Joint LMS-SAMS-SAMSA meeting will be hosted in South Africa in the first week of September. The meeting will have a scientific component, but its main goal is to identify and establish/strengthen mathematical partnership(s) between UK and Southern Africa. SAMS members are requested please to write an email to SAMS President (president@sams.ac.za) if they have suggestions who could be included/invited from Southern Africa or the UK to participate in the meeting (self-nominations are welcome). SAMS is looking for mathematicians (at any stage of their career) who are most likely to engage in long-lasting collaboration across UK and Southern Africa in mathematics and its applications (existing collaborations included if there is a prospect for strengthening them). Resources are limited and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to approach/invite all individuals identified. Preference will be given to those who work in areas that are well established and well represented in Southern Africa or the UK and those who lead a group in a particular area. Please provide context with the nominations (if there are existing collaborations, with whom, and what are the indications that the person is interested in such collaborations). Nominations should please reach the SAMS President by 10 May, but later nominations may also be considered.
Author: Francois Schulz
The purpose of the Future Mathematicians Programme, which is one of the three SAMS Divisions (https://www.sams.ac.za/divisions/future-mathematicians-programme/), is to expose school learners and university students to the fundamentals of research mathematics, encourage mathematical dialogue and promote mathematics as a profession. The programme aims to introduce and accelerate the development of the following skills for school learners and university students: use deductive reasoning to make a conclusion and explain it; describe mathematical ideas in an intuitive mathematical language; converse in the language of sets and mathematical structures; use of symbolic language to write precise mathematical statements; abstracting mathematical principles and structures from real life; mathematical problem solving and exploration; comprehending and building a mathematical theory (understanding and creating definitions, axioms, theorems, proofs, and examples). Anyone who is involved in mathematical activities with school learners or undergraduate university students that align with the purpose of the Future Mathematicians Programme is strongly encouraged to join SAMS Division for this programme by writing an email to the Division Head, Dr. Cerene Rathilal: RathilalC@ukzn.ac.za. Please include a description of such activities in your email.
May 12 – Celebrating Women in Mathematics
Join the South African Mathematical Society’s “Women in Mathematics” Division for a celebration featuring a professional development seminar by author Gillian Reilly (abstract below):
Permission to Stand Out
For so many women – particularly young female professionals – standing out requires so. much. permission.
Female professionals can be exceptionally capable and productive, but they’re not “supposed to” garner attention, assert authority or demand recognition. They’re groomed for quiet achievement. Not visible authority. Which holds women back, keeps them small, burns them out.
In this talk I’ll explore how women can avoid playing small– one self-permission at a time. Using my trademark Ten Permissions, we’ll look at how women can identify their ambitions and desires, embrace challenges and risks, and back their value and authority. How they can design unique career paths rather than defaulting to the narrow, conventional paths that often constrain their growth and impact.
In a world where women have long been told to “Lean In”, I believe it’s now time for women to give themselves permission to stand out. To back themselves as the stand out leaders for the 21st century.
Venues
Attend at one of the following venues:
- Neelsie Cinema, Stellenbosch University
- University of the Witwatersrand
- University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Rhodes University
- Sol Plaatje University
- Online
Attendance is limited and on a first come, first served
basis. Light snacks will be served at physical venues.
Please register here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-2EQhjxvdWVnqBN7dJaZ3gh6Vf4g7TuGJynpbgF_RABatsw/viewform
Poster
2025-05-12 NITheCS & SU Mathematics Division
Categories
Topology Indaba Conference
The School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal is pleased to announce the inaugural Topology Indaba Conference (TIC), scheduled to take place on April 28-29, 2025, at the STEC, H1 Building, Westville Campus. As a premier platform for disseminating new advancements in topology, TIC embodies the spirit of collaborative discussion and knowledge sharing inherent in the term “Indaba.” The conference programme will showcase a diverse range of speakers, including renowned local and international topology experts, early-career researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and postgraduate students specialising in this field.
For more information & expressions of interest to be part of the conference, please contact Dr Simo Mthethwa (Mthethwas4@ukzn.ac.za), or see the attached flyer.
Categories
Jack Carr PhD Internship Programme
Jack Carr PhD Internship Programme
Two internships are available to current PhD students in an
African University to spend up to 6 weeks doing research related to their PhD topic at the Maxwell Institute for the Mathematical Sciences in Edinburgh (in partnership with Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh University). A grant of up to £ 4,000, offered by the Jack Carr Fund, will cover travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for the duration of the internship. Those interested can find more details in the attached poster.
The South African Mathematical Society (SAMS) strives to foster international collaborations with other societies. Currently, there are ongoing communications with the American Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). The director of AIMS suggested that South African representatives could organize special sessions at the 2026 AIMS Conference in Athens, Greece (see https://aimsconference.org/conferences/2026/index.html).
There is already a proposal to organize a special session on the topic “Evolution equations and operator semigroups” by Christian Budde (UFS). Anyone else who is interested in organizing a special session at the AIMS Conference is kindly asked to contact Christian Budde (BuddeCJ@ufs.ac.za or secretary@sams.ac.za).
Regarding funding for attendance of special session organizers at the AIMS Conference, we have to negotiate with the AIMS Council. However, we first would like to table some suggestions for special sessions before asking for support.
Dear SAMF Stakeholder,
It is a privilege to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the South African Mathematics Foundation. I bring to this role more than three decades of experience as a mathematics educator and academic, including my most recent position as Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Having served on SAMF’s Board of Directors for nearly a decade, I am deeply familiar with the Foundation’s mission and proud to now lead its efforts to advance mathematics education and advocacy across the country.
My priorities for the years ahead include strengthening the training of mathematics teachers, broadening access to our projects through targeted support for struggling learners, and ensuring the Foundation’s long-term financial sustainability. I also believe it is important to clarify that SAMF’s work complements—and does not compete with—that of other organisations working to build capacity in the mathematical sciences.
Thank you for the role you continue to play in supporting SAMF’s impact. I look forward to engaging with you as we take the Foundation’s work into its next chapter.
Warm regards,
Prof Seithuti Moshokoa
Executive Director
South African Mathematics Foundation
Please take note of the following vacancy for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at North-West University. The ideal candidate should have expertise in Dynamical Systems and Bio-Mathematics. The closing date for applications is 29 April 2025. For more details, kindly see the advertisement: PostdocAdvertPAA-StH2026
Please take note of the vacancy for a Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in the Mathematics Division at Stellenbosch University. Preference will be given to candidates working in number theory or a related area, but those working in other areas of mathematics will also be considered. The closing date for applications is 30 April 2025. For more details, kindly see the official advertisement:
NW080630325 Senior Lecturer Lecturer Dept of Mathematical Sciences Web Copy
European Statistics Awards Programme
Eurostat is pleased to announce the final round of the European Statistics Awards for Web Intelligence, with a focus on Multinational Enterprise (MNE) Groups Data: Discovery & Extraction Challenges. Running in parallel, these competitions aim to drive innovation, develop new methodologies, and benchmark approaches for processing web content in MNE Group data analysis.
Both competitions are now open for registration and the deadline for registering is 22 April 2025.
By running both challenges simultaneously, the European Statistics Awards Programme aims to strengthen MNE Group Data analysis by enabling those participants that develop integrated pipelines to benefit from possible synergies, while also allowing specialised teams to fully focus on either of the two challenges.
The competition focuses on three main objectives: fostering innovation in web intelligence for statistics, benchmarking methods for identifying financial MNE Group data sources, and assessing extraction techniques using advanced technologies. This initiative contributes to refining methodologies and enhancing statistical practices in MNE Group analysis.
Do you know how to code in Python or R? Register by 22 April 2025 and try your chances on your own or with a team of colleagues.
You and your team have the chance to win up to €50 000 by securing first place in all three award categories across both competitions.
The top prize breakdown per competition includes:
- €10 000 for Accuracy Award
- €10 000 for Reusability Award
- €5 000 for Innovativeness Award
Additionally, second and third place prizes are awarded as follows:
- Accuracy Award: €5 000 (2nd place) | €3 000 (3rd place)
- Reusability Award: €5 000 (2nd place) | €3 000 (3rd place)
- Innovativeness Award: €3 000 (2nd place) | €1 000 (3rd place)
By placing first in all three categories in one competition, your team could win up to €25 000, and by doing so in both competitions, you could win a total of €50 000.
For more information on the European Statistical Awards Programme, please refer to the European Statistics Awards website or drop us a line to learn about any further details.
Many thanks in advance for considering signing up, and for sharing this information,
The European Statistics Awards secretariat