FCNM Crowns the Winners of the 2025–2026 Science Competitions

The auditorium brought together young people from different schools across Ecuador's Coastal and Highland regions, along with their families and school representatives. They were all united by the same purpose: having represented their institutions throughout the competition and now coming together to celebrate their achievements. Amid looks of excitement and anticipation, the ceremony began with the screening of a video whose title captures the spirit of the Faculty: "We Create the Future with Science."

What are the Science Competitions?

Every year, FCNM organizes this competition in two complementary formats: the Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics Olympiads, which recognize the individual performance of each student, and the Inter-School Competitions in the same three areas, which recognize the teamwork of each educational institution. The goal is to encourage logical thinking and scientific interest among high school students across the country, while also providing a space for identifying talent for future Ecuadorian teams competing in international competitions.

The event's official panel was composed of FCNM Dean Erwin Delgado, Vice Dean María Nela Pastuizaca, and the three coordinators who guided each competition for months: Bolívar Flores for Physics, Andrea Barcia for Chemistry, and Cristhian Hernández for Mathematics. Throughout the ceremony, they presented certificates, medals, and awards to the winners.

Dr. Erwin Delgado welcomed the attendees and spoke about the effort behind each competition and what it means for a school and a family when a student chooses to pursue science. His words were brief but set the tone: what followed was not simply an awards ceremony, but the closing of a process that, for each participating institution, had begun months earlier.

Three students received the highest distinction in their respective disciplines.

Among all the awards, three names received the highest distinction in each discipline:

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Gold medalists, another major distinction of the competition. These were the awardees in each discipline:

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Upon receiving his medal, Zavala Freire shared a message for those who are about to begin participating in Olympiads:

"To my classmates who want to participate in the Olympiads, I would tell them not to take the mathematics they learn at school as the standard, because this is something different. With these tools, you can create very complex things or solve very difficult problems starting from simple ideas, and that is what makes it interesting: discovering more from something simple. This knowledge requires a lot of effort, but it also gives you something important. It is worth it, and winning has made us very happy."

Alejandro Jiajun Qiu He, recognized as the 2025 Youth Chemist, shared the same reflection on effort: "It was a rewarding and enriching experience; I was able to learn a lot during the preparation and the Olympiads."

From Physics, Kenneth Yefeng Peng Zhuo, named 2025 Youth Physicist, added an invitation to future generations: "I encourage those who want to register: it is an experience that, beyond the results, prepares you for university life and everyday life."

Gold medals were not the only awards presented that morning. One by one, dozens of other students took the stage to receive their Silver Medal, Bronze Medal, or Honorable Mention. The complete list of medalists and honorable mentions from the three disciplines is available here.

The recognition was not only individual; there was also an opportunity to celebrate teamwork. These were the schools that won first place in the Inter-School Competition:

The ceremony also included a special recognition for the four students who, months earlier, represented Ecuador at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Alejandro Jiajun Qiu He, Isaac Alejandro Arellano Ayuquina, Víctor Ramiro Padilla Valle, and Jamil Enrique Barrera Herrera, the latter recognized as the most outstanding student of the Ecuadorian delegation.

At the end of the ceremony, Vice Dean María Nela Pastuizaca encouraged the students to continue dreaming big and reminded them that what they experienced in these competitions is only the beginning of everything they can achieve.