UL to ‘unlock infinite potential’ by hosting Women in Mathematics event

University of Limerick is to host an event highlighting ongoing global gender imbalance in the field of mathematics.

 UL will host the Irish Committee for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Mathematics (ICEDIM) Women in Mathematics Day 2024 on 10 May.

The conference is being organised by ICEDIM, formed in 2022, which is a sub-committee of the Irish Mathematical Society. ICEDIM’s primary goal is to support under-represented groups in mathematics in Ireland.

The event, facilitated by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Mathematics Application Consortium for Science and Industry (MACSI) at UL, will showcase esteemed speakers including UL Research Integrity Officer Professor Natalia Koptev and Dr Rachel Quinlan, Lecturer at the University of Galway and Vice President of the Irish Mathematical Society.

This event will be registered with the ‘May12 Initiative’—a global online effort honouring women in mathematics worldwide, in memory of Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman and Iranian mathematician to receive the Fields Medal in 2014.

Dr Romina Gaburro, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at UL who is Conference and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion chair of the Irish Mathematical Society (IMS), said: “We are delighted to be able to bring this conference pioneered by MACSI back to UL to highlight the historical under-representation of women in science particularly in mathematics, and the ongoing global gender imbalance in the field. According to a recent Government of Ireland report, just a quarter of almost 120,000 people working in STEM are women.

“Mathematics as a career has so much to offer and UL has many female thought-leaders in this area that are recognised both nationally and internationally. We want to celebrate their success, while also encouraging others to follow in their footsteps. Our message is clear: mathematics is for everyone and the ICEDIM committee of the IMS is working towards achieving this goal.”

The conference's opening address will be delivered by Dr Marie Connolly, Director of Human Rights, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at UL. Dr Connolly underscored the significance of empowering young women in Mathematics, saying that “it goes beyond solving equations; it's about unlocking infinite potential and building a more inclusive and equitable world”.

The event follows the successful hosting of the Irish Mathematical Society annual conference held at UL in August 2023.

More information on the ICEDIM Women in Mathematics Day is available here.