Internationales

MAThematics CULTure Across the Boundary Line

The German-Danish MatKult project’s kick-off event in Sønderborg on 10 May

MatKult (English: MatCult) is a bi-national project featuring partners from Denmark and Germany. The project draws attention to the fact that mathematics not only drives the natural sciences and technology, but is also a cornerstone of world culture, which is accepted irrespective of national boundaries. The aim of the project is thus to facilitate cultural exchange with a focus on mathematics across the German-Danish border and, in this way, to promote intercultural understanding among citizens in the border region with respect to both the Danish and German ways of life.

The three-year project is funded by the EU programme Interreg Germany-Denmark. Project partners are the University of Lübeck, the University of Flensburg, the House of Science Sønderborg, the University of Southern Denmark, and the University College Absalon. 18 network partners from Germany and Denmark are also involved in the project.

“Maths is everywhere” – as part of the kick-off event in Sønderborg, pupils from Flensburg and Sønderborg met, went looking for mathematics and worked together on mathematical questions. While the students embarked on a mathematical treasure hunt, Tage Pedersen (from Southern Denmark), Prof. Karsten Keller (University of Lübeck), and Prof. Claus Michelsen (University of Southern Denmark) gave talks on the aims of the project. There was then a reception with a poster session, during which the project’s work packages were presented.

The MatKult work packages comprise the development and implementation of cross-border mathematics competitions for pupils from third up to senior year, scientific teamwork and cultural exchange among Danish and German students, the promotion of general education in mathematics and the natural sciences, as well as the development of materials containing German- and Danish-language mathematical tasks to be solved collaboratively by all age groups.

• More information is available on the project website matkult.eu.