Sunday, 27 June 2021 A very successful 8ECM
The most important scientific event in Slovenia in 2021 – the 8th European Congress of Mathematics has come to its end. 8ECM was also the biggest European Mathematical Congress to date in terms of number of participants and organised events. The scientific meeting, which was held both virtually and live, was attended by 1,771 mathematicians from 77 countries; more than 100 of them decided to come to Portorož and attended the lectures in person. 8ECM hosted the biggest names in the field of modern mathematics, among others the Abel laureate Prof. László Lovász and the President of the European Research Council, Acad. Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon. 1,058 talks, lectures and mini-symposia, a wide range of accompanying cultural events and eight exhibitions were organised, while in May Slovenian Post issued also a special stamp.
At the closing ceremony, which took place on Friday, June 25, 2021 at the Grand Hotel Bernardin in Portorož, participants were addressed by Prof. Andrei Okounkov, member of the Organizing Committee of the International Congress of Mathematicians – ICM 2022, Prof. Juan González-Meneses López, President of the Organizing Committee of the 9th European Congress of Mathematics – 9ECM Sevilla 2024, Prof. Klavdija Kutnar, Rector of the University of Primorska and Vice-President of the 8ECM Organizing Committee, Prof. Tomaž Pisanski, President of the Organizing Committee of 8ECM and Prof. Volker Mehrmann (TU Berlin), President of the European Mathematical Association.
Prof. Andrei Okounkov thanked the organizers of the congress and presented the next ICM, which will be held in July 2022 in St. Petersburg. “The Slovenian experience will be an inspiration for the next congress," stressed Prof. Okounkov. Also Prof. Juan González-Meneses López congratulated the organizers for the good job they did and presented the 9ECM, which will take place from 15 to 19 July 2024 in Seville.
Prof. Klavdija Kutnar thanked all 8ECM participants, especially those who came to Portorož, and all lecturers as well as UP employees and volunteers that contributed to the successful implementation of this exceptional scientific event. Prof. Tomaž Pisanski recalled the mathematical scientific meeting 30 years ago in Bled, which took place on the day of Slovenia's independence. “No one dared to even think that in 30 years there would be such an important mathematical event in Slovenia," he pointed out and thanked the organizers, especially Prof. Kutnar and the former UP rector Prof. Dragan Marušič, as without his strong support this congress would not have taken place.
Dr. Volker Mehrmann expressed his gratitude and praise to the organizers who did an outstanding job in quite difficult circumstances. He emphasized that European congresses must present all areas of European mathematics, both professionally and regionally, as well as generationally. He assessed as positive the fact that 8ECM included the younger generation of mathematicians. “The mathematical community must address the problems of the future together. Among other things, we must point out how alarming are decisions to reduce the basic sciences in education, "said Dr. Mehrmann.
According to the participants, despite the difficult situation 8ECM ran in a way that enabled smooth work and exchange of scientific knowledge, professional experience and as such will be an important milestone in the future organization of scientific events.
