SLIIT Mathfest 2026 Ignites Mathematical Thinking Among School Students

SLIIT UNI's Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) brought mathematics to life for school students through SLIIT MathFest 2026, an innovative competition designed to encourage analytical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and collaboration among young learners.

Organised by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS), the competition was held on 10 July 2026 at SLIIT UNI, Malabe, attracting students from around 40 national, provincial, private and international schools across the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara educational zones.

Moving beyond routine classroom calculations, MathFest challenged students to apply their mathematical knowledge creatively while working under time pressure in a competitive environment. Questions were based on common academic content from the Ordinary Level Grade 11 and first-year Advanced Level syllabuses across the Sri Lankan Local, Cambridge and Edexcel curricula.

The competition unfolded across two rounds. The first was a 45-minute computer-based examination comprising multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The four best-performing teams then progressed to the final Buzzer Round, where students put their speed, accuracy and mathematical reasoning to the test before an audience. Both rounds offered questions in Sinhala, English and Tamil.

Ananda College, Colombo 10 emerged as the overall winner in the final round of SLIIT MathFest 2026, followed by Ave Maria Convent, Negombo as first runner-up, St. Joseph's College, Maradana as second runner-up and Asian International School, Colombo as third runner-up.

Recognition was also given to leading schools within each participating educational zone based on the results of the first round. St. Joseph's College secured first place in the Colombo Zone, with Ananda College and Asian International School taking second and third places respectively. In the Gampaha Zone, Ave Maria Convent placed first, followed by Gateway College, Negombo and OKI International School, Wattala. K/Sri Sumangala College, Panadura secured first place in the Kalutara Zone, followed by WP/K/HO Palannoruwa Central College and KL Aluthgamweediya Muslim Girl's Central College, Dharga Town.

The event was attended by Chief Guest Mr. Kithsiri Gunasekara, Director, VS Information Systems (Pvt) Ltd; Prof. Lakshman Rathnayake, Chancellor and Chairman, SLIIT UNI; Prof. Rahula Attalage, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic), SLIIT UNI; Prof. Nimal Rajapakse, Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost and Prof. Charitha Jayaruk, Associate Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences.

Students of the BSc Financial Mathematics and Applied Statistics programme of SLIIT were heavily involved in many aspects of the event under the direction of the academic staff of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Althia Health UNI (SLIIT Hemas Allied Health Institute) supported MathFest 2026 as the main sponsor, alongside several individual sponsors.

Reflecting on the philosophy behind MathFest, the organisers noted,“Mathematics is not a spectator's game and is not merely about obtaining an answer. It is about understanding why that answer is true.”

Building on this year's participation, SLIIT UNI intends to expand future editions of MathFest beyond the Western Province, creating opportunities for schools from more provinces and districts across Sri Lanka to participate. Future competitions will continue to emphasise innovative mathematical challenges that move beyond routine calculations and encourage genuine creative thinking among students.

Through initiatives such as MathFest, SLIIT UNI seeks to foster greater curiosity around mathematics among young learners, encouraging them to see the subject not simply as an academic requirement, but as a powerful way of thinking, questioning and solving problems.

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