The project DisWis, founded by CWI researcher Lex Schrijver and project agency De Praktijk, is nominated for the SIGMA award 2008. This annual award is meant to reward exceptional results in improving the connection to higher education in the area of mathematics and to exhibit good examples from practice. The winner of the SIGMA award will be announced during the Lowlands festival this summer.
DisWis is an educational project about discrete mathematics for students during the last two years of their secondary education. They are introduced to graph theory and learn what mathematics students do during and after their study. The pupils also go on a visit to witness mathematical applications in companies. Lex Schrijver financed this project out of the Spinoza prize 2005 that he received for his excellent research in combinatorics and algoritmics. He also provided the starting material. De Praktijk, project agency for science education and communication, realized the work for DisWis.
SIGMA, short for Special Interest Group Mathematic Activities, is founded to tackle problems concerning mathematical knowledge of prospective students. They often lack the knowledge to successfully pass through higher education. According to SIGMA this leads to delays, drop outs and even problems on the job market.
The jury that nominated DisWis called it a magnificent project that connects serious discrete mathematics to real world applications, supported by company visits. They found that the project fits the pupil's regular programme. The jury considered that academic students teaching secondary school pupils was of surplus value.
The SIGMA award winner will be announced during the Lowlands festival 2008 on 16 August. The winner receives a study trip of 5000 euros. Another study trip of 2500 euros is awarded by the public.
