The university has finally reversed course and committed to keeping our pure mathematics department intact. This fight for the future of our research took everything I had and I am deeply humbled by the 8,827 people who stood with us. We will keep a very close eye on the administration …
March 7, 2021
Final supporters
Management has an odd idea of "consultation", we need lawyers. Please DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND.
______
UPDATE: May 11th
The management went through with its plan. Effective 11 August, the pure mathematics staff will have
- been dismissed on the basis of redundancy (3 staff)
- been moved/demoted to teaching-focused positions (3 staff)
- retired/resigned/taken so-called voluntary severance (the rest).
Several applied mathematics staff are also leaving. There will no longer be any permanent female staff with a PhD in mathematics.
UPDATE: Jun 14th Open letter from the association of European Women in Mathematics
Thank you all for your support, 8.7k signatures are far more than we had dreamed of...
_______
Under the name of "shaping for excellence", the University of Leicester will decrease its fundamental research capacity and the quality of our degree programmes.
In maths, it looks like this: the University VC proposes to cease research in pure mathematics. That is, to make redundant all pure mathematicians (in the middle of a pandemic) and rehire just three teaching-focused lecturers to cover for the undergraduate programmes.
They claim:
...to ensure a future research identity in AI, computational modelling, digitalisation and data science requires ceasing research in Pure Mathematics in order to invest and extend activities in these areas
In fact they give no concrete plan "to invest or extend activities", just to cut in fundamental mathematics research - an area which students need to learn from the best practitioners. The plan to drop pure maths will cause long term damage to the quality and reputation of the department that remains. Colleagues in applied mathematics and actuarial science have expressed this to the management, and have been ignored.
What can you do? Please DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND. Also:
- Sign this petition, to strongly request the Executive Board makes the hard choice, and steps back from the plans to destroy mathematics at the University of Leicester.
- Add your position/affiliation if appropriate and in the comments field any message of support for affected staff.
- Pass on the link to n colleagues, and share on your favourite social media #boycottLeicester
- If you hold some sway, you might email, write to or phone the Vice Chancellor. If you don't... forward to someone who does.
Other coverage:
- Leicester Mercury (26 Jan)
- London Mathematical Society news (9 Feb)
- Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (4 Feb)
Update: This petition has been linked to from Notices of the American Mathematical Society, from reddit and in the Chinese press:
- “基础数学没用”，百年名校要裁撤数学系补贴AI研究，4000多学者联合抗议 (31 Jan. Reading the google translation it seems there are a few factual errors in this article)
- Another: 转投AI？英国这所大学决议裁掉数学系，激怒了菲尔兹奖得主 (4 Feb.) and translation
Update²: Petitions and open letters in support of other staff at the University of Leicester whose jobs are at risk:
- Leicester Mathematics Students' Petition
- Leicester Mathematics PhD Students' Petition
- Foundations of Computer Science
- Leicester Informatics Students' Petition
- School of Business
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour - Students' Petition
- Medieval Literature
- University Library and Student Services
- Linguistics
- Leicester Students' petition: stop the redundancies, protect the student experience
____________
The undersigned would strongly request that the University of Leicester reconsiders the decision to cease research in Pure Mathematics, and withdraws any threat of redundancy.
Updates
Reached 5,000 supporters
February 1, 2021
Reached 1,000 supporters
January 29, 2021
Reached 100 supporters
January 29, 2021
January 29, 2021
Seeing the count climb toward five thousand reminds me that people everywhere value the research that management is destroying. I need you to push this link to your colleagues right now so we can hit that milestone today.
January 28, 2021
Seeing the list grow reminds me why we cannot let this department disappear. If you have colleagues or friends who care about the future of pure mathematics, please send this link to them right now so we can hit our first big goal.
2,311 Comments
Last year we have found a surprising application in climate science of a recent method from "pure mathematics" (geometric group theory). Nobody expected to find such an application. Shutting down math is shutting down endless possibilities.
It is sadly ironic that research in pure mathematics, whose use in practical technology has rapidly increased in complexity and sophistication since the start of the digital revolution, is being cut in order to ensure excellence in this very digital age.
Extremely naive to think a university will be able to produce high quality "applied" graduate mathematicians without a fully functioning "pure" mathematics offering, which includes research. This decision will fail on its own criteria of success.
You did realise in 2016 that it was a stupid idea. It is even more so now. The damage to the reputation of University of Leicester will be huge. Would you consider applying there for a job, if your department can be shut down from one day to another?
This is unacceptable! Applied disciplines are obviously attractive for the management because their results are immediately applicable (and with that comes profit) but in the long run it is the Pure Science that drives the fundamental advancements.
Mathematics is important
I don't have an opinion of this.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The university has finally reversed course and committed to keeping our pure mathematics department intact. This fight for the future of our research took everything I had and I am deeply humbled by the 8,827 people who stood with us. We will keep a very close eye on the administration …
March 7, 2021
Final supporters
Management has an odd idea of "consultation", we need lawyers. Please DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND.
______
UPDATE: May 11th
The management went through with its plan. Effective 11 August, the pure mathematics staff will have
- been dismissed on the basis of redundancy (3 staff)
- been moved/demoted to teaching-focused positions (3 staff)
- retired/resigned/taken so-called voluntary severance (the rest).
Several applied mathematics staff are also leaving. There will no longer be any permanent female staff with a PhD in mathematics.
UPDATE: Jun 14th Open letter from the association of European Women in Mathematics
Thank you all for your support, 8.7k signatures are far more than we had dreamed of...
_______
Under the name of "shaping for excellence", the University of Leicester will decrease its fundamental research capacity and the quality of our degree programmes.
In maths, it looks like this: the University VC proposes to cease research in pure mathematics. That is, to make redundant all pure mathematicians (in the middle of a pandemic) and rehire just three teaching-focused lecturers to cover for the undergraduate programmes.
They claim:
...to ensure a future research identity in AI, computational modelling, digitalisation and data science requires ceasing research in Pure Mathematics in order to invest and extend activities in these areas
In fact they give no concrete plan "to invest or extend activities", just to cut in fundamental mathematics research - an area which students need to learn from the best practitioners. The plan to drop pure maths will cause long term damage to the quality and reputation of the department that remains. Colleagues in applied mathematics and actuarial science have expressed this to the management, and have been ignored.
What can you do? Please DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND. Also:
- Sign this petition, to strongly request the Executive Board makes the hard choice, and steps back from the plans to destroy mathematics at the University of Leicester.
- Add your position/affiliation if appropriate and in the comments field any message of support for affected staff.
- Pass on the link to n colleagues, and share on your favourite social media #boycottLeicester
- If you hold some sway, you might email, write to or phone the Vice Chancellor. If you don't... forward to someone who does.
Other coverage:
- Leicester Mercury (26 Jan)
- London Mathematical Society news (9 Feb)
- Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (4 Feb)
Update: This petition has been linked to from Notices of the American Mathematical Society, from reddit and in the Chinese press:
- “基础数学没用”，百年名校要裁撤数学系补贴AI研究，4000多学者联合抗议 (31 Jan. Reading the google translation it seems there are a few factual errors in this article)
- Another: 转投AI？英国这所大学决议裁掉数学系，激怒了菲尔兹奖得主 (4 Feb.) and translation
Update²: Petitions and open letters in support of other staff at the University of Leicester whose jobs are at risk:
- Leicester Mathematics Students' Petition
- Leicester Mathematics PhD Students' Petition
- Foundations of Computer Science
- Leicester Informatics Students' Petition
- School of Business
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour - Students' Petition
- Medieval Literature
- University Library and Student Services
- Linguistics
- Leicester Students' petition: stop the redundancies, protect the student experience
____________
The undersigned would strongly request that the University of Leicester reconsiders the decision to cease research in Pure Mathematics, and withdraws any threat of redundancy.
Updates
Reached 5,000 supporters
February 1, 2021
Reached 1,000 supporters
January 29, 2021
Reached 100 supporters
January 29, 2021
January 29, 2021
Seeing the count climb toward five thousand reminds me that people everywhere value the research that management is destroying. I need you to push this link to your colleagues right now so we can hit that milestone today.
January 28, 2021
Seeing the list grow reminds me why we cannot let this department disappear. If you have colleagues or friends who care about the future of pure mathematics, please send this link to them right now so we can hit our first big goal.
2,311 Comments
My background is pure mathematics, but I have worked in applied Machine Learning and AI for 14 years. In this time, the type of models used has changed drastically. Without a pure mathematics education, I would have found it much harder to adapt.
Last year we have found a surprising application in climate science of a recent method from "pure mathematics" (geometric group theory). Nobody expected to find such an application. Shutting down math is shutting down endless possibilities.
It is sadly ironic that research in pure mathematics, whose use in practical technology has rapidly increased in complexity and sophistication since the start of the digital revolution, is being cut in order to ensure excellence in this very digital age.
Extremely naive to think a university will be able to produce high quality "applied" graduate mathematicians without a fully functioning "pure" mathematics offering, which includes research. This decision will fail on its own criteria of success.
You did realise in 2016 that it was a stupid idea. It is even more so now. The damage to the reputation of University of Leicester will be huge. Would you consider applying there for a job, if your department can be shut down from one day to another?
This is unacceptable! Applied disciplines are obviously attractive for the management because their results are immediately applicable (and with that comes profit) but in the long run it is the Pure Science that drives the fundamental advancements.
Mathematics is important
I don't have an opinion of this.
Share Petition
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My background is pure mathematics, but I have worked in applied Machine Learning and AI for 14 years. In this time, the type of models used has changed drastically. Without a pure mathematics education, I would have found it much harder to adapt.