Background

The Mathematics Promotion Unit (MPU) seeks out opportunities for bringing mathematics, and the role of mathematics, to the attention of policymakers and advisers, the wider public and the media. It also provides a resource for UK policymakers, the media and the wider public to call upon.

The unit has a steering group, comprising members of the LMS and IMA. It is staffed by the MPU officer, Dr John Johnston, on a half time basis, and operates from the LMS offices in De Morgan House.

Role

The MPU’s role is as a gateway between those working in the mathematical sciences community and a range of interest groups from government departments, agencies and Parliament through science, engineering, business and financial bodies to schools, universities, their students and beyond.

It responds to media enquiries and puts out press releases, but also works to keep other organisations informed of mathematics issues. The MPU provides a resource for anyone wishing to access the mathematics community by maintaining an up to date list of experts.

The MPU has been instrumental in bringing together the many organisations working in the mathematics community. To do this, the MPU set up the MATHS-PROM network, which is made up of people who work in promoting mathematics. The group meets several times a year and is kept together by an email network.

Activities

The work of the MPU is varied and includes:

• meeting with a wide range of journalists, science organisations and lobby groups
• setting up meetings with MPs with an interest in the mathematical sciences and universities
• worked with exhibitors at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition to produce a series of leaflets called 'The Maths Inside'.
  - Maths Inside 2007
  - Maths Inside 2008
  - Maths Inside 2009 (Nature's raincoats, The palaeodetectives, Snapdragon's tale)
  - Maths Inside 2010 (The Hidden Complexities of Ice, How do insects find their way home?, Nanoscale science)
  - Maths Inside 2011 (external link)
• providing publicity for a range of events – eg the £3.3 million Hefce-funded project ‘more maths grads’ aiming to widen and increase participation in the mathematical sciences; information on its successor is available here
• working with the British Association to produce publicity highlighting the mathematics content of events at its Festival of Science in York
• producing press releases, policy round-ups and consul;tation responses on issues in the mathematical sciences

News

Recent news about the Society's activities

Dr John Johnston
Mathematics Promotion Officer
E:mpu [at] lms [dot] ac [dot] uk
T:020 7927 0804

The Mathematics Promotion Unit is a joint venture between the London Mathematical Society and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. It aims to raise awareness of mathematical issues and provide a resource to policy makers, the media and the wider public.