[cmath] News from ICMI

[Peter Taylor]

Colleagues:
First of all I wish you all a wonderful 2010 year and indeed a great 
new decade.  The ideas and energy around mathematics education over 
the past couple of years, world-wide but particularly here in Canada 
and particularly with so much enthusiasm from young scholars and 
teachers, has given me considerable optimism for our work over the 
next few years.

This is a longish email and parts of it are technical and will not be 
of wide interest, but the beginning is of interest to us all--the 
reminder that the new ICMI Executive took office on Jan 1 of this 
year.  Notable for us in Canada is that this signals the end of 
Bernard Hodgson's prodigious 11-year service as General Secretary of 
ICMI.  Bernard's wisdom and common sense and enormous understanding 
of ICMI guided the organization through a period of considerable 
growth and change and reflected well on Canada as a significant 
player in international mathematics education.  Bernard is far from 
"retiring" in any other sense; remarkably enough already last year he 
agreed to serve a term on the CMS Education Committee and his 
knowledge of "the workings of the world" will be available to us all 
as we move forward.
Peter


New ICMI Executive
The purpose of this email is to remind you that as of January 1st, a 
new Executive Committee of ICMI will take charge, for the period 
2010-2012.  The elected members of this EC, following the election 
which took place during the 2008 ICMI General Assembly held in Monterrey, are:

PRESIDENT:
William (Bill) Barton (New Zealand)

SECRETARY-GENERAL:
Jaime Carvalho e Silva (Portugal)

VICE-PRESIDENTS:
Mina Teicher (Israel)
Angel Ruiz (Costa Rica)

MEMBERS AT LARGE:
Mariolina Bartolini Bussi (Italy)
Sung Je Cho (Korea)
Roger Howe (USA)
Renuka Vithal (South Africa)
Zhang Yingbo (China)

According to the ICMI Terms of Reference, the past President of ICMI 
as well as the President and the Secretary of IMU are also members of this EC.

For any matter pertaining to ICMI, I thus invite you from now on to 
contact the new President or Secretary-General of ICMI, who can be 
reached at the following email addresses:

b.barton at auckland.ac.nz   (Bill BARTON)
jaimecs at mat.uc.pt   (Jaime CARVALHO E SILVA)

As this is the last email that I am sending you in my capacity as 
ICMI Secretary-General, I wish to stress that it was for me a 
pleasure and an honor serving as the ICMI SG over the last 11 years 
and being regularly in contact with you.  Thanks for all your 
collaboration and dedication in order to support ICMI mission, in 
particular by disseminating information about the work of ICMI in 
your country, and by keeping ICMI informed of developments in your 
country or region.


New Terms of Reference of ICMI.
The Executive Committees of ICMI and of its mother organisation, the 
International Mathematical Union, have felt the need to revise the 
Terms of Reference of ICMI.  While some of you may not be 
enthusiastic readers of this kind of "literature", I am sure that you 
will all agree on the importance of revisiting from times to times 
this document, whose aim is to define the legal framework for the 
existence of ICMI and guide the way in which the Commission is acting 
(under the umbrella of IMU), in order to ensure that the Terms 
reflect adequately the evolution in the governance of ICMI and that 
all those having interest in ICMI and its activities clearly 
understand the distribution of duties and rights among the many 
actors involved in the life of ICMI.

It is my pleasure to inform you that, following a series of 
discussions between the Executive Committees of ICMI and IMU, revised 
Terms of Reference for ICMI were formally adopted, December 31, 2009, 
by the EC of IMU, while the ICMI EC had adopted also the Guidelines 
pertaining to these Terms.

The new Terms of Reference of ICMI and the Guidelines are appended at 
the end of this message.

These Terms are the result of a thorough revision of the previous 
version.  There are changes of various levels.  For instance, the 
ICMI Terms have been split into two parts. From now on, the first 
part is (as usual) under the jurisdiction of the IMU EC, while the 
second part (Guidelines for the ICMI
Terms of Reference) is under the jurisdiction of the ICMI EC.

But other changes are much more substantial.  I do not wish here to 
point to or to comment on all these changes, but let me stress a few 
important ones:

--  The last paragraph of Clause 2 is congruent with the importance 
of the ICMI General Assembly, now responsible for the election of the ICMI EC.

--  Clause 3, about the ICMI General Assembly, specifies in 
particular that the only members of the ICMI GA having voting rights 
are the representatives of Full member countries of IMU.

--  Clause 4c stresses that co-option on the ICMI EC should be exceptional.

--  Clause 9 introduces an important new notion, that of "Affiliate 
Organization", of which the current notion of "Affiliated Study 
Group" is becoming one "cas de figure".  Affiliation is now possible 
not only for groups devoted to a specific field of interest in 
mathematics education, like the current five ICMI Affiliated Study 
Groups, but also to multi-national organizations with interest in 
mathematics education.  We trust that this new element will be 
helpful in facilitating and supporting ICMI efforts about 
international collaboration and exchanges in mathematics education.

It is the hope of the IMU and ICMI ECs that these new Terms of 
Reference for ICMI will be a useful tool for ICMI and the community it serves.

Terms of Reference of the International Commission on Mathematical 
Instruction (ICMI),
a commission of the International Mathematical Union (IMU)
(Adopted by the IMU Executive Committee by an electronic vote on 
December 31, 2009)

1.  ICMI shall be charged with the conduct of the activities of IMU 
bearing on mathematical or scientific education, and shall take the 
initiative in inaugurating appropriate programmes designed to further 
the sound development of mathematical education at all levels, and to 
secure public appreciation of its importance. In the pursuit of this 
objective, ICMI shall cooperate, to the extent it considers 
desirable, with groups, international, regional, topical or 
otherwise, formed within or outside its own structure.

2.  The Members of ICMI consist of
a.  those countries which are Members of IMU, and
b.  other countries which are co-opted, as specified in (8) below.
The term "country" is to be understood as described in the Statutes of IMU.
Non-attendance by a country at two consecutive meetings of the ICMI 
General Assembly, as described under (3) below, shall lead to an 
investigation by the ICMI Executive Committee into the 
appropriateness of continued membership, such action to be undertaken 
in conjunction with IMU.

3.  The General Assembly of ICMI consists of
a.  the members of the Executive Committee, as specified in (4) below, and
b.  the representative of each member country of ICMI, as described 
in (6) below, or a substitute duly certified to the Secretary-General of ICMI.
The General Assembly of ICMI shall normally meet once in every four 
years, on the occasion of the International Congress on Mathematical 
Education (ICME).  Only the representatives of countries that are 
Full Members of IMU have voting rights.  No person shall represent 
more than one country at the General Assembly.
ICMI Affiliate Organizations, as described in (9) below, have the 
right to participate in the ICMI General Assembly, but shall have no 
voting rights.

4.  The Executive Committee (EC) of ICMI consists of the following members.
a. Elected by the ICMI General Assembly:  Nine members, including the 
four officers, namely, the President, the two Vice-Presidents, and 
the Secretary-General.  The President shall serve for one, non-renewable, term.
b. Ex-officio members:  The immediate Past President of ICMI, the 
President and the Secretary of IMU. The IMU President and Secretary 
may delegate to the ICMI EC meetings up to two other IMU EC members, 
the ICMI liaison persons.
c. Co-opted member:  In order to compensate for missing coverage or 
representation, the ICMI Executive Committee may exceptionally co-opt 
one additional member, in consultation with the IMU Executive Committee.
Decisions of the ICMI Executive Committee are generally taken by 
consensus.  In instances where a vote is required, all members of the 
Committee, including ex-officio members and the co-opted member, if 
any, shall have the right to vote.
The election of the ICMI Executive Committee, including the formation 
of the ICMI Nominating Committee, is carried out according to the 
most recent version of the procedures for election, as adopted by the 
IMU General Assembly.

5.  In all other respects, ICMI shall make its own decisions as to 
its internal organization and rules of procedure.

6.  Each member country of ICMI shall appoint a representative to 
ICMI.  This appointment is the responsibility of the IMU Adhering 
Organization, for those countries which are Full or Associate Members 
of IMU, and of the ICMI Adhering Organization, for the other 
countries co-opted under item (8) below.  A representative should 
normally not serve for more than two consecutive four-year terms.

7.  Any Adhering Organization wishing to support or encourage the 
work of ICMI may create or recognize, in agreement with its Committee 
for Mathematics in the case of a Full or Associate Member of IMU, a 
Sub-Commission for ICMI to maintain liaison with ICMI in all matters 
pertinent to its affairs. The representative to ICMI should be a 
member of the said Sub-Commission, if created.

8.  ICMI may, with the approval of the Executive Committee of IMU, 
co-opt as Members of ICMI countries that are not Members of IMU, on 
an individual basis. Each such co-opted Member shall identify an 
Adhering Organization to ICMI. As soon as a country has been elected 
Associate Member of IMU, it automatically becomes a co-opted Member of ICMI.

9.  ICMI may approve, through its Executive Committee, the 
affiliation to ICMI of multi-national organizations that operate in 
ways consistent with its aims and values.  ICMI and the Affiliate 
Organizations are independent, financially and otherwise.  Affiliate 
Organizations shall produce quadrennial reports to be presented at 
the General Assembly of ICMI, and a brief annual report on their 
activities for the ICMI Bulletin.  Affiliation may be terminated by 
decision of the ICMI Executive Committee, or by request of the 
Affiliate Organization.

10.  The budgetary requests of ICMI shall be submitted to the General 
Assembly of IMU at such times as may be determined by agreement 
between the Executive Committees of IMU and ICMI.

11.  ICMI shall file an annual financial report with the Executive 
Committee of IMU, and shall file a quadrennial report at each regular 
meeting of the General Assembly of IMU.

12.  ICMI shall file an annual report of its activities with the 
Executive Committee of IMU, and shall file a quadrennial report at 
each regular meeting of the General Assembly of IMU.

13.  At each regular meeting of the General Assembly of ICMI, the 
ICMI Executive Committee shall file a quadrennial report of ICMI's 
financial situation and of its activities.

Guidelines for the ICMI Terms of Reference
(Adopted by the ICMI Executive Committee by an electronic vote on 
December 31, 2009)
Ad 4:  According to the clause of the ICMI procedures for election 
concerning changes in these procedures, the structure and formation 
of the ICMI Nominating Committee form part of the Terms of Reference 
of ICMI and are thus under the jurisdiction of the IMU General 
Assembly, while the election procedures themselves are part of the 
operating rules of ICMI, and, as such, are under the jurisdiction of 
the ICMI General Assembly.

Ad 6:  The limit of two consecutive terms for representatives to ICMI 
follows from the resolution adopted at the IMU General Assembly held 
in 1990 in Kobe, Japan.

Ad 9:  Affiliation of organizations to ICMI is approved for the 
purpose of facilitating jointly sponsored activities and jointly 
pursuing the objectives of ICMI.  These organizations may be: study 
groups focussing on a specific field of interest and study in 
mathematics education; multi-national mathematical education 
societies; or multi-national societies, mathematical or otherwise, 
which have a formal mathematical education subgroup.  Affiliate 
Organizations have the right to submit proposals for joint activities 
to the General Assembly or to the Executive Committee of ICMI.
ICMI shall look for ways to keep close relations with the Affiliate 
Organizations and ways to support and enhance mathematical education 
activities in their regions and fields of interest.  ICMI shall 
cooperate, to the extent possible, with the work of the Affiliate 
Organizations, for example by regularly publishing, when requested, 
information on their activities in the ICMI communications channels 
such as the ICMI Bulletin, ICMI News and on their web page within the 
ICMI website.  Affiliate Organizations shall be consulted by ICMI on 
all relevant ICMI activities.
In addition to producing annual and quadrennial reports, Affiliate 
Organizations shall inform ICMI of specific activities where appropriate.


A new ICMI Affiliate Organization
It is my pleasure to inform you that as of today, the Comit 
nter-Americano de Educaci atem ca  (Inter-American Committee on 
Mathematical Education) is becoming a new organisation affiliated to 
ICMI.  This affiliation was approved by the Executive Committees of 
both ICMI and CIAEM.

CIAEM thus joins the five other organisations that were already 
affiliated to ICMI (under the umbrella of "Study Groups"):
HPM The International Study Group on the Relations between the 
History and Pedagogy of Mathematics  (1976)
PME The International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education  (1976)
IOWME The International Organization of Women and Mathematics Education  (1987)
WFNMC The World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions  (1994)
ICTMA The International Community of Teachers of Mathematical 
Modelling and Applications (2003)

It is probably most appropriate that CIAEM becomes the first 
multi-national mathematical education society affiliated to ICMI 
under the new scheme introduced through the revision of the ICMI 
Terms of Reference adopted today by the IMU Executive Committee. 
CIAEM was indeed founded in 1961 by Marshall Stone, who at that time 
was the President of ICMI, thus becoming the first "regional entity" 
of ICMI .  Hence ICMI was in no way indifferent to the birth of 
CIAEM, to say the least.  It may be of interest to note that a 
"Memorandum on affiliation of CIAEM to ICMI" was formally adopted by 
the ICMI EC when it met during the 1974 International Congress of 
Mathematicians in Vancouver (as reported in the ICMI Bulletin no. 5, 
1975, p. 5).  However this memorandum does not seem to have been 
reflected in the ICMI Terms, and it is not easy to see its actual 
impact in the life of ICMI and CIAEM.  While the intensity of the 
contacts between ICMI and CIAEM may have varied over the years, 
depending possibly on the personality of those in charge of these 
bodies, it is clearly the common vision of both the current ICMI and 
CIAEM ECs that, following some efforts for a closer and more regular 
collaboration in recent years between the two organisations, these 
links are now in excellent health. To use the words of CIAEM 
President, Angel Ruiz, right now is a special moment to tighten still 
further the connections between ICMI and CIAEM and work together, so 
to foster the development of mathematics and mathematics education in 
the Americas, and especially Latin America.  It is the hope of the 
ICMI and CIAEM ECs that the status of ICMI Affiliated Organization, 
with the moral obligations for regular contact that it brings, will 
be useful in helping these links to remain vivid and productive over 
the years.

It should be noted that the 50th anniversary of CIAEM will be 
celebrated in 2011 on the occasion of the XIII Conferencia 
Interamericana de Educaci atem ca (XIII Inter-American Conference on 
Mathematics Education) held in Recife, Brasil (see 
http://xiii.ciaem-iacme.org).

More information about CIAEM can be accessed on the website 
http://www.ciaem-iacme.org/.

The ICMI EC is currently having discussions with two other 
multi-national organizations as regards a possible affiliation to 
ICMI and I trust that positive developments should be announced in a 
near future by the next ICMI EC.

Best wishes,
Bernard R. Hodgson
Secretary-General of ICMI



Peter Taylor
Professor
Dept Math&Stats
Queen's University
Kingston ON K7L 3N6
613 533-2434
http://www.mast.queensu.ca/~peter/ 
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