09/04/2020

Technology helps IMPA maintain activities during the pandemic.

IMPA's academic activities continue, in an adapted format, during the period of social isolation to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The suspension of in-person classes, initially scheduled until the 1Thursdays, has been extended until April 30th.

Since March 17th, the work of researchers and professors has not been taking place inside the institute's classrooms, but has been driven by the reach of digital platforms. Students have started sitting in front of computers and cell phones to attend classes from home through platforms such as Google's G Suite and the HTC Vive Ecosystem Conference. Some presentations have been made available on IMPA's YouTube channel . And to also reduce the impacts of the coronavirus on the 2020 scientific calendar, doctoral and master's student defenses have been conducted via videoconference.

“Fortunately, we have the technological resources to carry out most of our activities virtually, protecting everyone's safety. It is important to also see this crisis as an opportunity to develop new forms of scientific and academic collaboration,” says Marcelo Viana, Director-General of IMPA.

Scientific events have had to adapt to the new reality, and some have already been converted to a virtual format. This was the case with the Workshop Varieties with Trivial Canonical Class , which has IMPA researcher Jorge Vitório Pereira among its organizers. The event, which was to take place in Marseille, France, will feature online discussion sessions and recorded lectures .

On another front, the team of professionals responsible for OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools) has finalized the registration of public and private schools throughout the country and is continuing with the planning of the competition. The numbers will be released soon.

IMPA continues preparing activities for the period after the quarantine. The expectation is that, as health conditions improve, events promoting mathematics, such as the National Mathematics Festival, will resume.