ADU marked
National Day by bringing together professors
and “whizz kids”for real-world applications such as predicting Cancer Tumor
growth, Nuclear Radiation and Fire Risks
Following the UAE’s sensational victory in its World Expo 2020 bid, the
focus is already switching to making the UAE a global leader in applied science
and research in time for 2020. Acknowledging that Mathematics and Science determine
the competitiveness of a country’s economy, Abu Dhabi University hosted the second
annual conference on MathematicalScience and its Applications. Running from 29
November to 1 December, the conference brought together the most respected
students and professors in related fields such as Algebra and Applications,
Game Theory, Control Theory and Complex Theory.
Coinciding with the 42nd
National Day celebrations, the conference aimed to boost national prosperity with
topics on diverse economic sectors such as Finance (Financial Mathematics),
Economics (Mathematical Economics), Engineering (Dynamical Systems), ICT
(Coding Theory), Security (Cryptology) and even Healthcare (Mathematical
Biology).
ADU’s Dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, Dr Radwan Al Jarrah commented: “On the surface this may
seem like a conference purely about Mathematical Sciences, but it goes much
deeper than that: it is about creative problem-solving, smart collaborations
and ingenious inventiveness as ADU helps to pioneer solutions from new angles
that have never been attempted anywhere else in the world. We are uniting the
brightest minds towards a collective goal of solving our society’s most
pressing challenges. The benefits will begin in the scientific field but they
will not end there, as the applications will enhance the UAE's living standards
in all walks of life.”
Correcting some
misconceptions, Haydar Akca, Professor of Applied
Mathematics of the conference’s Organizing Committee said: “When most people
hear about ‘Mathematics’, they automatically picture formulas, without seeing
the practical applications on the ground. But that couldn’t be further from the
truth. For instance Fatma Bozkurt, from Erciyes University demonstrated a
differential equation model predicting a brain tumor growth, while Rachid
Lassoued from the University of Constantine used modeling to show how construction
columns behave in the event of a fire. All this proves that Mathematics and
Science can have life-and-death applications in the real world. The world’s
best brains failed to solve Fermat’s Last Theorem for 358 years until a man who
had been fascinated since childhood finally solved it. This shows that nothing
is impossible, and ADU encourages this belief.”
Numerous researchers and 20
students converged at the conference and shared fascinating insights on hot
button topics related to practical applications. Among many other speakers,
Laribi Boualem discussed how patients’ lives can be saved by predicting the
progression of arrhythmia in the cardiovascular system; while PK Sahoo explored
the biometric theory of gravitation.
Another
member of ADU’s Organizing Committee, Professor Fares
Howari, Chair of Applied Sciences and Mathematics, commented: “It’s no
coincidence that the countries with top-performing students in Mathematics and
Sciences are also the ones at the forefront of industries like ICT,
Engineering, Biochemistry, Aeronautics and even Defense. However our region
must encourage home-grown talents in Mathematical Sciences rather than
outsourcing to other countries. The beauty of Mathematics is that it’s not too
cost-intensive because you only need the principles and your imagination. That’s
why ADU is passionate about nurturing the next generation of mathematical
geniuses and shifting the balance of global power in time for World Expo 2020.”
No comments:
Post a Comment