No thanks to a mathematics congress in Philadelphia and Trump’s America

This summer, the prestigious Fields Medal will be awarded when the international elite of the mathematical world gathers at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM).

The Fields Medal is the highest honour a mathematician can receive, and is best compared to the Nobel Prize, which is awarded to researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine, and economics. Simply getting to stand at the podium during the congress is a great honour.

“It certainly looks good on your CV,” says Simon Kristensen, a professor at the Department of Mathematics at Aarhus University and vice-chair of the Danish Mathematical Society.

The highly respected congress takes place every four years, each time in a different city. This year, the congress is being held in the American metropolis of Philadelphia, and this has prompted protests from mathematicians around the world. At the time of writing, 2.300 mathematicians and former speakers at the ICM Congress have signed a petition calling on the International Mathematical Union (IMU), which organises the congress, to move the event out of the US so that mathematicians from all over the world will be able to attend. Simon Kristensen is among the signatories.

“It’s wrong”

“I think it’s wrong to host an international congress in the US, given the current situation.” “I would never go myself, and I wouldn’t recommend that others take part either,” says Simon Kristensen, in part referring to the US’s increasingly strict controls on who is allowed into the country.

He emphasises that he has signed the petition as a researcher and as an individual with a personal opinion, but that he does not represent Aarhus University nor the Danish Mathematical Society.

“I think it’s too dangerous. Firstly, it has become very difficult for some of our colleagues to even obtain a visa for the US at all. Secondly, it has proven to be dangerous if a person looks like they’re from South America or the Middle East,” says Simon Kristensen, referring to ICE’s actions in the hunt for illegal migrants, deportations, and the detention of undocumented people.

Adding to this are the US’s actions in Venezuela and Iran, and Trump’s threats to take over Greenland. 

The researchers behind the petition emphasise that the US has now suspended citizens from 75 countries from getting a visa.  

“And if you do get in, you risk being arrested and detained—or something far worse. I simply don’t believe that participants can feel safe if they travel to the US, and that is why I don’t think the congress should be held on American soil at all,” says Simon Kristensen.

The most recent congress was held online

The congress four years ago was set to take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, but those plans were halted. In part due to a petition such as the one currently underway. Back then, 400 people signed the petition, and the organisers surrendered and held the congress online instead of in Russia. 

“I’m not a fan of an online congress, but it’s better than legitimising what’s going on in Russia or the US,” says Simon Kristensen.

“We’re not quite at the point where I believe there should be a full-scale academic boycott of the US because of Trump’s behaviour and actions. But I do believe that the US is currently walking a tightrope. By signing this, I am trying to raise awareness that the US is not a safe country to travel to. It’s a red line. That is the most important argument," he continues.

Philadelphia was chosen as the venue for the congress long before Trump came to power, long before incidents with researchers being turned away at US airports, and long before Trump intervened in Venezuela and went to war with Iran. But within a short time, the US has set a dangerous course, according to Simon Kristensen, who stresses that he has a high regard for the International Mathematical Union, mathematicians, and the congress. 

“But if I were to attend the congress taking place in the US right now, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the eye,” says Simon Kristensen.

Aarhus will be represented

Whilst Simon Kristensen had no plans to attend this summer’s congress in Philadelphia, and solely signed the protest against the congress being held in the US out of solidarity with those of his colleagues who may find it difficult to attend, the situation is different for another professor of mathematics at Aarhus University.

Paul David Nelson, a professor at the Department of Mathematics, will not only be attending the congress; he has also been invited to give a so-called section lecture on the topic of “number theory.”

Omnibus has been in contact with Paul David Nelson, but he does not wish to comment on his participation in the congress.

Taking the concerns seriously

We have also tried to get in touch with the International Mathematical Union (IMU) and with the organisers of the congress in Philadelphia. They have not replied to our enquiries.

However, the organisers have responded to the criticism, and a number of statements can be found on the congress’s official website.

On behalf of the committee responsible for organising the congress in Philadelphia, Professor of Mathematics Jalal Shatah from New York University writes the following under the heading “Dear colleagues”:

“…In recent months, some members of our community have expressed concerns regarding the safety and well-being of participants in the context of today’s politically divided climate. We take these concerns seriously. The Organising Committee is fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all attendees. The ICM is an academic gathering dedicated to mathematics—its ideas, its practitioners and its global community—where participation is centred on scholarly exchange. We are working closely with local partners to ensure that the Congress goes ahead as planned and that participants can focus fully on the scientific and social objectives of the meeting…”

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Mie Skov Jeppesen.