Košice and Drienica were recently the setting for celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the STROM seminar. Half a century ago, the KMS – Correspondence Mathematical Seminar was founded at UPJŠ in Košice; in 1993 it was renamed STROM and became the first mathematical seminar of its kind in Czechoslovakia. In 1995, the STROM Association was established, and has since overseen not only the STROM seminar but also the Matik and Malynár seminars – all three continue to run today, alongside a growing range of additional activities.
The official part of the celebrations took place in Košice on Friday, 26 June 2026.
In the morning, a commemorative tree (STROM) was planted in Angelinum Park, and on this occasion those present were addressed by UPJŠ Vice-Rector Dr.h.c. prof. Mgr. Slávka Tomaščíková, PhD., Dean of the UPJŠ Faculty of Science Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Roman Soták, PhD. , and Chairman of the STROM Association Ján Richnavský.
In the afternoon, a ceremonial gathering was held at the UPJŠ Rectorate, featuring recollections of the history of the individual seminars and the christening of the book Letokruhy, which captures fifty years of the STROM seminar’s history.
The founders of the correspondence seminar – Assoc. Prof. Božena Miháliková, Assoc. Prof. Oľga Kulcsárová, Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Andrejková, and Assoc. Prof. Marián Trenkler – also took part in the gathering and were presented with commemorative certificates.
The celebrations continued over the weekend in Drienica near Sabinov, where around 180 former participants and organizers of the seminar gathered at Hotel Javorna. Over three days, they shared memories, took part in accompanying activities, and reconnected with friends and colleagues from different generations of the seminar.
The 50th anniversary thus brought together several generations of solvers, organizers, and supporters of the STROM seminar, and served as a reminder of the important role it has played in discovering and nurturing talent in mathematics and the natural sciences.
Photo: STROM
