Macleans College crowned Outstanding at International Mathematical Modeling Challenge
Posted on August 04, 2025
Macleans College has achieved international recognition after being named one of two Outstanding teams at the 11th International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IMMC) Awards in Hong Kong.
This exceptional result places the team among the top young mathematical minds in the world, cementing Macleans College’s reputation for academic excellence on the global stage.
The IMMC is a prestigious international competition where student teams develop and apply original mathematical models to solve real-world problems. This year’s challenge required students to plan a global sports event - factoring in travel logistics, costs, fanbase size, accessibility, environmental considerations, sport formats and operational efficiency.
The New Zealand chapter of the IMMC is coordinated by Dr Kerri Spooner of Auckland University of Technology. New Zealand has participated in the challenge for the past ten years and has previously been invited to the awards ceremony on three occasions.
This year, 20 teams submitted entries from across the country, with four coming from Macleans College. After initial judging, the Macleans College and Westlake Boys High School submissions were forwarded to the international panel, alongside 67 other global entries.
Following five days of intense collaborative work, the top ten teams were invited to Hong Kong for the awards ceremony. For the first time, results were kept secret until the event. Macleans College was announced as one of two Outstanding teams, alongside Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA) from South Korea. In a unique twist, the South Korean team leader, Minsoo Cha (Mansfield House 2002 - 2006), is a Macleans College alumna.
The Macleans College team - Bruce Zhang (Mansfield), Jay Zhao (Rutherford), Alston Yam (Mansfield) and Michael Lu (Mansfield) - presented their solution to all attendees at the ceremony. Although Bruce was unable to travel due to prior commitments, the team represented the school with distinction.
The trip offered rich learning experiences beyond the awards. On day one, students visited advanced tech and start-up institutes in Shenzhen, exploring innovations in lasers and drones. Day two took them to several Hong Kong universities, where they engaged with cutting-edge research in AI, robotics and remote scanning technologies used across medicine, gaming and law. Key themes that emerged from the university visits included the growing importance of interdisciplinary study and the ethical use of AI. The final day featured the awards ceremony, where Macleans College team leader Mr Fourie was invited to participate in a discussion forum alongside international educators. The celebrations concluded with a celebratory banquet. Before returning home, the team enjoyed a scenic glass-bottom gondola ride.
Macleans College is immensely proud of this team - not only for their outstanding academic achievement but also for their character. They represented the school with humility, confidence and integrity. Their hard work, manners and collaborative spirit made them true ambassadors for Macleans College on the world stage.
