Sydney has won the right to host the International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME15) for 2024. The largest international conference on mathematics education will be the meeting point for some 2,800 mathematics educators, mathematicians, researchers, teachers and resource producers over eight days.
ICME15 was won by a consortium of eight peak Australian bodies in mathematics education, comprising of Australia’s leading STEM societies endorsed by the Australian Academy of Science, and supported by strategic bidding organisation, BESydney, together with the NSW Government and Tourism Australia.
Dr Alan Finkel AO, said that from Australia’s perspective this win is extremely timely. “At all levels of government, it is well understood that a workforce skilled in mathematics is critical to our future. Hosting events such as this will help to elevate the ambition of students and educators.”
ICME15 Bid Leader and Convenor Professor Kim Beswick, Head of School of Education, University of NSW Sydney said the future of global mathematics education is in “our hands and we offer our full commitment to help to make an impact on this critical issue. Together, we can achieve great things”.
“Our vision for ICME15 in Sydney is for a vibrant meeting characterised by accessibility and embracing diversity,” she added.
“The opportunity to host ICME15 will provide a valuable and timely opportunity to discuss Australia’s efforts in improving and delivering quality STEM education for future generations and for Australian educators, researchers and policy makers to learn from the experiences of other countries,” said CEO of BESydney, Lyn Lewis-Smith. “Together with our highly-engaged mathematics community, well-documented congress credentials, strong logistical capabilities and global destination appeal will all contribute to a memorable congress.”
The Australian mathematics community has played a significant role in shaping the ICME Congress since its founding in 1980 and has been particularly innovative in remote access education, especially in rural areas.
The bid was supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund. “Attracting large-scale international business events to Australia is a critical part of Tourism Australia’s strategy and I’m very pleased that the bid fund support helped Sydney secure ICME15 in 2024,” said Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager of Events, Penny Lion.
The Consortium for Mathematics Education, created for the Australian ICME15 bid, included representatives from eight leading national organisations involved in mathematics education – the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, the Australian Mathematical Society, the Statistical Society of Australia, the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance, the Australian Council of Heads of Mathematical Sciences, and the Mathematical Association of NSW. The bid was fully supported and endorsed by the National Committee for Mathematical Sciences, a committee of the Australian Academy of Science.
The congress will be held at International Conference Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Australia’s premier and first fully-integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct.
