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Attia A. Ashour
Mathematics enjoys the same popularity as other disciplines, (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences, etc.) with neither the governments of the developing countries nor the International Organizations whose aim is to help these countries. However, certain aspects of mathematics or related to it, such as Computer Science, Information Theory, Statistics & Probability, Modelling, etc., have been established as worthy of support. It is not my intention here to enlarge on this or to give reasons for it. What I want to emphasize is that there is a need to recognize the importance of mathematics at large in its own right and to provide institutes of mathematics and mathematicians in the developing countries with the help needed to continue and improve their work and in particular to develop the "critical mass" which does not yet exist in some of these countries.
Fortunately, there are some International Organizations whose structure allows for this final aim. First and foremost comes the International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, which is sponsored by UNESCO, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Italian Government. Although the primary concern of ICTP is Theoretical Physics, it has a strong Department of Mathematics. The Centre provides federation agreements with Mathematical Institutes and Departments in the developing countries. Each of such agreements allows 2 or 3 persons to visit the Centre every year and spend between 1 and 2 months there. The Centre also offers "Associateships" to senior mathematicians from the developing countries which allow them to visit the Centre for a period of eight weeks each year for five consecutive years. In addition, there is always the possibility to attend schools and seminars held at the Centre or in some developing country and sponsored by ICTP. The office of External Activities of ICTP provides several facilities for mathematicians in the developing countries. For example, it partially funds conferences held there, it initiates and supports subcentres or centres of excellence, it finances the visits of senior mathematicians, (sometimes regular yearly visits for periods up to five years). Help is offered in several other ways,such as the providing of books, journals, and computers.
Another institution whose activity is totally consecrated to mathematics and mathematicians in the developing countries is the International Centre of Pure and Applied Mathematics, (ICPAM or CIMPA as it is usually known) situated in Nice, France. The Centre is sponsored by both the French Government and UNESCO. The town of Nice and the University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis, especially its mathematical community, render invaluable services to the Centre. The activities of CIMPA since its creation in 1980 are mainly the holding of research schools in different branches of Pure and Applied Mathematics. Some of these schools are held in France but the majority now take place in the developing countries themselves. Training courses in Information Theory and Computer Science are also sponsored by the Centre. These activities are usually regional, thus allowing mathematicians from neighboring countries to participate in them. About 6-8 schools are held every year. Due to the growing of the activities of CIMPA, Regional Centres or "Antennas" have been established in Chili (for Latin America) and in China (for South East Asia) to further the aims of CIMPA and enhance its activities in these regions. Other regional centres are planned.
The International Mathematical Union (IMU) is helping mathematicians in the developing countries in several ways. It has established a solidarity fund to help young mathematicians from these countries to attend the International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) which is held every four years and is the most important gathering of mathematicians from all over the world. At the last congress which was held in Zurich, 1994, 120 young mathematicians attended the Congress at no cost to themselves or their institutions, thanks to the fund which paid for their travel and to the host country, Switzerland, which provided housing and subsistence. It is hoped to increase the number at the next Congress which will be held in Berlin in 1998 to at least 200. The IMU Commission for "Development and Exchange" (CDE) has the task of helping to fund the visits of senior mathematicians from developing countries to institutions in the developed world. It also partially funds International and Regional meetings held in the developing countries to allow high level mathematicians to contribute to these meetings. These activities of IMU are funded either directly or indirectly by UNESCO.
Regional Unions and Societies of Mathematics also exist. Examples of these are the African Mathematical Union, the Latin American Mathematical Society and the South East Asian Mathematical Society. These organizations help mathematicians in the respective regions to hold meetings and to publish regional journals. Again, UNESCO plays an important role in funding the activities of these organizations.
It is obvious from the above that UNESCO is the main, if not the only, Sponsor of the International and Regional Organizations which are helping to develop the mathematical sciences in the Third World. For that reason, it was thought that the time is now ripe to evaluate this help up to the present and to look into its future. There is also a need to coordinate between the recipients and to avoid overlaps. Thus, UNESCO decided to hold a Seminar "UNESCO & Mathematics" which will be jointly organized by CIMPA and ROSTE (UNESCO Regional Office of Science and Technology for Europe). It will take place in Venice, Italy, 22-24 November, 1996, and will be attended by representatives of the above mentioned organizations in addition to other distinguished mathematicians. The deliberations will no doubt also include "Mathematics in the 21st Century" and the International Mathematical Year 2000, with special emphasis on developing countries. It might be appropriate therefore to publish the recommendations of the seminar in a future issue of this Newsletter.