The preparation of this report was coordinated by Liliane Barichello (UFRGS/ICIAM officer-at-large) and had the collaboration of Leonardo Zacarin (CeMEAI journalist), Soledad Aronna (FGV-EMAp/SBMAC representative), José Alberto Cuminato (CeMEAI director) and Fabricio S. Sousa (CeMEAI/ICMC/USP).
The participation of Latin American researchers in the 10th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which took place in Tokyo from August 20 to 25, 2023, marked a pivotal moment for the field in the region. With a delegation comprised of over 60 distinguished scientists, Latin America showcased its presence and significance on the international stage of applied mathematics. ICIAM and the Latin American scientific societies must make a joint effort to increase, however, the participation of students, who were only eight.
A scene from the opening ceremony: Martinez is awarded the Su Buchin Prize by ICIAM President Ya-xiang Yuan. Prize-winners Leslie Greengard (Pioneer Prize), Alfio Quarteroni (Lagrange Prize), Weinan E (Maxwell Prize) and Cleve Moler (Industry Prize) are seated.
A standout figure in this event was the eminent Brazilian mathematician José Mario Martínez, who received the prestigious Su Buchin Award from the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM). This accolade grants international recognition for an individual's extraordinary contributions to the application of mathematics in emerging economies and human development, particularly in economic and cultural aspects in developing nations. The event also featured an invited lecture by the globally acclaimed Argentine mathematician, Alicia Dickenstein, a former vice president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) and a recipient of the L'Oréal-Unesco Prize for Women in Science - International Section. (The figure shows J.M. Martínez (UNICAMP), A. Dickenstein (UBA, Buenos Aires), A. Friedlander (UNICAMP), and S. Aronna (FGV EMAp) during the dinner for honorees.)
The presence of Latin American researchers at this globally significant event fostered the exchange of knowledge and collaboration among scholars from diverse corners of the world, further elevating the reputation of the region's scientific community. The contributions presented at the conference spanned a wide spectrum of mathematical domains, reflecting the depth and diversity of the work taking place in the countries of the region and its potential for global impact.
Additionally, it is vital to underscore the pivotal role of Latin American institutions dedicated to the advancement of applied mathematics. Representatives and officials from various institutions participated in the event, including those from Brazil such as the Center for Applied Mathematical Sciences in Industry (CEPID-CeMEAI), the Brazilian Society for Applied and Computational Mathematics (SBMAC), the School of Applied Mathematics (FGV EMAp), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), State University of São Paulo (UNESP), University of São Paulo (USP), National Institue of Space Research (INPE), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), University of Brasília (Unb). Institutions from Chile, like the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) and the Federico Santa María Technical University, as well as the National University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, the Mathematical Modeling Center (MODEMAT) in Ecuador, and the University of Valle in Colombia, all played a significant part in this event. (In the figure, members of CeMEAI pose with J. M. Martinez in front of Building D of the Congress.)
The Linkage Commission of the Mexican Mathematical Society organized the mini-symposium “Applied Mathematics in Industry: Success Stories of Collaboration between Academia and Industry in Mexico. This work developed in Mexico in connection with industry, in particular with applications in artificial intelligence, was recently recognized by Forbes Mexico through an award to the computer scientist Ivete Sanchez Bravo, as one of the twenty leaders in this field.
The involvement of Latin American researchers in the 10th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics marked a significant milestone for scientific endeavors in the region. It not only reinforced the presence of Latin American countries on the global stage of applied mathematics but also acted as a catalyst for future collaborations and scientific achievements.
The event provided an excellent platform for in-depth discussions regarding the forthcoming second edition of the Latin American Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LACIAM), scheduled to take place at the Federico Santa María Technical University in Valparaíso, Chile, in early 2026.
A collage from the session "Population Dynamics in Biology and Medicine" that gathered researchers from Latin America, USA, France, Spain and Japan. It was organized by O. Vasilieva from the U. Cali Colombia and C. Pio from UNESP, Brazil.
Below: Liliane Basso Barichello (UFRGS/Brasil and ICIAM Officer-at-large) presenting her talk in a minisymposium.
