Workshop on Capacity Building in the Mathematical Sciences

AIMS, Muizenberg, South Africa
13-17 April 2004

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This workshop took place during the first year of academic activity at AIMS. It gave an opportunity to consider the problems associated with capacity building in mathematics and its applications in the physical and biological sciences and technology, and the manner in which AIMS is approaching these problems. It also gave an opportunity to consider the promotion of teaching and research via the Internet in Africa and more widely in the developing world. The activities of AIMSSEC (the AIMS Schools Enrichment Centre) was included. Discussion was initiated on establishing a network (AMI-Net) of centres based on AIMS as a prototype.

The workshop was sponsored by IUTAM (the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics) on the basis of a grant awarded by ICSU (the International Council for Science). IUTAM's proposal to ICSU was supported by the following other Scientific and National members of ICSU, many of which were represented at the Workshop:

  • IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics)
  • IMU (International Mathematical Union)
  • IUPAP (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics)
  • IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)
  • IUA (International Union of Astronomy)
  • TWAS (Third World Academy of Science)
  • National Members: South Africa, Brazil, Netherlands, Egypt, UK

The Workshop included a number of survey lectures from representatives of the above international scientific unions.

 

 

Timetable

Tuesday, 13 April 2004

16.00-18.30

Registration at AIMS

18.30

Dinner at AIMS

19.30

Welcome:
  Fritz Hahne (Director of AIMS)
  Neil Turok (Chair of AIMS Council)
  Keith Moffatt (President, IUTAM)

20.00

Lecture 1: Neil Turok: (AIMS and IUPAP)
Understanding the Universe
presentation (PDF)

Wednesday, 14 April 2004

09.00

Lecture 2: Charles Merry (IUGG) (South Africa)
Mathematics and the Figure of the Earth
abstract (PDF)

10.00-12.30
(with break for coffee)

Discussion Session 1. Chair: Toni Beardon
Use of the Internet for teaching mathematics

12.30-14.00

Lunch

14.00

Lecture 3. Peter Atkins (IUPAC) (Oxford,UK)
The Physical Chemistry of Time

15.00-16.30

Discussion Session 2. Chair: Alan Beardon
Presentations from students of AIMS

16.30-17.00

Tea

17.00

Lecture 4: Hassan Aref (IUTAM) (Virginia Tech. USA)
Marvelous Mathematical Models
Presentation (PDF.BZ2, 11M), and the accompanying text (PDF)

18.30

Dinner at AIMS

Thursday, 15 April 2004

09.00

Lecture 5. Frank Kelly (Cambridge)
Mathematics of the Internet
abstract (text)

10.00-10.15

Baron Peterssen
Telkom's Centres of Excellence program

10.15

Coffee

10.45-12.15

Discussion Session 3. Chair: Neil Turok
Establishing an African Network for Teaching and Research
AMI-Net presentaton (PDF), proposal excluding budget (PDF)
Existing initiatives: SDNP (PDF), IBAUD (PDF), AMMSI (PDF)

12.15

Lecture 6. Neville Arendse for Dhesigan Naidoo (Department of Science and Technology, SA)
NEPAD and the future of Science in Africa
presentaton (PDF)

13.00-14.00

Lunch

Afternoon:

Excursion to Cape (at own cost)

Evening:

Workshop banquet (invite only)

Friday, 16 April 2004

09.00

Lecture 7: Douglas Gough (IAU) (Cambridge,UK)
Listening to the inside of the sun
abstract (text)

10.00

Coffee

10.30

Lecture 8: Martin Taylor (Royal Society) (UMIST)
Numbers: the Shape of Things to Come
abstract (text)

11.30-12.30

Discussion Session 4. Chair: Fritz Hahne
Presentations from African state representatives
Impromptu presentations from African representatives: Algeria (PDF), Sudan (PDF), Tunisia (PDF)

12.30-14.00

Lunch

14.00

Lecture 9: Jean Salencon (IUTAM and Academie des Sciences) (Ecole Polytechnique)
From Galileo to Convexity: Some Key Ideas in Structural Mechanics
abstract (PDF), related paper (PDF), and presentation (PPT) part 1, part 2, part 3

15.00-16.00

Discussion session 4 (continued)

16.00

Teabreak

16.30

Lecture 10: Gareth Witten
Epidemiological Modelling and HIV/AIDS
presentation (PDF)

Saturday, 17 April 2004

10.00-12.00

Informal discussions

12.00-12.30

Closing remarks, and close of Workshop.

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