May 19, 2025 07:01 PM IST
Nicușor Dan, a math prodigy and current Mayor of Bucharest, won gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1987 and 1988.
Before entering the political arena, Nicușor Dan was already making headlines – not in parliament, but in the world of mathematics. The 55-year-old won a tense rerun of Romania’s presidential election on Sunday, beating nationalist George Simion.
While he has made the news as the president elect of Romania, not many people know that Nicușor Dan is a math prodigy who has won gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad twice.
Nicușor Dan: the math prodigy
According to the International Math Olympiad website, Dan won the gold medal in the tournament in 1987 and 1988. He managed to get the maximum total score of 42 points both years.
His back-to-back wins came when he was still in high school, a period during which Romania consistently ranked among the top-performing nations at the IMO.
After his Olympiad triumphs, he went on to study mathematics at the University of Bucharest and later at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris – one of France’s most prestigious academic institutions.
Nicușor Dan, currently serving as the Mayor of Bucharest, holds a master’s degree from École Normale Supérieure and a PhD from Paris 13 University.
Nicușor Dan: the politician
After returning to Romania from Paris, Dan became a civil activist and eventually pivoted to politics.
He campaigned on a slogan of change in the Romanian presidential election, saying he wants to “rebuild” the eastern European country. According to an AFP report, the former math prodigy gained 54 percent compared to 46 percent by nationalist George Simion, who had topped the May 4 first round of voting in the EU and NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine.
Dan, who was an activist fighting illegal urban development before becoming mayor, told jubilant supporters gathered in a Bucharest park that Romania’s “reconstruction” would begin on Monday, calling it “a moment of hope”.
