Flemish universities to break a lance for high-wiskundeonderzoek

Education to predict The weather? Epidemics control? Our food safety monitor? Artificial intelligence? All impossible without mathematics. Mathematics is enormously important and our society can benefit from high quality wiskundeonderzoek, solid mathematics education and a smooth translation of new mathematics in innovation. In order to achieve that, we advocate the five Flemish universities for a remain powerful platform that mathematics unites.

They do that in a press release that it is today, on pi day (after the Greek letter " pi " of the alphabet) spread. Pi day is on march 14, is celebrated, because in the American notation for dates march 14th, written as 3/14, and the three-digit approximation for pi 3,14 is - and that is worth celebrating on the mathematics departments of universities around the world.

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"It is a paradox", says Herman Van Goethem, president of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). "The impact of mathematics on our society is growing larger and larger. But still, math is becoming less and less visible."

Acute shortage of mathematics teachers

Despite its importance to affect the mathematics today with different challenges. "A persistent problem is the shortage of mathematics teachers", says Koen Verlaeckt, secretary-general VLIR. "Each year, stopping some four-hundred mathematics teachers agree, most due to retirement. But of the hundred mathematicians who each year graduation, choose a twenty for the education. Mathematicians are also very sought after in the industry."

To the challenges, the whole Flemish mathematics work. The Flemish rectors plead for a wiskundeplatform, where the education sector, corporate and academic world together, bending a stronger mathematics. Through that platform, they can better communicate about the importance of mathematics, to work on the improvement of mathematics education, more wiskundestudenten (especially girls) to attract, mathematical research, expand and transfer of mathematical knowledge into technological innovation.

Young Academy

in Addition to the VLIR names also some mathematicians and engineers from the Flemish universities and a group of academics from the so-called 'Young Academy', the initiative to make a statement. "To meet the challenges structurally to address, the whole Flemish mathematics work", is here the motto. Also a few captains of industry have signed the declaration, like Jef Colruyt, CEO of Colruyt Group), Jan White (CEO of Barco), Johan Thijs (CEO KBC) and Françoise Chombar, CEO of Melexis and chairman of the VOICE Platform). Further testified David Dehenauw (RMI-meteorologist), Frank De Winne (astronaut) and Charissa Parassiadis (singer Slongs) their support. Also, the directors of the main educational umbrella organisations Lieven Boeve and Raymonda Verdyck have placed their signatures.