Building a Global Village: A Free Virtual Conference for Students in the Mathematical Sciences

The future of the mathematical sciences hinges on the development of the next generation of researchers; like the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” supporting early-career researchers is a community task. For many students, particularly those in under-resourced communities, access to international conferences remains a significant challenge. The International Mathematics and Statistics Student Research Symposium (IMSSRS) was created to directly address the financial and logistical barriers that often prevent conference participation, providing a rare and meaningful opportunity for students to share their work on a global stage.

The Journey to a Global Conference

Although now an international event, the IMSSRS actually began with the Richmond Area Mathematical Sciences (RAMS) Conference — a free, regional conference at Virginia Commonwealth University supported by a National Science Foundation grant (DMS 2000033) and led by Dewey Taylor and Jan Rychtar. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced RAMS to move online, the virtual format unexpectedly expanded the conference’s reach beyond the Richmond area and eventually beyond the U.S. Recognizing this opportunity, Rychtar led the effort to recruit faculty collaborators from around the world, transforming the regional gathering into an international initiative with the simple goal of broadening access to the global mathematics community for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Thus, the IMSSRS was born.

The IMSSRS offers all students the opportunity to attend an international mathematics conference virtually and free of charge, shattering the barriers to entry that typically stop many students and early-career mathematicians from attending conferences. Since our first official conference in 2023, which hosted 75 student presenters and more than 200 participants, participation has steadily grown. In 2025, we welcomed more than 100 presenters and 350 total participants from 39 countries, including Ethiopia, Brazil, Türkiye, Australia, Lebanon, and the U.S.

More Than a Space for Research

Our goals with the IMSSRS include more than just providing a space for students to share their work. We also strive to support students’ professional development by introducing them to a formal conference setting, a wide range of mathematical topics, and strong role models in the mathematical sciences who offer diverse perspectives.

Plenary speakers are selected very intentionally, ensuring that we represent a variety of fields and regions. Previous speakers have included number theorist and historian of mathematics Dominic Klyve, coding theory researcher Gretchen Matthews, former President of the African Mathematical Union Nouzha El Yacoubi, and mathematician and fiber artist Susan Goldstine.

For IMSSRS 2026, we are honored to host the 117th President of the American Statistical Association, Katherine Bennett Ensor, who is also a professor of statistics at Rice University and director of their Center for Computational Finance and Economic Systems. Ensor will present a plenary titled “The Critical Role of Statistical Thinking, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

Additionally, the conference includes panels comprised of representatives from various mathematics graduate school programs and a diverse set of professionals who represent different career paths in the mathematical sciences. The goal of these panels is to inform students of their options after graduation, helping them navigate the transition from student to professional.

The Resourcefulness of the Global Student

What sets this conference apart is the participants themselves and their incredible resourcefulness. We have seen that the desire to participate in the global mathematical community often outweighs significant local obstacles. A student without a device to record their presentation electronically might solve that problem by using their cell phone to record themselves writing on a chalkboard.

Many of our students are also overcoming the challenge of presenting in their second or even third language. They often face internet connection issues and power outages or must attend the conference at a time that is past midnight or pre-sunrise in their local time zone. For students from island communities, like Guam or Sri Lanka, or regions with limited resources and visa restrictions, the IMSSRS is a rare opportunity to share their work internationally. The conference allows these resilient and resourceful students a place in the mathematical world.

A Sustainable and Climate-friendly Strategy

To ensure the long-term viability of the conference, we rely on a virtual format that uses limited resources, making IMSSRS inherently eco-friendly. This allows for international networking without the carbon footprint or prohibitive costs associated with global travel. Because our model is designed to be fiscally self-sufficient, it functions without the need for traditional grants, thus ensuring its continuity.

The conference schedule is also specifically designed for maximum inclusion. The day starts in the early morning in Eastern Standard Time and ends in the late afternoon, thereby reaching most of the world at a reasonable time. Most of the day is set aside for students—this year, there will be eight one-hour sessions for student presentations—alongside our plenary and panel sessions. We also provide resources on our website to help students submit registration forms and prepare abstracts and presentations to ensure that they feel supported at every step of the process.

Building the Village

Our ultimate goal is to create a world where mathematicians, starting as early as high school, can belong to a global mathematics community in which all are welcome and connected. We want the IMSSRS to be a place where students can see themselves as part of this community, meet peers who are working on similar projects, and see other students who, like them, are bravely presenting their work despite their obstacles.

It takes a village to raise the next generation of researchers in the mathematical sciences. As a global professional community, we are that village, and it is our shared responsibility to support these students. We invite you to join us in this effort.

The IMSSRS 2026 will be held on April 11, 2026. To be considered for a presentation, abstracts must be submitted by March 27, 2026. Conference registration ends for participants on April 5, 2026. 

IMSSRS is co-organized by Feryal Alayont, Grand Valley State University; Cuixian (Tracy) Chen, University of North Carolina Wilmington; Kumer Pial Das, University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Hyunju Oh, University of Guam; Jan Rychtar, Virginia Commonwealth University; Shelly Smith, Grand Valley State University; and Dewey Taylor, Virginia Commonwealth University.