Scientific Committee Meeting Minutes for March 2016

Minutes of the meeting on 23 March 2016
Room 3.22, Merchant Venturers Building, University of Bristol 12:45pm

Welcome, confirmation of membership
Chair: David Jordan (Sheffield) until 31 May 2017.
LMS representatives:
Sarah Rees (Newcastle) until 31 May 2016,
John Hunton (Durham) until 31 May 2017,
Phil Rippon (Open) until 31 May 2017.
EdMS representatives:
Stuart White (Glasgow) until 31 May 2016,
Sophie Huczynska (St Andrews) until 31 May 2017.
Bristol (2016): Tim Dokchitser, Lynne Walling, one to continue to 30 September 2016. Durham (2017): Andrew Lobb, Alexander Stasinski.
St Andrews (2018): Colva Roney-Dougal, Mike Todd.
Lancaster (2019): Jan Grabowski, A. N. Other.
Representative of the 2016 BMC: Richard Sharp (Warwick) (elected following AGM). Ex officio:
Fiona Nixon (Executive Secretary of the LMS) or Elizabeth Fisher (LMS).
Apologies for absence
Sarah Rees, Stuart White, Alexander Stasinski, Mike Todd, Fiona Nixon, Elizabeth Fisher, Tim Dokchitser.
Nik Ruškuc and John Johnston deputised for Mike Todd and Elizabeth Fisher respectively.
Minutes of Scientific Committee meeting at De Morgan House on 4th September 2015
These were confirmed with no matters arising.
Immediate impressions on the 2016 BMC in Bristol
A full report will be on the agenda for the September meeting. Immediate impressions of the meeting were very positive. The quality of the plenary speakers was praised and there were several comments on the high number number of young participants and the resulting lively atmosphere. The local organisers passed on several items of advice for their successors, including funding opportunities and the arrangements for the publishers' displays. The latter had been problematical.
Update on Plans for BMC in Durham 3-6 April 2017
Andrew Lobb reported that plenary lectures will be given by Eva Bayer-Fluckiger (Lausanne), Kenji Fukaya (Stonybrook), Isabelle Gallagher (Paris 7), Laurent Lafforgue (IHES), George Lusztig (MIT) and Jacob Lurie (Harvard). A public lecture will be given by Noam Elkies (Harvard). Other known details are as in the minutes of the previous Committee meeting.
Plans for BMC in St Andrews 11-14 June 2018
A local organising committee has been set up. At this stage there are no confirmed plenary speakers.
BMC in Lancaster 2019
Following confirmation of acceptance of the Lancaster invitation at the AGM, Jan Grabowski was welcomed to the meeting. He reported that the provisional dates are 8-11 April 2019 and that the second representative of Lancaster on the Scientific Committee would be Tony Nixon. Discussions of the previous items had been helpful.
Future BMCs
If the recent pattern is to be continued, 2020 would be a joint meeting with BAMC. The Chair would contact BAMC to initiate the discussion of possible hosts. The Committee favoured London as a possible venue.
Other meetings
YRM (Young Researchers in Mathematics) 2016 will be in St Andrews from 1-4 August 2016. BCTCS (British Colloquium in Theoretical Computer Science) 2016 clashed with this BMC.
Any other business
The current Chair's period of office will end on 31 May 2017. Following previous practice, a search panel of two should be set up with a view to making a nomination for his successor. Charles Goldie had already agreed to serve on this panel and, following the meeting, Sarah Rees also agreed to serve. Note added later: Charles and Sarah were delighted to report that Phil Rippon had agreed to be nominated. This nomination will go forward to the September Committee meeting and, subject to the Committee's approval, the Durham AGM.
Date of next meeting (at De Morgan House, Autumn 2016)
This would be in September on a date to be arranged.

David Jordan 24 June 2016