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The Department of Education is financing a major new EUR2 million mathematics programme at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM).

The project is aimed at supporting plans to double the number of high-tech PhDs in Ireland, as outlined by the Government in its Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation (SSTI).

The Network Mathematics Graduate Programme is a joint initiative between the Trinity College-based Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain Research (CTVR) and NUIM’s Hamilton Institute.

“No matter what state the global economy is in, companies like multinationals… will always experience a shortage for very well qualified people in targeted areas. [The course] should also spawn the development of start up companies and enhance the SMEs in the country,” Professor Donal O’Mahony, director of the CTVR, told ENN.

The programme is being financed by the Government under the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI). It is designed to provide world-class instruction for postgraduate research students on the practical application of mathematical techniques in networking and telecommunications sectors.

“As the global economy begins to tighten, with potentially negative implications for Ireland, we need to focus on the growth of our own intellectual capital, so we can truly develop as a knowledge economy. The initiative will help double the number of PhDs in the networking and telecoms sectors in Ireland, which will have a hugely positive impact for these industries and for Ireland,” said O?Mahony.

As part of the programme students will hear from lecturers from several globally-renowned centres of excellence in mathematics. These include Yale University in the US, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, and the Berlin Maths School.

“The course will also feature input from industry speakers, who use these kinds of mathematical techniques in their work every day. This will add hugely to the practical element of the course, in that the students will not just be learning mathematical theory, they will be studying techniques that realise genuine commercial value in these industries,” said Professor Doug Leith of the Hamilton Institute in NUIM.

The courses will begin in July and enrolment is currently ongoing. Participation is open to candidates from industry, as well as those from research backgrounds. Further information is available at www.networkmaths.ie.