Chers membres de la SMAI,J'ai pris contact pour avoir des nouvelles de la situation pour le département de mathématiques de l'université de Leicester.Après le soutien très fort de la communauté internationale à la pétition, des négociations sont en cours jusqu'à fin octobre. L'issue n'en est pas certaine.Le lien vers la pétition :Un peu de lecture pour celles et ceux qui sont intéressés :1. Une étude de l'impact des mathématiques au Royaume-Uni, datant de novembre 2012 :https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/pubs/deloitte-measuring-the-economic-benefits-of-mathematical-science-research-in-the-uk/2. Le président et vice-chancelier de l'université de Leicester :a. Une déclaration à l'inauguration de la prise de fonction par l'actuel président et vice-chancelier :“I am keen to get about and meet people and to understand what their ambitions are for the future of the University. An organisation is only as good as its members- the people who work for it are its lifeblood and my first job is to engage in a ‘strategic conversation’ which will form the foundation for our new strategic approach. It is essential that we work collectively to drive the University forward. I want the University of Leicester to be well known as an international university that is highly regarded for its strengths as a world class-research institution.”b. Une courte biographie du président et vice-chancelier de l'université de Leicester :3. Un texte par la Chambre des Lords : "SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE, EU Membership and UKScience Oral and Written evidence"un extrait p. 288"On this question of support, one thing that has troubled me for a very long time is, if you look, on the one hand, at the Government and the principal Opposition, virtually none of them has any science or engineering qualifications. If you look at our top civil servants, I think none of them is qualified in science or engineering, let alone my favourite subject, which is pure mathematics. Is this not a major problem in terms of pressing the support agenda, that the people who ought to be giving the support are themselves not really the right people? I am sorry; that is a general question."4. Le point de vue de quelques étudiants sur "The Tab" un site de nouvelles anglais pour les jeunes :5. "The Tab" sur wikipedia :The Tab is a youth news site published by Tab Media Ltd. It was launched at the University of Cambridge and has since expanded to over 40 other universities in the United Kingdom and over 45 in the United States and Canada.[citation needed] The name is both an abbreviation for 'tabloid' and a nickname applied to Cambridge students (from 'Cantabs').The Tab's network consists of one main national site and an individual sub-site for each university. The vast majority of stories are produced by students, with a student editorial team for each sub-site.Bien amicalement,Fatiha AlabauPrésidente de la SMAI
----- Le 21 Sep 16, à 17:34, Présidente SMAI <smai-president@emath.fr> a écrit :Chers membres de la SMAI,Je vous fais suivre le message ci-dessous d'un collègue, professeur à l'université de Leicester, que m'a fait suivre un collègue français. Ce message décrit la grave situation au département de mathématiques de l'université de Leicester. Il donne aussi un lien vers une pétition : " The Leicester UCU petition", pour soutenir nos collègues travaillant au sein de cette université.En résumé : la direction de l'université de Leicester a planifié une transformation du département de mathématiques qui met vingt-quatre membres du département en position de perdre leur emploi : ils doivent re-candidater et six au moins parmi eux, perdront leur emploi, d'autres pourraient passer de postes d'enseignants-chercheurs à des postes d'enseignants.La pétition a déjà reçu 3214 signatures avec pour plusieurs signatures des soutiens exprimés, des situations similaires décrites dans d'autres pays.Bien amicalement,Fatiha AlabauPrésidente de la SMAI----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Colleagues and friends,
I apologise but this time I would like to ask you for support.
You may have heard already about the recent bad developments concerning the current situation and future of mathematics at the University of Leicester. On Wednesday September 7 all academic members of the Department of Mathematics at Leicester were informed by the HoD at a formal meeting which included also representatives of HR and the provost that as part of a general transformation of the University of Leicester a proposal is put forward to restructure the Department of Mathematics. As a main part of this proposal the university has placed 24 academics in the Department of Mathematics in a "redundancy pool" and asked them to re-apply for their positions by the end of September. The plan is to cut at least 6 positions across the department and possibly convert others from teaching and research positions to teaching only positions.
It is quite clear that the outcome of this 'restructuring' will have dire consequences for mathematics in Leicester and will basically destroy beyond repair the great mathematical environment and centre built up over years. It is a very depressing situation especially as the financial aspects and reasoning of the university management are ill-conceived and not reflecting the actual situation of our department. I would supply any additional information, if it is needed.
Interesting number: Mathematics needs to save £495,000 per year. At the same time, the administration has spent recently £479,000 for refurbishment of FJB (admin building) reception and exec corridor. We have therefore a clear hint why our savings are needed.
One immediate form of support would be for members of the IMA to sign the online petition organised by the UCU stating, in particular, their support for the Mathematics Department:
http://speakout.web.ucu.org.uk/no-cuts-no-confidence-at-university-of-leicester
If you will find a couple of words about Leicester Math, it will be great.
If you can deliver this message through professional networks, scientific societies, personal contacts, … it would be also very helpful.
With warmest regards and great apologies,