ESF Forward Look Mathematics and Industry Workshop

FORWARD LOOK ON MATHEMATICS AND INDUSTRY

THE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE IN INDUSTRIAL MATHEMATICS

28. AUGUST 2009, WROCLAW, POLAND


Challenge for curricula|Workshop programme overview|Programme|Photos

Mathematical technology is emerging as a vital resource in knowledge based industries and development of society. The increasing role of mathematics has inspired efforts to enhance knowledge transfer between universities and industry and means a challenge for education. A modern view of mathematics should be reflected in curricula and educational practices. How to make the theoretical content transparent and communicate to the students the end-user perspective of mathematical knowledge? How to become a successful applied mathematician ready to tackle the fascinating tasks and challenges of the real world?

Challenge for curricula

The educational challenge appears at the curriculum level and in practices of university pedagogy of applied mathematics. The objective and fascination is the students’ exposure to open problems, skills in addressing questions arising from real context. ESF Forward look Workshop at Wroclaw is aimed to discuss this challenge on a European level. This will be done by presenting various educational practices and curricula that have been developed. Representatives from industry are asked to report about interaction with academia and give their comments on the education and training of applied mathematics. Many universities offer MS-programs oriented towards equipping the students with the skills that are needed in the professional use of mathematics. The workshop intends to give an overview of this development and pool useful ideas and good examples.

Workshop programme overview

The programme takes place at 9.00-18.00. The presentations will describe Masters Programmes where the objective of real world interaction and connections with industry has been built in. We hope to learn from innovative educational practices and new programmes of experimental nature. The programme will contain invited presentations from both academia and industry. Response coming from industry representatives will be crucial. Important part of the workshop is discussion and brainstorming about the common challenge. The objective is to identify common guidelines for European universities in their efforts to develop mathematics masters education for the present challenges of the world. Here are examples of questions that we ask the speakers to consider. How do you see the role of computational methods, mathematical models and simulation in today’s industry and production systems? Mention examples of such sectors in the industry that you represent or in other fields of production. What is the significance of mathematics based methods and technology in modern R&D, innovation and competitiveness? Which skills you consider important for persons with MS in mathematics who would be recruited to mathematically and/or computationally challenging projects? Which type of mathematical methods and theories they should master? What other knowledge, skills and training they should have? Describe the recruitment methods and criteria in R&D tasks the industry. How do you see the role of PhD holders? How to make PhD research projects to benefit the objectives of industry? Please comment on the possibility and potential in European and international collaboration?

Programme:

09:00-09:10Opening remarks (Wojtek Okrasinski, Matti Heilio)
09:10-09:30Presentation of ECMI & OECD report (Matti Heilio, Wil Schilders)
09:30-09:50General presentation of the ESF Forward Look and WG I. The goal of our present meeting (Magnus Fontes)
09:50-10:40Short presentations (academia, industry)
  • Redmer van Tijum from Ph.D. Philips Consumer Lifestyle
  • Aderito Araujo from University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Coffee break 
11:00-12:00Short presentations (academia, industry)
  • Ozan Öktem from Comsol
  • Mikko Kaasalainen from University of Helsinki (Finland)
Lunch 
13:15-14:20Short presentations (academia, industry)
  • Erkki Heikola from Numerola
  • Stefka Dimova from University of Sofia (Bulgaria)
  • Alex Weron from Wroclaw University of Technology (Poland)
Coffee break 
14:40-15:20Short presentations (academia, industry)
  • José Gonçalo Silva from Critical Software
  • Natasa Krejic from University of Novi Sad (Serbia)
15:50-17:30Discussion, brainstorming about European guidelines in Industrial Mathematics education.
18:00-18:30Conclusions, draft ideas for a Green Paper.

Photos