From April 24 to 26, 2026, the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” hosted the 21st National Computer Networking Competition for students in grades 8 through 12. The event is traditionally organized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Regional Education Administration – Sofia City, the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University, and the university’s Network Academy.
Students from across the country participated in the competition, testing their knowledge and skills in two rounds—a theoretical test and a practical case study using a software simulator in a virtual computer network. To prepare the tasks, faculty members from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics used materials from the globally recognized “Cisco Networking Academy” program“.
The top three prizes were won by students from the Technical School of Electronic Systems at the Technical University of Sofia (TUES). The winner was Gabriel Petrov (12th grade), second place went to Alexander Shestakov (12th grade), and third place went to Martin Mikhalkov (11th grade). In addition to the TUES team, which won a total of 10 awards, students from the “John Atanasoff” Professional High School of Electronics in Sofia, the “Acad. Blagovest Sendov” Vocational High School of Computer Modeling and Computer Systems in Varna, and the “Prof. Asen Zlatarov” Vocational High School of Electronics and Chemical Technologies in Pleven.
The awards ceremony took place in hall 113 at the Center of Excellence UNITe. Among the official guests at the event were representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Regional Education Administration, the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, and partner organizations. Vladimir Karshev from the Ministry of Education and Science greeted the participants and emphasized the importance of knowledge in the field of computer networks and network administration, while the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Prof. Milen Petrov, encouraged the students to continue their education at the Faculty. The sponsoring company OHOST.BG also presented the participants with awards and service vouchers.
Students who received a score between 5.50 and 6.00 on the test and the practical assignment are eligible for admission to the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University, and this result is recognized as the entrance exam for the program.
