Noticias en español
The Director of CMM, Prof. Héctor Ramírez, together with the Director of International Relations and Principal Investigator, Prof. Alejandro Maass, represented the Center at the meeting held in Brazil, which brought together the six International Research Laboratories (IRLs) in mathematics across the Americas.
The Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile participated in the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the International Research Laboratory (IRL) Jean-Christophe Yoccoz CNRS/IMPA. The event also marked the official launch of the Federation of French Laboratories in the Americas. This new framework brings together the six CNRS IRLs in mathematics on the continent, located in Canada (two), Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile.
The meeting, held from January 25 to 28, 2026, at the headquarters of the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) in Rio de Janeiro, was attended by CNRS President Antoine Petit; diplomatic and scientific authorities from France and Brazil; and representatives of partner centers across the Americas.
Twenty years of scientific cooperation between France and Brazil
The celebration marked two decades of the IRL 2924 Jean-Christophe Yoccoz CNRS/IMPA, established in 2006 through a formal agreement between the two institutions and renewed periodically. The laboratory has fostered long-term scientific cooperation, researcher mobility, and the development of joint projects in fundamental areas of mathematics.
During the visit, delegations toured IMPA’s main auditorium, library, and the PI Center, and visited the facilities of IMPA Tech, its undergraduate program in Mathematics for Technology and Innovation. There, they engaged with students and researchers on current challenges in areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced modeling.
CMM Director Prof. Héctor Ramírez underscored the strategic relevance of such international coordination efforts: “Being part of the CNRS International Research Laboratories network positions CMM within a global ecosystem of scientific excellence. This collaboration, which we have sustained for more than 25 years, has been instrumental in consolidating long-term academic partnerships, fostering researcher mobility, and addressing complex problems from an international perspective. Today, we take a further step in strengthening collaboration across the Americas by articulating our efforts as IRLs through a Federation”.
Launch of the first CNRS Laboratory Federation in the Americas
The meeting also marked the official launch of the Federation of International Research Laboratories (IRLs) in Mathematics in the Americas, an initiative aimed at articulating the work of the six IRLs across the continent to enhance synergies, strengthen collaborative research, and address scientific challenges of global relevance.
In Chile’s case, CMM (IRL #2807) is the first CNRS laboratory established outside France. This affiliation, in place since 2000 and renewed every five years, represents a cornerstone of scientific cooperation between Chile and France, reinforcing high-level mathematical research and its international projection.
The Federation will initially be chaired by Prof. Alejandro Maass, CMM’s Director of International Relations and Principal Investigator, who emphasized the strategic significance of this new phase: “The Federation seeks to further integrate our scientific capacities, particularly in areas where mathematics can provide solutions to complex problems emerging from the study of climate change, ocean dynamics, among others. This network will enhance the impact of mathematical research developed in the Americas in close collaboration with France.”
Through its participation, CMM reaffirms its commitment to excellence in mathematical research and its role as a strategic bridge in scientific cooperation between Chile, the Americas, and France.
Written by Cintia Beltrán, CMM Communications
Photographs courtesy of IMPA
Posted on Jan 29, 2026 in News
