Just like the many MTG kids who competed in math contests abroad, Mathematics Trainers' Guild President Dr. Simon L. Chua recently made the country proud as well by winning his very own prestigious international award. Dr. Chua was selected as a recepient of the Paul Erdos Award for 2006 by the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions (WFNMC). He is one of three awardees for 2006 and is the first Filipino ever to receive such honor.

The Paul Erdos Award recognizes the contributions of mathematicians who played important roles in the enrichment of mathematics education through the development of math challenges at the national level. It started in 1992 and is given every two years to three mathematicians at a time.

Dr. Simon L. Chua was chosen as a Paul Erdos Awardee on the strength of his accomplishments, especially for the past ten years. In 1995, he co-founded the MTG and has served as its president during its entire decade-long existence. Here, he helped craft the MTG Mathematics Challenge for Filipino Kids Training Program - the MTG's flagship program, which is an annual year-long process that would identify the country's top young mathematical minds to be trained and then sent to international math competitions. He even had a hand in organizing some of these competitions - like the Elementary Mathematics Intercity/International Competition, the Asian Intercities Teenagers' Mathematical Olympiad, and the International Young Mathematics Conference. Aside from his contributions to the MTG, he also made his mark as an author of numerous mathematics books and an organizer of countless training seminars for teachers and students alike.

Joining Dr. Chua in this year's echelon of great mathematics contributors are Ali Rejali of Iran and Alexander Soifer of the United States. The three will be feted during the Fifth Conference of the WFNMC in Cambridge, England on July next year.

MTG Kids Online wishes to extend its congratulations to the Dr. Simon L. Chua for his well-deserved accomplishment. Mabuhay po kayo, Sir Chua!!!