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The Chennai Mathematical Institute is unique in India. It is a
private science institution that combines high quality basic research
with undergraduate teaching.
Its origins go back to 1989 when Southern Petrochemical Industries
Corporation Ltd. (SPIC) set up a School of Mathematics as a part of
the SPIC Science Foundation with the aim of nurturing excellence in
the Mathematical Sciences. In 1996, the School of Mathematics became
an independent institution under the name SPIC Mathematical
Institute. In 1999, to place the institute in a larger public domain,
the name was changed to Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI).
CMI is set up under a Trust and is managed by a Governing Council
made up of eminent personalities from both academic and non-academic
backgrounds. There is also a Research Advisory Committee consisting
of highly respected scientists such as Professors David Mumford, who
has been awarded the Fields Medal, S.R.S. Varadhan, who has been a
Director of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York
University, U.S.A. and M.S. Narasimhan, formerly Director,
Mathematics Section, The Abdus Salam International Centre for
Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.
The goal of CMI is to build an institution which combines
excellence in research and teaching in mathematical sciences. At
present CMI's focus is in Mathematics and Computer Science. The long
term goal is to provide a nucleus around which a first rate
university can grow naturally.
Undergraduate education is one of the weakest aspects in the Indian
educational system. The national research institutions have not in
general, concerned themselves with undergraduate education, as
traditionally this was done at the colleges and universities.
Consequently, the wealth of scholarship and teaching talent available
at the national institutes does not interact with the young minds at
the undergraduate level. On the other hand the universities have not,
in general, attained international standards. No effort has been made
to build great universities like Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton etc.
which combine excellence in research and teaching. The long term goal
of CMI is to evolve into such an institution.
Over the past decade CMI has established itself as one of the best
places in India for the pursuit of research in Mathematics and
Computer Science. It has a very good faculty, a well-established
Ph.D. programme (nine persons have already taken their Ph.D.) and
interaction with reputed academic institutions in India and abroad.
There are now around ten members on the faculty, a few Post-Doctoral
Fellows and around half a dozen Ph.D. students. There is also a
regular stream of visitors to the Institute.
Prof. C.S. Seshadri, who has headed CMI since its inception, is a
renowned mathematician. He has received many awards in recognition of
his achievements and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society (U.K.).
Prof. P.S. Thiagarajan, who has been at the Institute from the
beginning, is a highly reputed Computer Scientist. Prof. R.
Sridharan, a mathematician of repute and formerly Dean, School of
Mathematics, TIFR is now at CMI. Prof. Parimala Raman, a well-known
algebraist who is at present Dean, School of Mathematics, Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (TIFR) is likely to join
CMI soon. Prof. S. Ramanan, a well-known differential and algebraic
geometer from TIFR, is closely associated with CMI.
CMI started a National Undergraduate Programme (NUP) in 1998. It
consists of a 3-year integrated course in Mathematics and Computer
Science leading to a B.Sc. (Honours) Degree. Under this programme a
selected group of talented students are given intensive training in
the broad spectrum of mathematical sciences by active researchers,
preparing them for academic and professional courses requiring
mathematical and computational skills (The first batch of
undergraduate students will pass out this year and in fact some of
them have already been offered admissions for postgraduate studies in
leading universities in the U.S. Persons with such skills have now
far better career possibilities than ever before, not only in
traditional areas of science and engineering, but also in the
financial and software sectors. From 2001, an M.Sc. component will be
added to the teaching programme at CMI.
The degrees for the teaching programme will be awarded by the Madhya
Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University, Bhopal.
The teaching programme has been favourably received by many reputed
institutions. CMI has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), France for the exchange of
students and teachers. Under this agreement, three members from ENS
visited and taught courses in the Fall semester of 2000 and two
undergraduate students of the CMI are visiting ENS, Paris during the
summer of 2001. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
(IMSc), has been consistently encouraging its Faculty to participate
in the programme. A similar agreement has been worked out with the
School of Mathematics at TIFR, Mumbai. With the support of these
institutions, there is a large pool of highly-qualified and talented
academicians available for the teaching programme.
CMI is also interested in initiating activities in applications of mathematics like financial mathematics, cryptography etc. There are many such areas which involve high level mathematics and require persons well-trained in mathematical skills.
Initially, practically all the funding for the Institute had come
from SPIC. From the year 2000 onwards the Institute has been
receiving a fairly large annual grant from the Department of Atomic
Energy (DAE). The Institute also receives smaller grants from the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of
Science and Technology (DST).
Though SPIC has been the main source of funding for the Institute, it
has always been understood that the Institute would eventually move
away from relying on SPIC for its finances and develop instead an
independent, sustainable funding structure. For this, the Institute
needs to build a substantial Corpus Fund and a small beginning has
been made in this direction.
Moreover, the activities of CMI have expanded tremendously,
especially in view of the teaching programme. To sustain these
activities and to move towards the long term goals, there is a need
to recruit more mathematicians, computer scientists and specialists
in other related sciences such as physics, economics etc. The
Institute is at present housed in a part of a rented commercial
building. It needs a campus of its own, consisting of lecture halls,
library, office rooms, cabins for students, administrative offices,
dormitory facilities etc. These require a substantial increase in the
level of funding for the Institute.
In the short term, a sum of Rs. 10 crores (US $ 2 million) would meet the needs of the Institute.
There are several ways in which funds can be provided to target specific needs. For example,
Chairs can be created in specific disciplines.
Funds may be provided for building activity.
For example, funds may be earmarked specifically for a library building, lecture rooms and cabins for students, dormitory accommodation for students and so on.
Direct contributions may be made towards building up the corpus.
CMI has been granted tax exemption u/s 35 1(ii) and 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
In the United States, the Foundation for the Advancement of Arts and Sciences from India, Inc. (ARSI), 150-56 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, New York, 11367, USA, has indicated a willingness to collect funds on behalf of the Institute. ARSI is a tax-exempt organisation in the US, incorporated in the state of New York. A person in the US making an earmarked donation to ARSI will be able to claim tax exemption in the US allowable to the extent permitted by the federal and state laws.
CMI has already made a significant beginning as an institution devoted to excellence in research and teaching in Mathematics and Computer Science. The university system in India desperately needs fresh models. Private initiatives are vital for this. The institutional structure at CMI readily admits active private initiatives and innovations. With proper funding, CMI can be built up to provide a nucleus around which a first rate university can grow naturally.
Is it feasible to have an undergraduate programme only in Mathematics? Moreover, is it healthy? Would it not be better to have a broad based science university, rather than a narrowly focussed programme?
Ideally an undergraduate programme should not be narrowly focussed and it would be good to have a broad based science university. In the Indian context, we feel that the only way to go about this is to begin by concentrating on selected disciplines in which there are established people of international standard. As discussed earlier, the long term goal is to provide a nucleus around which a first rate university can grow naturally.
Does one expect all the students in the teaching programme to take to research? What are the career opportunities for the students in the programme who do not take to research ?
It is not expected that all the students would take to research. The aim of the teaching programme is to prepare students for academic and professional careers requiring mathematical skills. It is one of the purposes for which a sound computer science component has been included even in the mathematics programme. High level mathematics figures in many disciplines in today's technological society. A person well-trained in mathematical skills has far better career opportunities than ever before, not only in traditional areas of science and engineering, but also in the financial and software sectors.
What is special about the teaching programme at CMI?
The undergraduate programme at CMI is the result of a need felt and vocalised by a large number of mathematicians for over two decades. The programme is already running with demonstrable success and has attracted attention and support from reputed institutions. A special aspect is that the institutional structure at CMI is conducive to innovations.