International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine

In 2022, a group of mathematicians of Ukrainian descent united around the common goal of creating the International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine. Algorithmic trading company XTX Markets believed in the potential of this idea and allocated a grant of 1 million euros, becoming the center’s primary founding donor.

Today, ICMU is an independent scientific institution funded through charitable contributions and grants. Within the walls of this unique space scientific activity thrives under the guidance of an international Scientific Board, comprising prominent mathematicians from Ukraine and other countries, including three Fields Medal laureates. Following the models of other independent research institutions in the world, ICMU has a board of trustees (Supervisory Board) which is headed by French mathematician Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, former president of the European Mathematical Society and the European Research Council.

One of the steps in the center's development was to create a web platform that would allow publishing information about programs and events, as well as provide open access to a library of mathematical publications. Our team took on this task.

The first step in our work was to immerse ourselves in the world of mathematics and create a visual language that would reflect the essence of ICMU. Those with a background in mathematics will be able to spot the meaning behind the logo since it was inspired by the Voronoi diagrams.

The mathematical concept divides space into separate zones around specific points. Each zone contains all points closer to its central point than to any other. Invented by a Ukrainian mathematician Georgy Voronoy, these diagrams are used in many areas of natural sciences, meteorology, informatics, engineering, architecture, humanities, and social sciences.

For ICMU, we developed a flexible platform that allows the center to effectively communicate with the mathematical community. Here, the administrators can easily publish information about scientific events, programs, and initiatives, while the visitors access a schedule of events with detailed descriptions and an online registration option.

Fundraising platform
Since ICMU operates through grants and donations, creating a functional online fundraising tool was a crucial step for its stable development. The donation mechanisms we developed simplified the process of providing financial support to the center and created an opportunity for anyone willing to contribute to the development of mathematical sciences in Ukraine.

Open-access mathematical library
One of the key project objectives was to create an open-access digital library for ICMU. To accomplish this, we implemented integration with the Koha library system, which simplified the administration of the library collection. Now, center administrators can effortlessly manage the entire book circulation process — from adding new publications to tracking their lending and return.

Simply entering a book's ISBN prompts the system to automatically load all necessary information from open databases via the Z39.50 protocol. If the required information isn't available in open sources, administrators can enter data manually. This solution has significantly reduced the workload on the center's staff.

Working with ICMU was extremely meaningful to Brights as we helped this new scientific institution establish its digital presence.

The integration of the Koha library system transformed ICMU's workflow. Before, their team tediously added each book's details manually in Storyblok. Now, Koha automatically manages all publication information that we display on the website. The result is more comprehensive library cards and intuitive collection management.

The website has become an essential tool for the center's team. It now serves as a platform for sharing information, gathering support, and, most importantly, connecting Ukrainian mathematicians with the global scientific community.