by Michelle Jeanne C. Caracut, OPI
[Participants of the seminar-workshop from Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern (TUKL), Germany; Tribhuvan University-Institute of Science and Technology (IOST), Nepal; and Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT)]
Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) through the Department of Mathematics and Statistics hosted the Seminar-Workshop on Graph Theory and Optimization with Applications in Industry and Society on June 13-24, 2016 at MSU-IIT and at the Celadon Pensionne House, Iligan City.
This was the first phase of implementation of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)-supported GraThO project, a 4-year partnership program between the University of Kaiserslautern (Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, TUKL), Germany, and the following South-South partner institutions: MSU-IIT and the Tribhuvan University, Institute of Science and Technology (IOST), of Kathmandu, Nepal.
The partnership program was an output of the initiatives of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension headed by Vice Chancellor Jinky Bornales. CSM Dean Ferdinand Jamil was the Institute’s project representative who worked with Prof. Dr. Horst W. Hamacker of TUKL and Prof. Dr. Tanka Nath Dhamala of IOST in organizing the event.
The main goal of the project is to strengthen the mathematical education in graph theory and optimization at the Mathematics Department of the partner institutions. More specifically, the main objective of the cooperation is that at the end of the funding period, MSU-IIT and IOST will have introduced location theory into their curricula.
The activity is participated by faculty and graduate students of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of MSU-IIT and IOST. Lecturers of the seminar workshop were Prof. Dr. Horst W. Hamacher and Dipl.-Math. Andrea Maier from Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern (TUKL), Germany.
During the interview, Jamil expressed his happiness for the success of the first phase of the implementation. The participants were engaging actively and as co-leader, he is looking forward to the next implementation which will be held in IOST next year.
Dr. Sergio R. Canoy, Jr., faculty of the Department of Mathematics and member of the organizing committee said “the workshop is applicable in many situations, for example in cases where evacuation is needed. We need to have emergency locations and we can make use of the planar location theory in determining for the optimal location.”
Two of the IOST faculty-participants were Prof. Hari Nandan Nath and Prof. Iswar Nani Adhikari who are still in IIT to conduct more research writing. They said that through the workshop, they can eventually come up with a new course about location theory for their Mathematics curriculum. They will be able to utilize this in applications such as building hospitals, bus stops, business establishments, distribution of goods, installing of cameras, and more in Nepal.
When asked about how their experience in the seminar-workshop was, they said that it was their first time to be in the Philippines and coming from a landlocked country, they saw the sea, the beach, the city, plus the knowledge they gained from the workshop, everything was entirely new for them.
Topics : Graph Theory optimization seminar-workshop