North African Mathematical Union

North African Mathematical Union
Name	North African Mathematical Union
Formation	20th century
Headquarters	North Africa
Region served	Maghreb, Sahara
Leader title	President

North African Mathematical Union

The North African Mathematical Union is a regional scholarly association connecting mathematicians across Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania with counterpart institutions in Egypt, Sudan, and Canary Islands networks. It fosters collaboration among departments and research centers linked to University of Algiers, Cadi Ayyad University, University of Tunis El Manar, University of Tripoli, and University of Nouakchott while coordinating with international bodies such as the International Mathematical Union, African Mathematical Union, European Mathematical Society, American Mathematical Society, and Unesco initiatives.

History

The Union emerged from mid-20th-century exchanges among scholars influenced by figures and institutions like Abdelhamid Ben Badis, Habib Bourguiba-era universities, and decolonization-era academic reforms involving Université d'Alger, Université de Rabat, and Université de Tunis. Early milestones included cooperative meetings tied to events such as the Pan-African Congress and workshops modeled on programs by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and Collège de France. It expanded through links with regional projects sponsored by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation science panels, partnerships with Institut Pasteur networks, and memoranda echoing frameworks from the League of Arab States. Periodic conferences attracted delegates affiliated with laboratories like Laboratoire de Physique Mathématique, institutes connected to CNRS (France), and departments participating in EU-funded programs such as TEMPUS and Horizon 2020-era collaborations.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows structures reminiscent of learned societies like the Royal Society, Académie des sciences, Max Planck Society, and Royal Spanish Mathematical Society, featuring an elected council, executive committee, and standing committees on research, outreach, and ethics. The leadership interacts with national ministries including portfolios in Algeria's higher education and Morocco's research agencies, while maintaining liaison with continental bodies such as the African Academy of Sciences and international funders like the World Bank science programs. Administrative offices coordinate with university registrars at University of Tunis El Manar and research offices at Cadi Ayyad University; advisory boards include representatives from centers like the International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics and trustees drawn from alumni of École Normale Supérieure and alumni networks connected to Sorbonne University and University of Cambridge.

Membership and Affiliated Societies

Membership comprises individual researchers, departmental groups, and affiliated societies such as national mathematical societies in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, along with research institutes tied to CNRS (France), Academy of Sciences of Morocco, Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Technology and Innovation, and university centers like Center for Advanced Mathematical Studies. Affiliate relations extend to entities including the African Mathematical Union, European Mathematical Society, Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, and regional educational bodies represented at assemblies like the Union for the Mediterranean. Membership categories mirror models from Royal Society of Canada and Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung with student chapters at institutions such as University of Algiers 1, Mohammed V University, and University of Carthage.

Conferences, Workshops, and Events

The Union organizes recurring symposiums, summer schools, and problem sessions in the style of gatherings held by ICM (International Congress of Mathematicians-associated satellite meetings, thematic workshops inspired by Séminaire Bourbaki, and specialized schools modeled after Mathematical Sciences Research Institute programs. Events have been co-hosted with universities like Cadi Ayyad University, University of Tunis El Manar, and University of Tripoli and supported by grant agencies including Unesco, European Commission, and national science ministries. Collaborative conferences feature speakers from institutions such as Princeton University, Université Paris-Saclay, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and research centers like Institut Henri Poincaré and ICTP.

Research Activities and Educational Programs

Research emphases cover pure and applied areas reflected in collaborations with groups at Université de Paris, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London, addressing topics from harmonic analysis and algebraic geometry to numerical methods and mathematical physics. Educational programs include summer schools, teacher-training linked to curricula at national ministries in Tunisia and Morocco, doctoral consortia modeled on Marie Skłodowska-Curie networks, and postgraduate exchanges patterned after Erasmus mobility schemes. Joint research projects have partnered with laboratories associated with CNRS (France), Max Planck Society, and regional innovation hubs connected to African Development Bank initiatives.

Awards and Recognitions

The Union issues prizes and fellowships recognizing achievements similar to honors from the Fields Medal-level discourse, national awards analogous to the Prix Paul Painlevé, and career fellowships in the spirit of the Fellow of the Royal Society and European Research Council grants. Awards highlight contributions by mathematicians affiliated with University of Algiers, Mohammed V University, University of Tunis El Manar, and collaborating institutions such as Institut Pasteur, IMAG, and ICTP; fellowships support mobility to centers like MSRI and laboratories at École Normale Supérieure.

Category:Mathematical societies Category:Scientific organisations based in Africa