On behalf of the Organizing
Committee of the first Buea International Conference on the Mathematical Sciences,
I wish to welcome you to this memorable event on this beautiful campus of the
University of Buea. We recognize the extra effort required to engage in such
activities with this part of the world, and sincerely welcome the drive that
brought you from far and near to this event. We especially welcome members of
our International Advisory Committee (IAC) who are able to attend this
conference; the energy that nourished the organization of this event came from
your early encouragements. We appreciate your dedication and count on your
guidance as we highlight the breath and dept of mathematics this week, and as
we contemplate the way forward hereafter. As is evident from the makeup of the
organizing team, this conference is an outcome of synergy between Diaspora and
Africa-based colleagues; true to the model of African brain recycling, as
opposed to brain drain.
Until not long ago,
mathematics was commonly regarded by the general public as a reclusive
activity, pursued relentlessly and obsessively by a small number of individuals
within the cloisters of universities. Mathematicians seemed to be detached from
and unperturbed by the “lively” activities of their counterparts in other
disciplines.
In recent years, the
emergence of knowledge-based economies has been accompanied by the
ascendancy of mathematics as a fundamental part of general learning. The world
is witnessing an increasing mathematization of science and engineering, with
impacts on an ever broadening spectrum of research, beyond the physical and
information sciences, including the bio-, geo- and environmental sciences, as
well as the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Fundamental research in
the mathematical sciences has emerged as the fountainhead for all these
disciplines, as it underpins and enables advances, both in theory and
applications, in these fields.
This Conference’s
initiation derives, in part, from the increasing international awareness and
acknowledgement that fundamental research in –and application of–the
mathematical sciences are central tools without which no nation is able to
harness the full power of scientific research and technology to solve the
daunting catalogue of internal and trans-border health, energy, development and
quality-of-life challenges confronting our globalized society. As such, the
aims of the present conference, which is hoped to be the first in a series, are
to contribute towards strengthening Africa’s capacity in the mathematical
sciences in the broadest sense and in particular, those aspects of greatest
relevance to Africa’s development and international science.
The strategy is to
bring together bi-annually –in the month of May–academicians and professionals
with cross-disciplinary interests related to Mathematical Sciences, to
demonstrate the vital role that mathematics plays in modern society, and to
bridge as well as nurture understanding and collaboration between global,
Cameroon and regional mathematical scientists and stakeholders. We aim at
establishing a conference series that will be a permanent and prominent fixture
on Africa’s scientific landscape; respected for its quality and admired for its
breath and offshoots. The first two-three days of each conference will be broad
while the last two days will be dedicated to a workshop on a specific research
theme. For this first conference, we have a workshop on mathematical biology.
So, we heartily welcome you to this conference series
inaugural. The focus of Buea 2009 will not be limited only to enriching
lectures and focused tutorials and discussions on open problems in Mathematical
Biology. We consider it equally important to create a pleasant environment in
which participants can discuss diverse topics of their professional interest,
make new friends and reconnect with old ones. We are confident that the
conference will provide its participants valued professional and cultural
experience. We cordially invite you to experience Buea and its academic
promise.
