1mZ2hsN

Mathematics Educationworld to share research, practices, projects and analyses.Although reports will form part of the programme, substantialtime will also be allocated for collective work onsignificant problems in the field, which will eventuallyform part of the study volume. As in every ICMI study,ICMI Study 23 is built around an international conferenceand directed towards the preparation of a publishedvolume. The study conference will take place in Macau,China, and will be hosted by the University of Macau(3–7 June 2015).As is usual practice for ICMI studies, participation inthe study conference will be by invitation only for theauthors of submitted contributions that are accepted.Contributions have to be submitted before 15 September2014; they will be reviewed and a selection will be madeaccording to the quality of the work and the potential tocontribute to the advancement of the study, with explicitlinks to the themes contained in the discussion documentand the need to ensure diversity among the perspectives.The number of invited participants will be limited to approximately100 people.The first product of ICMI Study 23 is an electronicvolume of the proceedings, to be made available first onthe conference website and later on the ICMI website. Itwill contain all the accepted papers as reviewed papers inthe conference proceedings (with an ISBN number).The second product is a gallery of commented videoclipsabout practices in WNA, to be hosted on the conferencewebsite and later, possibly, on the ICMI website.The third product is the ICMI study volume. The volumewill be informed by the papers, the video-clips andthe discussions at the study conference as well as its outcomes.The International Programme Committee for ICMIStudy 23 invites submissions of contributions of severalkinds: theoretical or cultural-historic-epistemologicalessays(with deep connections to classroom practice,curricula or teacher education programmes); positionpapers discussing policy and practice issues; discussionpapers related to curriculum issues; reports on empiricalstudies; and video-clips on explicit classroom or teachereducation practice. To ensure rich and varied discussion,participation from countries with different economic capacityor with different cultural heritage and practices isencouraged.The ICMI Study 23 website is open at the address:http://www.umac.mo/fed/ICMI23/.The website contains a longer version of this discussiondocument and the detailed information about deadlinesfor submission; it will be regularly updated andused for sharing the contributions of those invited to theconference in the form of conference pre-proceedings.Further information may be requested at the followingaddress:icmiStudy23@gmail.com.The members of the International Programme Committeeare: Maria G. Bartolini Bussi (University of Modenaand Reggio Emilia, Italy), Xuhua Sun (University ofMacau, China), Berinderjeet Kaur (National Institute ofEducation, Singapore), Hamsa Venkatakrishnan (Universityof the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa),Joanne Mulligan (Macquarie University, Sydney,Australia), Jarmila Novotna (Charles University, Prague,Czech Republic), Lieven Verschaffel (KU Leuven University,Belgium), Maitree Inpasitha (Khon Kaen University,Thailand), Sarah Gonzalez de Lora (PUC Madrey Maestra, Dominican Republic), Sybilla Beckmann(University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA), Roger E.Howe, ICMI Liaison (Yale University, New Haven, CT,USA), Abraham Arcavi, ex-officio, ICMI Secretary General(The Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel)and Ferdinando Arzarello, ex-officio, President of theICMI (University of Turin, Italy).The ICMI Emma Castelnuovo Award for Excellencein the Practice of Mathematics EducationThe International Commission on Mathematical Instruction(ICMI) is committed to the “development ofmathematical education at all levels” and its aims are“to promote the reflection, collaboration, exchange anddissemination of ideas on the teaching and learning ofmathematics, from primary to university level. The workof the ICMI stimulates the growth, synthesis and disseminationof new knowledge (research) and of resources forinstruction (curricular materials, pedagogical methods,uses of technology, etc.)”.The ICMI has decided in the past to create two awardsto recognise outstanding achievements in mathematicseducation research: the Felix Klein Award, honouring alifetime achievement, and the Hans Freudenthal Award,recognising a major cumulative programme of research.In order to reflect a main aspect of the ICMI (as statedabove) not yet recognised in the form of an award, theICMI has decided to create a third award to recogniseoutstanding achievements in the practice of mathematicseducation. This award will be named after Emma Castelnuovo,an Italian mathematics educator born in 1913, tocelebrate her 100th birthday and honour her pioneeringwork. Further details are available at http://www.mathunion.org/icmi/activities/awards/emma-castelnuovoaward/.While preparing this column, we received the verysad news that, on 13 April, Emma Castelnuovo passedaway in her sleep. In the discussion lists of Italian mathematicsteachers, dozens of condolence and memorymessages have been posted. An interview with Emmacan be downloaded from http://www.icmihistory.unito.it/clips.php.EMF2015, Tipaza (Alger), Algeria,10–15 October 2015The scientific meetings of the Espace MathématiqueFrancophone have been organised every third year since2000 and are acknowledged as a regional conference bythe ICMI. The next one will take place in Tipaza (Algeria)in 2015 (10–15 October). The theme will be: ‘Culturalplurality and universality of mathematics: challenges andprospects for their teaching and learning’. A very shortexcerpt from the general presentation follows.EMS Newsletter June 2014 51