• 
• 

Published on August 5, 2007

Prof Sompong Dhompongsa from Chiang Mai University and Prof Yongwimon Lenbury of Mahidol University, who won the awards, said one of the best ways to attract more youngsters to excel in mathematics was to show them the possible career paths.

Most talented students like to study engineering or medicine only, whereas the country needs more pure and applied mathematicians for various fields of development, they said.

Prof Yodhathai Thebtaranonth, chairman of the award selection committee, said both Sompong and Yongwimon are internationally recognised for their work.

Sompong is renowned for his research papers on probability, module and fixed-point theories, and is often quoted by authorities in the field in France, Hungary, Austria, Japan and Germany.

As for Yongwimon, her skill in applied mathematics has led to vital developments in biological, medical science and environmental applications based on the dynamic modelling of non-linear systems.

Both said they hoped the awards would encourage more students to study mathematics as a career.

"I myself did not have a vision for the career prospects when I was a child. At the time, I just wanted to be a mathematics teacher so I studied mathematics and eventually became a lecturer at Mahidol University," she said.

Sompong said the quality of teachers is a key factor determining whether children will be keen on the subject.

In applied mathematics, Yongwimon's models are used today in various fields, especially medicine, as they help explain the working system of most hormones in the human body. Thus doctors are better able to predict the effectiveness and results of drugs being given to patients suffering from diabetes, osteoporosis and other ailments.

"The working system of hormones in our bodies is not linear relative to injected medicines such as insulin. In the past, doctors used their own experience to judge how much of these drugs should be used for each of their patients.

"My model helps doctors make a better and more scientific decision on the dosage for better and more reliable results," she said.

For Sompong, who is an expert on pure mathematics, more maths talents are needed for national development in science and technology.

"Mathematics is fundamental and essential for a knowledge-based society. Future development of most fields requires a strong maths foundation, especially for industrial development." he said.

Yongwimon said career paths for mathematics students include not only science and technology but also the industrial, business and insurance sectors.

Dr Wuttipong Techadamrongsin, deputy director of the Thailand Research Fund (TRF), said the TRF has joined with the National Science and Technology Development Agency to promote greater interest in basic research work.

"We hope to promote activities at all levels, from students to junior and senior researchers. We also want to create a network of researchers and scientists so that they can collaborate systematically," he said.

However, award winners Yongwimon and Sompong warned that the state of mathematics education in Thailand was still generally below par.

A key problem hindering advancement in this field is the unfavourable public perception that mathematics is a very tough and complex subject. Another problem is that most teachers are not well-qualified.

In fact, maths education could be fun and challenging, they said.

"Many mathematics teachers also have this misconception so they are not good themselves. As a result, the quality of maths education is relatively low nationwide," Yongwimon said.

Dr Yodhathai of the award selection committee, agreed, adding: "Our efforts in promoting science study are aimed at privileged students only so some of these talents have won international awards like the mathematics Olympics."

These include several programmes initiated by NSTDA, such as the Junior Science Talent Project, and by the Thailand Graduate Institute of Science and Technology.

Kamol Sukin

The Nation