3 June 2022

Istanbul Center for Mathematical Sciences

Richard Elwes

The EMS is shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden closure of the Istanbul Center for Mathematical Sciences (IMBM, link here). EMS President Volker Mehrmann has written to the Rector of Boğaziçi University, the President of the Turkish Research Council, the President of the Turkish Higher Education Council, and the President of the Turkish Republic to urge that this decision be reconsidered.

Imbm

From Budapest to Tel Aviv, the IMBM is the only center in the region catering to all areas of the mathematical sciences, including physics, engineering, economics and statistics. It has been serving the Turkish mathematical community for the last 16 years and has been visited by hundreds of colleagues from around the world. The need for such a place to discuss mathematical research is essential for the community, and since its inception IMBM has provided an ideal environment for local and international researchers. It would be an enormous loss to take this facility out of the hands of Turkish mathematicians.

The IMBM is requesting support from international colleagues through its "Math or Not" campaign. You can declare a seminar at your institution to be an "IMBM Seminar" and report this activity to the IMBM via their website (link).

The IMBM can be followed on Twitter: @imbm_icms as can the EMS @EuroMathSoc.