The Department of Mathematics of Sophia University was founded in 1965 and will be essentially and entirely absorbed in Department of Information and Communication Sciences at the end of March 2011. I will recall histry of the department through faculty staffs, statistical numbers and publications.
Nowadays, almost every mathematician uses computers for research, it is hard to imagine our daily activity without computers. This was totally different 30 years ago. Starting from describing mathematicians' unconcern at that time, I will describe the gradual change for the last 30 years from my own viewpoint.
In 1982 I was Chairman of the Mathematics Department at Monash University. Later that year I became Chairman of the Department of Computer Science, both in the Faculty of Science. In 1991 the Computer Science Department became part of the Faculty of Information Technology. At Monash we also have a Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.
These different contexts have made me reflect on how the various groups of people approach research and teaching. Some items are held in common: structures and systems are central concerns for mathematics and information technology, but not necessarily for other academic disciplines. Peoplefs attitudes are different, but dialogue opens up new possibilities.
I would be pleased to share what I have learnt in these changing environments.
In the late 1970s I worked with colleagues from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University to develop a local PhD program in mathematics, physics, and chemistry through a consortium of the three universities. We got major support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. This was made possible through the initiative of Prof. Yukiyosi Kawada who invited me for a visit to Sophia in 1978. Prof. Mitsuo Morimoto of Sophia led the program from the Japan side for many years. This local PhD program has been quite successful.
In the 1990s I led the Engineering and Science Education Project (ESEP) of the Philippine Department of Science and Engineering, the biggest project so far to provide better resources for science and engineering education in several universities in the Philippines. This is continued today through several programs in a group of universities, led by the University of the Philippines.
Our challenges today are to expand the graduate programs and research to other universities as well as to develop important fields in mathematics and the natural sciences. I have also told my colleagues that we have to make more efforts to connect with computer science, engineering, the biological sciences and other applied areas important for the Philippines.