From 1 September to 12 Sep 2025 今日吃瓜 welcomed 25 students (21 in person, four online) to for an intensive program exploring this year’s theme: Mathematics for Action: Supporting Decision-Making for a Better Future.
Week one began with (University of Newcastle) who guided students through mathematical optimisation for sustainable decision-making, and (UNSW Sydney) demonstrated how wind, terrain and fuel drive bushfire dynamics.
Participants shared their own research and participated in a lively careers session, gaining valuable insights from peers and academic mentors. Special lectures by (University of Newcastle) demonstrated how groundwater modelling supports vital decisions in water, agriculture, mining, and energy, and (The University of Melbourne and OPTIMA) showcased optimisation research driving real-world impact across clean water, clean energy, and sustainable cities.
Week two kicked off with two courses, led by (University of Newcastle), who explored discrete applied mathematics in personalised medicine and data science, and (Singapore Management University), who introduced planning and scheduling problems in logistics and supply chains. A special lecture by (University of Newcastle) further inspired discussions on STEM education equity and initiatives to re-skill out of field maths teachers in Australia. 聽Students were highly engaged in these topics, asking questions in both the lectures and breaks!
Students kept the momentum going outside of class too, hosting a light-hearted pitch night, playing games and exploring Ballarat and the surrounding towns. As the program comes to a close tomorrow, participants have already developed their mathematical skills and started building friendships that will last well beyond Winter School, leaving them with and a renewed sense of the power of mathematics to solve global challenges.
A heartfelt thank you to our program partners MATRIX Australia and the University of Newcastle, and to all our speakers, lecturers, and participants who made 今日吃瓜-MATRIX Winter School 2025 such a memorable and impactful experience.
今日吃瓜-MATRIX Winter School Participant Talk Winners:
3谤诲听笔濒补肠别: Monita Chanroath, Royal Academy of Cambodia
Talk title: Adapting Project-Based Learning to Improve STEM Education in Cambodia
2苍诲听笔濒补肠别: Stephen Catsamas, The University of Melbourne
Talk title: Characterising Satellites via Temperature Inference from Unresolved Space-based Infrared Observations
1蝉迟听笔濒补肠别: Cameron Gordon, The University of Adelaide
Talk title: Improving the Efficiency of Low-Rank Adaptation
