About the centre
The mission of the Centre is to support top-level research in mathematics with a special focus on training young scientists and fostering the development of mathematics in Ukraine.
The Centre was founded in 2022 by a group of mathematicians of Ukrainian origin with the belief that science and research would play a crucial role in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.
General information
Objectives
The Centre adheres to scientific excellence and freedom of research. It aims to be at the forefront of modern mathematics. Its important features are internationality, accessibility for all, and diversity.
The ICMU aims to become a catalyst for scientific life in the region, a prominent hub in Eastern Europe, where mathematicians from all over the world will exchange new discoveries and ideas, collaborate, and share their knowledge with aspiring researchers.
Activities
The scientific activities of the Centre are overseen by an international Scientific Board. In selecting the directions of its work (scientific programmes), the Centre is guided by the goal to bring maximum benefit to the Ukrainian mathematical community.
The main regular activity of ICMU will be running thematic programmes which could last anywhere from one month to a full semester. A thematic programme includes a series of events such as lectures by invited guests, weekly seminars, conferences, workshops, and scientific schools to immerse young researchers in the chosen topic. The collaboration programme envisions that small groups of researchers spend one to two weeks at the Centre to work intensively on a specific problem.
In the future, long-term visiting scholarships for postdoctoral researchers and scientists are also planned.
ICMU accepts applications from scientists for organising thematic programmes, summer/winter schools for students, and collaborations in small groups. The selection of the best applications is carried out by the Scientific Board. When reviewing the applications, the Scientific Board considers, among other things, the impact that the proposed activities will have on the development of mathematical research in Ukraine. Certain preference is given to groups of organisers that include both Ukrainian and foreign scientists.
Each thematic programme or school has its own organising committee, approved by the Scientific Board. The organisers are responsible for the scientific content of the events and the invitation of participants, while ICMU provides the necessary technical and financial support.
The Centre also engages in educational activities for school students and the general public. Our motto is "ICMU is for Everyone!"
Funding
The Centre is an independent scientific institution funded by charitable donations and grants. It is proudly supported by the algorithmic trading company XTX Markets, the Founding Donor, and the Principal Donor of ICMU in 2023. XTX Markets has allocated a fund of one million euros to establish the Centre, within which they will match any contributions or guarantees made by other organisations in 2023.
Other organisations can make financial contributions to support the development of ICMU and enter into long-term agreements. The Centre's Co-ordination Committee organises the application process for grants from European and other international programmes that support fundamental research, and in the future, there are plans to collaborate with the National Research Foundation of Ukraine. ICMU conducts regular fundraising campaigns to secure contributions from private individuals and companies. A mechanism for tax benefits for residents of the United States has already been established. The Co-ordination Committee is also working to provide tax incentives in European countries.
We follow the models of other established institutions for fundamental research choosing those paths which would have maximal impact in the scientific community at this particular moment in our history.
HOW WE BEGIN DURING THE WAR
Although at this time we cannot build under missile strikes and we cannot invite guests to our country, the Centre’s Co-ordination Committee is making necessary preparations to launch scientific programmes as soon as it becomes possible.
The development of this project motivates students and scientists in Ukraine, emphasising the country's European perspective and contributing to its reconstruction after the war.
We will prepare everything and start full-fledged operations immediately once sufficient safety conditions are achieved. Until then, the Centre plans to conduct its activities partially, utilising the premises of our partner organisations.
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Location
The choice of an appropriate location for ICMU in Ukraine is made in consultation with Ukrainian government agencies and mathematicians. It is essential for the Centre to be easily accessible by public transportation from a city with a large mathematical community. Currently, a locale in the central part of Kyiv is being considered.
Legal status
The Centre is legally represented by the non-profit public organisation "International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine," registration number 45154964 in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Organisations of Ukraine.
"The main goal of the Organization is to support top-level research in mathematical sciences in Ukraine and worldwide, promote collaboration of Ukrainian scientists with the global scientific community, and engage in educational and outreach activities."
Excerpt from the Statute of the International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine
Our logo
The logo of ICMU is a Voronoi diagram which consists of Voronoi cells. For any given collection of marked points (seeds), the plane is divided into corresponding domains called cells. Each seed is surrounded by its own Voronoi cell, which is made up of all points in the plane that are closer to that seed than to any other. Invented by the Ukrainian mathematician George Voronoi, these diagrams are used in various fields of natural sciences, meteorology, computer science, engineering, architecture, humanities, and social sciences.
