The value of encouraging mathematical talents I am Catharina Gathmann. I am studying economics in Hamburg after having passed my final school examinations last year. At the same time, I work in the "PriMa" programme, headed by the president of the MCG, Marianne Nolte. This programme, which takes place at the University of Hamburg, was introduced in 1999 and supports mathematically gifted students from upper primary to secondary grade (third to tenth grade in Germany). I have participated in the programme since I was in third grade and stayed there until ninth grade. Subsequently, I remained in the programme and have been a tutor since 2017. I have experienced that being interested in mathematics is often associated with being a nerd or a geek at school. That is why I was a bit overwhelmed when I was accepted into the programme after the selection process in third grade. Apart from going to university as a primary school student in between all those grown-ups (!), I met peop