The European Mathematical Society
Committee for Developing Countries

Home Members Activities Book Donation ERCE Twinning Reports

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES OF EMS

Tsou Sheung Tsun, Michel Waldschmidt (14.11.11).

SAD NEWS
    It is with the greatest regret and sadness that we report the untimely death of our member Mikael Passare in September.
Mikael officially joined the Committee in 2008, but many of us knew him as a treasured colleague for much much longer. In spite of his very busy schedule he always had time for CDC business. He was our Treasurer, and following our tradition but unlike treasurers of other commitees, was relaxed about what we spent, since he believed in our work. He attended all our meetings, greatly contributed to the serious but genial atmosphere. As we all know, as well as being a great traveller, he was also a great linguist and he used to speak French with our francophone colleagues, much to their content.
MEMBERSHIP
    We are looking to replace Mikael and other members who will retire at the end of the year. A process has been started and when we come up with we shall submit them for EC approval.
ISP ANNIVERSARY MEETING
    Our member Giulia di Nunno represented our committee at the 50th Anniversary of the International Science Programme (ISP) at Uppsala in September. It was a great meeting, unfortunately saddened by the death of Mikael who was one of their Board Directors.
REDUCED FEES
    Under the great impetus of Mireille Martin-Deschamps (and also help of President Marta Sanz-Sole and Treasurer Jouko Vaananen), the committee established, after wide consultation, a list of developing countries for which a reduced fee of 5 euros is suggested for individuals to join EMS. This list is now on the EMS website.
GENDER IMBALANCE IN SUBSAHARAN AFRICA
    CIMPA has found that there is a marked small percentage of women mathematicians participating in its Research Schools, well under 10 %. Jointly with CIMPA we supported the participation of Marie-Francoise Ouedraogo from Bukina Faso to the Eureopean Women in Mathematics in September at Barcelona. She is the chair of the committee on women mathematicians of the African Union of Mathematics. At the meeting she was able to make known the sorry state of affairs in Subsaharan Africa. She later gave an interview in the EWM Newsletter, and we hope that something positive will come out of this exposure.
ELECTRONIC ACCESS
    The collaboration with IMU is continuing. Lena Kock, from the Global Secretariat of IMU, will coordinate with member Anders Wandhal to apply for a grant from the Gates Foundation for their Access to Learning Award 2012.
BOOK DONATION SCHEME
    This continues as usual. We are in the process of sending a long run of Mathematical Reviews from Oxford to the new PACM in Tanzania.


URL of this website: http://ems-cdc.org
URL of this page: http://ems-cdc.org/IndividualReports/Rpt112011.html
Last modified: June 24, 2012