate.

The vocational school also confirmed on Sunday in a statement that Wang had assisted Jiang in the preliminary round.

After conducting an investigation, school authorities said they had issued a warning to Wang and revoked his eligibility for any honors this year.

The school also called for more tolerance and care toward minors.