ICME12

Five of us just came back from overseas, from our participation in the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-12) in Seoul, South Korea, an event held every four years under the auspices of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI). We had two of our current lab members presenting there: Masato Kosaka did a poster presentation on context-dependency between mathematics and physics, in the case of studying functions, at the Topic Study Group 22 (Learning and cognition in mathematics, see the poster summary here: http://www.icme12.org/upload/UpFile2/POSTERS/0762.pdf), and Orlando González did a short oral presentation on statistical knowledge for teaching in the case of variability-related concepts at the Topic Study Group 12 (Teaching and learning of statistics, see the full paper here: http://www.icme12.org/upload/UpFile2/TSG/0851.pdf). Our lab delegation was completed by our academic supervisor, Dr. Takuya Baba, Koji Watanabe and Mitsue Arai. In addition, Mitsuhiro Kimura, who was a member of our lab until last March, did a poster presentation about the impact of lessons involving ethnomathematics in Zambian upper basic education, at the Topic Study Group 36 (The role of ethnomathematics in mathematics education, see the poster summary here: http://www.icme12.org/upload/UpFile2/POSTERS/0782.pdf), and also we had the chance to meet during ICME-12 other former members of our lab, such as Nagisa Nakawa (née Shibuya), Kang Biao Jin, and Oyunaa Purevdorj.

The presence, in this event, of top-of-the-line mathematics educators and researchers from all around the world, was the main guarantee of the success of this conference. Then, the scientific discussion fostered by each of the 37 Topic Study Groups, designed to gather participants with similar research interests around a particular topic in mathematics education, was enriched, along the eight days that ICME-12 lasted, with Plenary and Regular Lectures, Discussion Groups, National Presentations, Survey Teams, workshops and sharing groups. And a one-day excursion on Thursday 12, between 15 available courses, was a nice opportunity for all the participants to visit places beyond the COEX Convention Center (where ICME-12 was held), so we could learn more about Korea, its history and its most emblematic places, while the participants get to know other people from different backgrounds, countries and research interests.

ICME-12 offered a unique learning opportunity to all those who are engaged in mathematics education, despite nationality, creed or ethnicity. Also, ICME-12 provided a one-in-a-lifetime chance to meet in person, and discuss with, stellar people in the field of mathematics education from all over the world, which is very important for young researchers like myself. Personally, ICME-12 also gave me the opportunity to enhance my understanding concerning statistical knowledge for teaching and teachers’ conceptions of variability, to reencounter with a number of friends from all over the world, to meet marvelous people, to make new friends, and to build a research network and establish connections with several persons with similar research interest to my own.

In summary, despite of the hot-flavored food (which I don’t like at all), going to Seoul to attend ICME-12 was a great and unforgettable experience! 最高でした！

Finally, next ICME (ICME-13) will be held in Hamburg, Germany, in 2016. I hope that, on that time, the Baba-lab delegation will be bigger than the one at this year's ICME, with more members making presentations, ensuring in that way, in world's most important academic meeting on mathematics education, a higher visibility and international exposure of the work we do here at Hiroshima University for the sake of education.