Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

Lucie and Kate discuss their experiences at a workshop for PhD and postdoctoral mathematicians at the International Center for Mathematical Sciences in Edinburgh. They reflect on the challenges of entering socially impactful careers for mathematicians can be, the sense of community the workshop fostered, and the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration.

Lily Clements and David Stern explore the future of statistics education through the lens of George Cobb’s influential 2015 paper, “Mere Renovation is Too Little Too Late: We Need to Rethink Our Undergraduate Curriculum from the Ground Up”. They discuss key imperatives from Cobb’s work, such as flattening prerequisites, seeking depth, embracing computation, exploiting context,…

In this episode, Lucie discussed with Moustapha Moussa and Gabriela Bucini The Origins of the Food Innovation Centres in West Africa. Moustapha tells the story of how these were started, sharing the challenges faced, exposing the courage needed for this innovation, and the successes, focusing on the beautiful social development of farmer communities.

George Simmons and David Stern discuss the development of educational courses with a focus on tool agnosticism, particularly in their collaboration with the Open University of Kenya for their Msc in Mathematical Innovation course. They explore the challenges and benefits of assessing student work without being tied to specific tools, and highlight the importance of…

In this episode, George interviews David, discussing the development of an ‘Introduction to Systems Modeling’ course in collaboration with the Open University of Kenya. They explore balancing theoretical and practical approaches to enhance postgraduate students’ modeling skills and emphasize the value of collaboration and iteration in course development.

David Stern is joined by Lily Clements and James Musyoka to discuss the Kenyan MSc program in Maths Innovation. By focusing on data rather than just methods, the program aims to foster a culture of informed decision-making and data literacy in Kenya. They emphasise the importance of contextualising AI and data science education to cater…

David and Mike Obiero continue their discussion on the Mathematics Innovations MSc program focusing on the textbook project and how it relates to it. Mike presents his vision on how a community of teachers and educators can be built to create open educational resources of mathematics, and in particular to an interactive, contextualisable open electronic…

David Stern and Mike Obiero continue their discussion of the MSc in Math Innovation program. The program’s three major pathways – educational innovation, mathematics, and data and AI – are designed to fill specific gaps and cater to diverse interests. They highlight the flexibility of the program and its suitability for both local and international…

David welcomes Mike Obiero back to the podcast, president of the Kenyan Maths Society and lecturer at Maseno University. They discuss a new, flexible MSc programme targeted at mathematics teachers in Kenya. The aim is to empower teachers, provide practical skills, and leverage the rich history of mathematics education in Kenya to produce the next…

Lucie Hazelgrove Planel and David Stern discuss an intriguing study on the ecological benefits of solar panels in desert regions. They discuss how solar panels can increase biodiversity by providing shade, reduce desertification, and potentially convert unproductive desert land into valuable solar farms that generate electricity and support agricultural activities, helping to create sustainable oases…