02/04/2019

Marcelo Viana gives a lecture at Maths Day for Development.

The Director-General of IMPA, Marcelo Viana, gave a lecture at the Maths Day for Development, which brought together scientists from around the world at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The use of aspects of mathematics as a tool for development was the theme addressed at the event, which took place on March 15th.

Viana discussed the evolution of Mathematics in Brazil from the country's entry into Group 1 of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) in 1954, to its recent promotion to Group 5, which brings together the 11 leading nations in this scientific field, in 2018.

In addition to presenting the trajectory of scientific growth in the country, the researcher addressed the actions that have been developed towards gender equality in the field.

Following the lecture, the Director-General of IMPA participated in a round table discussion on the importance of mathematics in basic and higher education in developing countries, with researchers Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Angelina Bijura, Barry Green, and Thi Ha Duong Phan.

"It was very gratifying to participate and see Brazil's case in such a prominent position in the program of an event of this level, whose objective was to raise awareness among the general public of the importance of mathematics for the problem of development," said Viana.

The event was organized by the Centre International de Mathématiques Pures et Appliquées (CIMPA), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the French National Commission for UNESCO (CNFU), with sponsorship from the French Academy of Sciences.