In March 2026, the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland, hosted the ceremonial closing of the 20th Polish edition of the International Bebras Challenge. The event brought together nearly 500 laureates, distinguished participants, parents, and teachers to celebrate student achievement in this global informatics competition.
The Bebras Challenge plays a vital role in nurturing students’ interest in computer science across all levels of education. Rather than requiring programming experience, the competition emphasizes creativity, algorithmic thinking, and problem‑solving. Many tasks draw inspiration from advanced combinatorics, graph algorithms, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. With past tasks and detailed methodological explanations openly available on the Polish competition website, both teachers and students benefit from high‑quality instructional resources that support classroom learning and preparation for future editions. For many young participants in Poland, Bebras represents the first meaningful step into the world of computer science.
The Polish edition of the competition is organized through a tripartite agreement between the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of Nicolaus Copernicus University, the Polish Information Processing Society, and Learnetic SA. Since its inception, the national competition has been coordinated by Prof. Maciej M. Sysło and Dr. Anna Beata Kwiatkowska, Professor at UMK. In recent years, Dr. Marta Burzańska and Dr. hab. Bartosz Bieganowski have joined the organizational team. The contest is run on a voluntary basis, remains free for all participating students, and relies on prizes funded by sponsors secured by the organizers.
Held annually in autumn—typically November—with its formal closing in March, the Bebras Challenge has become a gathering point for talented and ambitious young people who may become the next generation of computer scientists.
A short video report capturing the atmosphere of the occasion is available here.
