“Knowledge is nothing if not shared” is the expression of the SIAM Student Chapter at Charles University in Prague. However, it could be the motto of the student chapter meetings, since they serve to exchange experiences, ideas, as well as growing a network of students in applied mathematics.
Diving into history, representatives of all German SIAM Chapters have met every year since 2012. These Symposia were held in Trier (2012, 2015), Heidelberg (2013), Magdeburg (2014), and Hamburg (2016). The Prague chapter joined in 2014, during the 3rd Symposium of the German SIAM Student Chapters. And this year the Chapter hosted the Meeting of European SIAM Chapters (MESIAM) in August.
This year’s event is particularly characterized by a broad program and its beautiful location, Prague. The scientific presentations covered many fields in applied mathematics, especially topics in optimization and numerical analysis. Along with presentations and posters sessions, the Prague Chapter invited a scientific lecture on Unusual Spectral Properties of a Class of Schrödinger Operators by Pavel Exner, and a lecture from industry on Digital Signal Processing and Software-Defined Radios in Remote Attacks on GPS by Tomáš Rosa.
The meeting also featured sessions dedicated to the presentation of Chapter activities. In these sessions, the Chapters shared experiences on any kind of challenges they faced and helped other Chapters to avoid possible challenges. These sessions allowed Chapters to connect and give helpful advice to one another, helping improve their chapter success.
The Prague Chapter organized social activities like a welcome BBQ and a conference dinner. The highlight of the activities was the city tour at the castle, and the beautiful old town that is a UNESCO World Heritage.
The Prague Chapter made the three days in Prague an amazing experience for attendees. Next year's meeting will take place in Berlin.