Science Diplomacy: The Visiting Lecturer Program (VLP) in Mathematics

该项目将使美国在国际数学联盟(IMU)组织和赞助的国际数学客座讲师计划(VLP)中发挥重要作用。根据这一计划，来自发达国家的数学家为发展中国家大学的学位课程提供高等数学方面的短期强化课程。美国参与的两个主要目标是：1)建设发展中国家的数学和数学教育能力，2)加强美国数学界与发展中国家巨大的、大多尚未开发的数学人才储备之间的数学互动。该计划将吸引一大批美国数学家，他们已经表示愿意在未来几年参与VLP，基本上是无偿参与。他们将提供为期3-4周的高等本科水平的数学讲座课程，如统计学、微分方程、数值分析等，这是发展中国家许多大学缺乏的能力。VLP的三个长期影响将是在个别发展中国家建立足够数量的成功的高等数学学生，在美国数学家和这些发展中国家最聪明的年轻数学人才之间建立联系，以及在美国数学家和从事类似工作的国际数学界之间建立持续的国际联系。

This project will create a substantial U.S. presence in the international Visiting Lecturer Program (VLP) in mathematics, organized and sponsored by the International Mathematical Union (IMU). Under this program, mathematicians from developed countries deliver intensive short courses in advanced mathematics for degree programs at universities in developing countries. Two main objectives of U.S. involvement are: 1) to build capacity in mathematics and mathematics education in developing countries, and 2) to increase mathematical interaction between the U.S. mathematical community and the vast, mostly untapped reservoir of mathematical talent in the developing world. The program will draw on a large pool of U.S. mathematicians who have already indicated their willingness to participate, essentially pro bono, in the VLP in the coming years. They will offer 3-4 week math lecture courses in topics at the advanced undergraduate level, such as statistics, differential equations, numerical analysis, etc., the capacity for which is lacking at many universities in developing nations.Three long-term effects of the VLP will be the establishment of a critical mass of successful students of advanced mathematics in individual developing countries, establishment of contacts between U.S. mathematicians and the brightest young mathematical talent in those developing countries, and establishment of ongoing international contacts between U.S. mathematicians and the international mathematical community engaged in similar efforts.