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SU to host BRICS Mathematics and Statistics Conference in 2021
Author: Media & Communication, Faculty of Science
Published: 04/02/2020

Mathematicians and statisticians from Brazil, Russia, India and China will converge in Stellenbosch in November 2021 for the fifth international BRICS Mathematics and Statistics Conference.

Hosted by Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculties of Science and Economic and Management Sciences, this will be the first time for the conference to take place in South Africa. The conference will also be supported by three of South Africa's major societies in these fields, namely the South African Mathematics Society (SAMS), the South African Numerical and Applied Mathematics (SANUM) special interest group, and the South African Statistical Association (SASA).

The BRICS Conference was launched in 2016 to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in the field of mathematics among the five countries. The fourth conference will be held at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Thiruvananthapuram from 6 to 10 July 2020.

Prof Nick Hale, chair of the organising committee and a lecturer in the Applied Mathematics Division, says the theme for the 2021 conference will focus on the promotion of partnerships and inclusive networks for mathematicians, applied mathematicians and statisticians from across BRICS and the African continent.

While hot topics such as data science and machine learning will certainly feature, other important focus areas will also come under the spotlight, such as women in mathematics and mathematics education, he adds.

Prof Paul Mostert, chair of SU's Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science and a member of the organising committee, says the hosting of the conference will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the department: “We are very excited to celebrate this milestone with colleagues from the mathematical sciences within the broader BRICS community. The conference is an ideal opportunity to showcase and share the latest research in the Mathematical and Statistical Sciences from South Africa with an international audience."

The conference will take place from 21 to 26 November 2021 and will include a public lecture to raise awareness of the importance, relevance and pervasiveness of mathematics and statistics in the modern world.

For more information, contact Prof Nick Hale at nickhale@sun.ac.za or visit https://math.sun.ac.za/brics/

On the photo above, the SU organising committee consists of Prof Nick Hale and Prof Ingrid Rewitzky from the Faculty of Science, and Prof Paul Mostert from the Faculty of Economic and Business Management Sciences. Photo: Stefan Els