About

Pavillon Président-Kennedy, UQAM © Nathalie Saint-Pierre

Mission

The Institut des sciences mathématiques (ISM) is a consortium of eight Québec universities (Concordia University, Laval UniversityMcGill University, the Université de MontréalUQAMUQTRUniversité de Sherbrooke and Bishop's University) for training and collaboration in the mathematical sciences. Its three main aims are to:

  • Contribute to a top level graduate education by coordinating twelve scientific programs.
  • Support academic and research excellence by awarding scholarships and prizes.
  • Attract more young people to science through various outreach programs.

The ISM is funded by Quebec's Ministère de l'Éducation, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche and by the eight member universities. 

The ISM office is located in downtown Montreal, kindly provided by UQAM in the President Kennedy Building.

Doctoral School

Coordinating the resources of its member departments, the ISM offers a unified doctoral program in the mathematical sciences. Through specialized courses and seminars, graduate students quickly become part of inter-university research groups, making the transition from student to researcher perfectly natural. The synergy with the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM), a world renowned mathematical research centre located in Montreal, is a further asset. The ISM and CRM offer special mini-courses for students to prepare them for CRM thematic programs, attended and organized by some of the world’s leading mathematicians.

Scientific Activities

The traditional academic training offered by the ISM is enhanced by an abundance of scientific activities. In conjunction with the CRM,  the ISM organizes the Quebec Mathematical Sciences Colloquium where well-known mathematicans known for the communications skills, give talks for a general mathematical audience. In addition, more highly specialized seminars are organized on a regular basis by the research groups.

Students are also involved in organizing various activities, including several student seminars. Every year, a group of ISM graduate students organizes the ISM Graduate Student Colloquium, open to graduate students from everywhere and hosted by one of the ISM member departments.

The ISM also contributes to the Séminaire de mathématiques supérieures, an annual summer school in pure and applied mathematics that has taken place for more than fifty years on the campus of the University of Montreal. Focused on a hot current research topic, the SMS brings together extremely high quality lecturers and students from all over the world. The school is targeted towards mainly advanced graduate students and it consists of roughly 12 courses of around five one-hour lectures each spread over two weeks.