Australasian Biometrics/
NZSA Conference 2001
New Zealand Statistical Association Newsletter 56
October 2002
RSNZ Committee on Mathematics and Information Sciences
Coupled with the announcement of the election of Associate Professor Andy Philpott as my successor, it is appropriate that I should provide the member bodies of the Electoral College an overview of the activities of this Committee during my tenure as its Chair. MISC has gone through various constitutional changes since its initial conception. Originally created in May 1994 as the "New Zealand Mathematical and Information Sciences Council", under the convenorship of Prof Marston Conder it was able to link with the RSNZ, which at the same time was undergoing reform to ensure greater participation of scientists and technologists within its sphere of activities through discipline based groupings. The establishment of "electoral colleges" signalled the possibility of bringing together representatives of various societies - NZ Mathematical Society (NZMS), NZ Statistical Association (NZSA), Operational Research Society of NZ (ORSNZ) and the Informatics Group of the NZ Computer Society (NZCS), as well as NZ Association of Mathematics Teachers (NZAMT), which is currently a member of the Science & Technology Education Electoral College, as well as Fellows of the RSNZ in the mathematical and information sciences, to form a grouping that would promote the advancement of these disciplines in NZ as well as provide liaison between the societies. This linkage was strengthened in September 1994 through the establishment of the Mathematical and Information Sciences Standing Committee (MISC) of the RSNZ, with Professor Graeme Wake assuming the chairmanship of the committee following his involvement as a member of the Interim Board of the RSNZ since 1992. The new Act took longer to get through Parliament than was initially anticipated and following a recommendation of MISC, in April 1997 I was appointed by the interim RSNZ Council as MISC Convener and a representative on its Council. The passing of the new Act relating to the RSNZ in 1997 brought with it the formal establishment of Electoral Colleges. The interim Council was charged with conducting elections for representatives of the Electoral Colleges and in 1998 I was duly elected. Such elected representatives can serve at most two terms of two years. In order to achieve rotation and continuity of membership on the Council I agreed to seek re-election in 2000, with my term concluding this year. That mechanism achieved the desired effect and every two years roughly half the council does not seek re-election. In recent years the RSNZ Council disbanded the concept of "standing committees" by establishing simply "committees" each of which provides the Council with a plan of action for the following year. Immediately following my appointment as Chair of MISC, the RSNZ secured a contract with the Ministry of Research Science and Technology to carry out a review of mathematical sciences within New Zealand. This was a major undertaking that took over a year to execute. The exercise proved to be very demanding, but we were determined to do as good a job as we could. The Review Team consisted of myself as Chair, Professor David Vere-Jones, Associate Professor Stephen Haslett, Mrs Jean Thompson and Dr Mark Bebbington. We sought advice from Dr Noel Barton, the author of the Australian Review; produced a discussion document on future likely developments in various mathematical science areas; called for individual submissions; constructed, disseminated and analyzed questionnaires sent out to individuals and groups in a variety of different areas (universities, polytechnics, research organizations, professional associations and user groups); held regional workshop meetings in the main centres; and produced a final report "Mathematics in New Zealand: Past, Present and Future". The report identified areas of concern as well as opportunities. It provided a very valuable oversight of the mathematical sciences and was also used to provide an input into the Foresight process that was underway in the country at that time. The hard data that the review provided proved to be very useful, particularly when making submissions and press releases on behalf of MISC. These have been submitted in various situations and to various groups including the NZ Vice-Chancellors Committee, the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, the parliamentary party spokespersons on tertiary education, appropriate Ministers of the Crown, as well as an article in the NZ Education Review. These were in the main in relation to concerns in the funding of our disciplines, especially at tertiary level. Besides acting as a coordinating body for the discipline groups we have tried to encourage member bodies to consider holding joint conferences. Many Societies prepare dates for these meetings well in advance and I would encourage you to look for such cooperative opportunities. In the past I can recall a successful joint meeting between the ORSNZ and the NZSA, as well as at least one Mathematics Colloquium overlapping with a NZSA Conference. One area of concern has been the inability of the committee to get formal representation of the computer scientists. The Informatics group of the NZCS no longer functions and we have no official representation of computer scientists. At the last annual meeting of MISC in March of this year Professor Phillip Sallis and Professor Mark Apperley joined us to explore ways that we can effect such a linking without necessarily creating another professional society. MISC now functions as a National Committee for two ICSU organizations - the International Mathematical Union (IMU), and the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM). The established policy is that "the IMU NZ representative serves for a four year period with any new appointment being made at the beginning of the year when the IMU holds its General Assembly. It is expected that the Representative would be the President of the NZMS". Professor Jeremy Astley took over the role of IUTAM representative from Prof Ian Collins and joined MISC in 2000. Recently he has been replaced by Dr Graham Weir, following Professor Astley’s move to the University of Southampton. The RSNZ Council is currently reviewing its international commitments but the opportunities that we gain by continuing with our representation on these bodies is important for our international standing. MISC typically convenes for a one-day meeting once a year with regular email communication conducted between the members when items, typically referred by the RSNZ Council, need addressing. I would also like to remind the Electoral College that MISC can assist in bringing forward nominations for New Zealand Science and Technology Medals. It was a great honour that Prof David Vere-Jones was awarded the Gold medal (now called the Rutherford Medal) in 1999 as the top annual award to a scientist or technologist. The RSNZ Council is also attempting to address the concerns of the Minister for Research, Science and Technology in that not enough scientists are put forward for New Zealand Honours. The Minister asked the RSNZ to take a lead in bringing forward nominations. The Chair of MISC can offer assistance to member bodies if they wish to seek the Royal Society’s endorsement of such nominations. I would also like to bring to the attention of members the existence of the Science and Technology Promotion Fund. MISC has also identified the need for a coordinated promotion of careers in the component disciplines. The committee is exploring the possibility of a suitable publication and up-to-date posters. In welcoming Andy Philpott to the role of the Chair of MISC, I am delighted that we have achieved a rotation of representatives from the member bodies of the Electoral College - initially Graeme Wake from the NZMS, then myself from the NZSA, and now Andy Philpott from the ORSNZ. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation of the support that I have received, as chair of MISC, from the various member body representatives. My role has been one of coordination, with secretarial support willingly provided by the RSNZ. In particular I would like thank those members of the Electoral College that served on MISC during my tenure as its chair - NZMS: Prof Douglas Bridges (1997-99), Prof Rob Goldblatt (1997-99), Prof Graeme Wake (2000-01), Prof Gaven Martin (2000-02), Prof Geoff Whittle (2002). NZSA: 1997: Mrs Jean Thompson (1997-99), Ms Sharleen Forbes (1998-9), Assoc Prof David Scott (2000-02), Assoc Prof Stephen Haslett (2000-02). ORSNZ: Dr Jonathon Lermit (1997-98), Prof Tony Vignaux (2000), Assoc Prof Andy Philpott (1997-2002), Dr John Davies (2002). In addition the following also served on MISC. NZAMT: Ms Sylvia Bishton (1997-2001), Mrs Jan Wallace (1997-2002), Ms Joanna Wood (2001), Mr Alan Parris (2002). RSNZ Fellows: Dr Alex McNabb (1997), Prof Derek Holton (1997-99), Prof Ian Witten (1998-2002), Prof Rod Downey (2000-02). Jeffrey Hunter
My term on the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) as the representative of the Mathematics and Information Sciences Electoral College, carrying with it the Chairmanship of the RSNZ Committee on Mathematics and Information Sciences, is about to conclude.