The World Mathematics Congress initially scheduled in St. Petersburg from 6 to 14 July will not be held in Russia.
and, with it, the ceremony that every four years awards the prestigious Fields Medal, considered the 'Nobel Prize in mathematics', was also canceled.
In light of the situation in Ukraine and after the pressure of national mathematical societies, including the Italian Mathematical Union (UMI) and over 100 of the invited speakers, the organizers of the International Congress of Mathematicians, the event that every four years also sees the conferment of the Fields Medal, will not take place in the planned venue in St. Petersburg but exclusively online.
This was announced by the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
Both decisions come following numerous requests from IMU members.
The event will therefore be "entirely virtual" and will take place on the same date, based on a location "outside Russia".
Meanwhile, an alternative is being sought for the general assembly of the IMU, also initially scheduled for 3 to 4 July in St. Petersburg and which "will be conducted without any financial contribution from the Russian government", in a place to be identified.
The IMU continues "no representative of the Russian government will take part in the activities of the Congress of Mathematicians", but all researchers are invited to participate.
"The International Congress of Mathematics is a unique meeting point for mathematicians from all over the world to discuss mathematics while putting aside cultural and political differences", but "recent developments in Russia and Ukraine have changed the situation dramatically. ", observes the Union of Mathematicians.
For this reason, his Executive Committee "strongly condemns the actions of Russia. Our deepest solidarity goes to our colleagues in Ukraine and to the Ukrainian people".
