Modelling Camp

The annual ICMS Modelling Camp is a 5-day in-person problem-solving workshop for PhD students in the mathematical sciences. The format is as follows:

Monday

Challenges posed by external partners are presented
Student groups are formed, with one group assigned to each challenge
Group work begins

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Each group works to make progress towards solving their challenge
Short updates are presented at the end of each day

Friday

Students formally present their work

Each group is asked to write a report that details the work carried out, and this is passed to the challenge holder after the workshop.

The purpose of the modelling camp is to provide PhD students with the opportunity to develop core skills in a welcoming, friendly and inclusive environment. The workshop aims to:

Help students gain experience in working effectively with peers and external partners
Allow students to develop skills in teamwork, communication, coping outside comfort zones, report writing, and delivering presentations
Provide an opportunity to learn how different branches of the mathematical sciences can be applied in various settings

Participation in a modelling camp provides PhD students with good preparation for attending a study group. The biggest UK study group is the annual European Study Group with Industry (ESGI). This has the same general format as the ICMS Modelling Camp, but operates on a larger scale, attracting over 80 participants from all career stages. It can be quite intense, but fun!

Ann Smith, Academic facilitator

“Involvement in the ICMS Modelling Camp is incredibly rewarding for students and mentors – a week of creativity and critical thinking tackling an engaging problem as a team. Working alongside the group and supporting their enquiries is a truly inspiring experience and promotes a passion for mathematical discovery.”

Zhaoxi Zhang, PhD student

“This event has been incredibly exciting! We had the opportunity to work with data that we don’t normally have access to and make an impact with our own solutions. A big thanks to the ICMS for providing a platform where we could showcase our mathematical modeling abilities!”

Joe Meagher, Challenge holder

“I have found the modelling camps I attended to be very rewarding experiences. They allow us to engage with talented and highly motivated students working on cutting-edge mathematical and computational techniques and promote our work at Hymans Robertson. Identifying, framing, and supervising a research project clarifies the value offered by new modelling techniques, which supports decision-making on the future development of our modelling estate.”