Category: Conference

First Announcement

27th International Conference on Banach Algebras and Applications

We are pleased to announce the 27th International Conference on Banach Algebras and Applications, to be held at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, from 14 to 18 December 2026.

Since the inaugural event in Los Angeles in 1974, the conference has brought together researchers from around the world to present recent advances in Banach algebras, operator algebras, harmonic analysis, operator theory, and related areas. The 2026 meeting marks the first occasion on which this conference series will be hosted in Africa.

The scientific programme will feature plenary lectures by internationally renowned experts, contributed talks, and opportunities for discussion and collaboration.

Confirmed Plenary Speakers
International Speakers:

• Osamu Hatori (Niigata University, Japan)
• Niels Laustsen (Lancaster University, United Kingdom)
• Martin Mathieu (Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom)
• Antonio Peralta (University of Granada, Spain)
• Nico Spronk (University of Waterloo, Canada)
• Snežana Živković-Zlatanović (University of Niš, Serbia)

South African Speakers:

• Rudi Brits (University of Johannesburg)
• Sanne ter Horst (North-West University)
• Sonja Mouton (Stellenbosch University)

Important Dates

• Registration opens: 27 July 2026
• Abstract submission opens: 27 July 2026
• Deadline for registration and payment: 30 September 2026
• Deadline for abstract submission: 30 September 2026

Researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and postgraduate students working in Banach algebras, operator algebras, harmonic analysis, operator theory, and related areas are warmly invited to participate.

Further information, including registration, accommodation, and updates, is available on the conference website: 

https://sites.google.com/view/banach-algebras-2026/home

Any queries may be directed to Francois Schulz at francoiss@uj.ac.za.

We look forward to welcoming you to Stellenbosch in December 2026.

Organizing Committee
Ronalda Benjamin – University of Johannesburg
Rudi Brits – University of Johannesburg
Muhammad Hassen – University of Johannesburg
Sonja Mouton – Stellenbosch University
Nicholas Sander – Stellenbosch University
Francois Schulz – University of Johannesburg

The organizers invite members of the mathematical community to participate in the Second South Africa–Japan Meeting on Topological Data Analysis using A-Homotopy Theory. This is the second edition of the meeting, following a successful inaugural event held in Cape Town in 2025, which fostered several collaborative research projects between South African and Japanese researchers in A-homotopy theory and topological data analysis.

The meeting aims to strengthen these collaborations while bringing together researchers and students interested in algebraic topology, homotopy theory, topological data analysis, and related areas. 

Both in-person and remote participation are possible. Please note that priority for in-person attendance will be given to members of the IRGTADS project and their collaborators.

Further information about the meeting, including the programme, scientific motivations, and registration details, can be found on the conference website and the links below.

Conference website:

 https://sites.google.com/site/topolalgeb/home/conferences/sajdhm2026

Scientific motivations:

 https://sites.google.com/site/topolalgeb/home/conferences/sajdhm2026/motivations-sajdhm2026

Registration and abstract submission: 

https://sites.google.com/site/topolalgeb/home/conferences/sajdhm2026/abstract-registration-talks-sajdhm2026

SAMS members are invited to attend Positivity XIII, which will be held in Malta from 21–25 June 2027.

The list of invited speakers includes a number of mathematicians who work in areas adjacent to Positivity, or who use methods from Positivity, such as Tanya Eisner (ergodic theory), Tamás Titkos (optimal transport in quantum structures, Lipschitz-free spaces), Shiho Oi (operator algebras, Jordan algebras) and Felix-Benedict Liebrich (Mathematics of finance). The meeting is therefore expected to be of interest not only to researchers working directly in positivity, but also to mathematicians in related fields.

Further information is available on the conference website:
https://positivitymt2027.com/

The Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Limpopo invites researchers, academics, and postgraduate students to participate in the 2026 Symposium on Group Theory and Applications.

The symposium will provide a platform for discussing recent advances in group theory and its applications, and for fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas within the mathematical community.

Date: 31 July–1 August 2026
Venue: Bolivia Lodge, Polokwane, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Host: Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Limpopo

Registration is now open. Interested participants are invited to visit the conference website for further details, registration, and abstract submission:
https://sites.google.com/view/group-theory2026

The deadline for abstract submission is 15 July 2026.

This event is hosted by the University of Limpopo and supported by the DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CoE-MaSS), South Africa.

The Department of Logistics at Stellenbosch University is proud to host the 54th Annual Conference of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) at Devon Valley Hotel in Stellenbosch from 27 to 30 September 2026 (https://www.orssa.org.za/conference). The theme for this year’s conference is “Descending towards the Optimal Valley: Advancing Real-World Impact in OR for a Better Africa.”

We are pleased to present an outstanding lineup of keynote speakers, with a strong focus on combinatorial optimisation. Prof El-Ghazali Talbi from the University of Lille (France), Prof Dr Greet Vanden Berghe from KU Leuven (Belgium) and Prof Luís Gouveia from the University of Lisbon (Portugal) will each deliver presentations during dedicated plenary sessions. We are further honoured to welcome Dr Andries Heyns, a Senior Researcher within our department, who will present the conference tutorial on the application of geospatial analysis in humanitarian logistics and accessibility modelling, using tools developed for the World Bank and Médecins Sans Frontières.

In addition to presentations by delegates and keynote speakers, as well as the conference tutorial, the conference programme will include several social events designed to encourage networking and collaboration. These include a welcome function on the Sunday evening in the form of a cocktail reception with canapés and refreshments, a social event on the Monday evening at a nearby wine estate and a formal three-course gala dinner and awards ceremony on the Tuesday evening, all of which are included in the registration fees. Daily lunches and light refreshments during scheduled breaks are also included for all delegates.

Early bird registration closes on 29 May 2026, while standard registration closes on 31 July 2026. Members who register for or renew their ORSSA membership for 2026 will receive an additional 10% discount.

We look forward to welcoming you at ORSSA 2026.

Dr Gavin Le Roux
Chair of the Local Organising Committee

The international conference in category theory this year will be held in hybrid format, with contributed talks accepted for online presentation. It is a wonderful opportunity to participate in this conference, if you have interest in category theory and its applications.

Please note that the abstract submission deadline is 20 January! You can find more information here:

https://ct2026.com/ct

Colleagues are invited to participate in a one-day event entitled
“Diagnostic Testing and Support in Tertiary Mathematics: Perspectives from Four Continents – Community Building Towards Best Practice”, to be held on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, at the University of Cape Town, with an online participation option available. There is no participation fee.

The event brings together colleagues working on diagnostic assessment, transition, and support in tertiary mathematics, and will feature contributions from:

• Marc Hooper (Google)
• Emma Coutts (Heriot-Watt University)
• Ken Ly (University of Sydney)
• Tatiana Sango (University of Cape Town)
• Moeketsi Mosia (University of the Free State)
• Sue Johnston-Wilder (University of Warwick)
• Alison Reddy (University of Illinois)

The programme also includes a facilitated collaborative session focused on shared practice and future research directions. It is hoped that the discussions may spark ideas for research that could be presented at the SAMS Conference at WITS in December 2026.

Further details are available in the attached Call for Participation and via the sign-up Google Form:
https://forms.gle/WJPz1FrFJuKRsNvu5

Dear SAMS member,

The local organizing committee of the SAMS Congress 2025 hereby bring the following matters to your attention.

SAMS Congress 2025:

1. The deadline for submission of abstracts for the SAMS Congress is Friday 7 November 2025. Kindly make use of the template on the congress website (https://samscongress2025.mandela.ac.za/) to prepare your abstract.
2. If you are planning to attend the SAMS Congress and you already paid the congress registration fees according to your registration category, kindly ensure that you also register for the congress if you have not already done so. You can register online via the registration page on the congress website, using the link in item 1 above. A payment of registration fees alone does not constitute registration for the congress.

Kind regards,
The local organizing committee of the SAMS 2025

You are hereby reminded of the following deadlines.

Final Registration Deadline: 7 November 2025  
Abstract Submission Deadline: 7 November 2025

Kindly visit the congress website 

https://samscongress2025.mandela.ac.za

to register for the congress and to submit your abstract. The abstract template for preparation of your abstract can also be found on the abstract submission page of the congress website.

We look forward to your participation in this year’s Congress.