March 30, 2026
We asked Dr Elena Boguslavskaya, Head of Contemporary Mathematics at 1729 Maths School, to take part in a Q&A so we could learn more about her background, inspirations and vision for contemporary mathematics education. With a research background in probability theory and stochastic analysis and a long-standing commitment to mathematics outreach, Elena brings deep academic expertise and a passion for helping young people experience the richness of modern mathematics.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I am a mathematician with a background in probability theory and stochastic analysis. In other words, I love uncertainty and am professionally trained to manage it. On a more serious note, I was lucky to benefit from specialised maths school education when I was a teenager. I then graduated from the Mathematics Department of Moscow State University and later completed my PhD at the University of Amsterdam. I have held various academic positions, but at the same time I have always been interested in maths education for school students. At some point, together with two co-founders, we established a mathematical charity called We Solve Problems. If you have heard about maths circles, and especially maths battles, this is us.
What was your favourite subject when you were at school and why?
It is not easy to answer this question. Mathematics came easily to me and my teacher in my early secondary years was kind. She used to give me a lot of interesting extension work. But I think I enjoyed all my subjects, especially science and art. I loved reading science books because they fired my imagination. I still remember a book about the discovery of penicillin that I found in a local library when I was about ten. I have also always enjoyed drawing and painting, and art was where I could let my imagination run free.
Do you have any personal hobbies or activities that you enjoy after a busy school day?
After a very busy day, I do not think you can enjoy a hobby very much, but I do like hiking, especially if I have good company. Nothing relaxes me more than a good walk with a view. You can have really interesting conversations with friends or simply enjoy your own thoughts. And yes, music is my other love.
Who inspires you?
Alice Rogers. Besides being a fine mathematician, she has been a major influence on mathematics education, especially for gifted students. In the 1990s, she began asking mathematicians arriving in the UK from the former Soviet Union, “Why are you so good at mathematics, and why are there so many of you?” The answer was that there was a system in the Soviet Union for identifying mathematical talent and educating it in specialised maths and physics schools. She lobbied for specialised mathematics education in schools and played a major role in opening maths specialised state sixth-form colleges such as King’s Maths School.
What made you want to work at 1729?
It is a very ambitious school where one can truly make an impact. I am an ambitious person, and I look forward to contributing. There are not yet any schools in the UK that offer a curriculum in Contemporary Mathematics.
What do you hope to achieve in role at 1729 in the next few years?
In my role at 1729, I hope to establish and oversee a coherent programme that introduces school students to non‑school mathematics, what we call Contemporary Mathematics.
Over the next few years, with support from external academic consultants, I hope to develop a programme built around a range of examples drawn from modern mathematics. It will be carefully sequenced, conceptually rich, and genuinely enjoyable. The main aim is to give students both stronger mathematical intuition and a clearer sense of what modern mathematics is really about.
How do you ensure the curriculum reflects modern mathematical thinking rather than just traditional content?
I believe my expertise as a research mathematician allows me to understand, at least in part, what modern mathematics is about. Of course, the best way to ensure that the curriculum reflects the key ideas of contemporary mathematical thinking - at a level accessible to school students - is for it to be a collective effort by specialists actively working in the field. That is why I am currently bringing together a group of experts (working mathematicians) to discuss which topics to include and what specific examples to consider. Later, I plan to invite academics to deliver short mini-courses, supported by a set of inquiry-based exercises.
What skills do you believe pupils will need most in the future, and how can maths education help develop them?
We do not really know which specific technical skills today’s pupils will need in 10 years, things are changing extremely quickly nowdays, especially with AI. But what will almost certainly be needed is the ability to think clearly in unfamiliar situations: to ask good questions, spot patterns, test ideas, handle uncertainty, and judge whether a mathematical argument (or an AI-generated answer) actually makes sense.
We aim to build up the curriculum to develop exactly these future-proof skills:
Good mathematical education is training for disciplined thinking, which will remain valuable whatever the future brings.
What are the key priorities for the 1729 over the next few years, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1729 faces many things to achieve, but from my side I can assure you that we are going to develop an intellectually serious curriculum, delivered by a strong team. We aim it to be accessible to pupils, connected to modern ideas and applications, and be improved continuously. Our materials will be delivered in collaboration with an invited academic (it may be a very famous or only starting their career mathematician). Each course will consist of a lecture/series of lectures supported by inquiry-based exercises to solve to ensure deep understanding of the material. The exercise sessions will be conducted by a number of PhD students, who will work for us part time and be offered free accommodation near the school. We have already been secured budget approval for four such PhD students.
In this way, students at 1729 will be continuously exposed to people working in the modern mathematical world, including some who are closer to them in age. This will provide them with role models and broaden their horizons.
I would like to close by saying that, not only mathematics but also subjects such as Physics and Computing will be taught to an unusually high standard.