Mathematical Sciences Foundation-Our Story

 

In 1998, these varied activities were consolidated into the Centre for Mathematical Sciences (CMS), housed at St. Stephen’s College. In 2000, significant funding was obtained from the ICICI Bank leading to CMS becoming the ICICI Centre for Mathematical Sciences or ICMS. Many innovative programmes were created under the rubric of ICMS which soon grew to a point where it was no longer sufficient to house and support them.

Thus, Mathematical Sciences Foundation was founded in July 2002, with the support of many leading citizens of India and with ICICI Bank as an institutional member. The Founder Chairman of the Foundation was Dr. Anil Wilson, Principal of St. Stephen’s College and former Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University.

 

How We Got Started

The roots of MSF go back to the mid-1990s with educational and research activities undertaken by a group of mathematicians from several institutions, such as University of Delhi, St. Stephen’s College, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi. They were subsequently joined by members of the Economics and Physics faculties from St. Stephen’s College.

The early projects were mostly carried out with funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Notable amongst these was the project titled Mathematics in the Modern World (MMW), which ran from 1995 to 2001, and aimed at showing the applicability of mathematics in solving real-life problems.

The MMW project made extensive use of computers, especially in the form of interactive programmes that made it possible for the layperson with a modest mathematical background to understand and appreciate the role played by mathematics in our everyday lives and also disciplines like Economics, Physics and Computer Science. It enabled faculty and students to engage in interesting application-oriented research work, which is highly relevant in industry and the corporate sector.

 

Our Programmes

We aim to create a benchmark for education in India. At the core of the educational programmes that we offer is the discipline of mathematics and its myriad connections to all aspects of human endeavour.

 Our online and hybrid models of course content delivery are powered by our initiative – The Internet College.

 

Online/Hybrid Programmes

Under The Internet College, we offer courses delivered online and in hybrid mode under the following tracks:

  • Language and communication
  • Data science
  • Technology
  • Humanities and creative disciplines

Certificates/Diplomas

We offer various certificate and diploma courses that are short-term in nature. These courses are in areas pertaining to the application of mathematics to different disciplines. We also create bespoke courses for specific corporate training requirements.

Internships

One of our main aims is to enable young students to be more employable as well as to spur entrepreneurship. One of the ways in which we offer such real-world skills is through short-term internships. These allow a student to learn within a flexible work environment.

Our Mission

The Mathematical Sciences Foundation aims to create a role model for education in India. The engine that drives this role model is the discipline of mathematics and its myriad connections to all aspects of human endeavour.

Our mission is to provide a dynamic and strong institutional platform that will nurture out-of-the-box thinking, work together with the industry,  attract leading mathematicians and scientists from all over the world, and serve of the needs of the society and our nation at large.

Nurture Out-of-the-Box Thinking

We aim to spur innovation and invention that is relevant – both for the industry and the world at large.

Industry Partnership

Our consulting programmes foster close interaction with the corporate world to create relevant solutions.

Attract the Best Thought-Leaders

We provide a collaboration platform for leading mathematicians, scientists, and educationists from around the world.

Offer Innovative Learning Modules

Our online and hybrid delivery programmes are designed to impart relevant skills for job creators and job seekers.

Collaborate with Universities

Our programmes are offered in collaboration with leading universities and institutions internationally.

Serve the Needs of the Nation

Helping the young minds of today gain the skills that would help the growth of the nation for tomorrow.

Some of our past programmes

From a Life of Mathematics

Nurture Programme

Training Programmes

Outreach Efforts

We invited some leading mathematicians of the world to reside, interact with, and lecture students and faculty at the University of Delhi. The lectures covered their work as well as various personal experiences and were informal and spontaneous, taking place in lecture rooms, offices, over meals, or on walks in the city – anywhere and anytime.

We conducted a series of very popular seminars on diverse topics such as graph theory, group actions, topological groups, econometrics, game theory, optimisation, encryption, image recognition, spectral theory for compact operators, applications in linear algebra, stellar systems, and more.

We have successfully offered certificate programmes in  applications of mathematics – Mathematical Finance, Corporate Finance, Mathematical Simulation with Information Technology. Our Excel for Business Finance course has been taken by over 2,000 students at various b-school campuses. 

A significant portion of our training programmes have been offered free-of-cost. We have granted scholarships, fee waivers and interest-free loans to students from economically deprived backgrounds. We also strive to make a special effort to reach out to students from backgrounds, locations or communities where education is at a premium..