2011 Graduate Winter School

The sixth annual AMSI Graduate Winter School in the Mathematical Sciences hosted by the University of Queensland, was attended by 25 postgraduate students and early-career researchers from 26 June – 8 July 2011.

Professor Margaret Sheil, CEO of the Australia Research Council opened the Winter School. She talked about the importance of such events to the Australian science and research community, commenting that events such as these help to fill the serious demand for the mathematical sciences identified in the Research Workforce Strategy. She congratulated AMSI on its commitment to research training in the mathematical sciences.

Dr Jean Lasserre, French National Centre for Scientific Research, and Professor Jerzy Filar, University of South Australia, delivered the courses on the theme, Global Optimisation: theory and applications.

“We live in an era where many important decisions need to be made in the face of uncertainty, and with the full knowledge that the effect of these decisions depends not only on our choices but also on the choices of others”, Professor Filar said.

Students were exposed to a wide range of new concepts, modelling tools and algorithms, equipping them with the tools to tackle complex challenges in a range of areas. Each student also presented a 30-minute talk on their own research, providing a valuable opportunity to obtain feedback from high-profile mathematicians.