THE INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS
AND ITS APPLICATIONS

28-30 June 2010

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In a world that is increasingly riven by conflict, often involving emergent non-state factions in rapidly changing patterns of inter-relationship, the need for rigorous conflict analysis is more pressing than ever.  However, to be robust and insightful, such analysis must be informed by the wide range of disciplines - including mathematics and decision sciences, diplomacy and international relations, peace and war studies, anthropology and psychology, military and political science, linguistics and communication studies - whose scholars presently engage with the topic of confrontation.  This conference, the 4th in an established and successful series hosted by the IMA will, like its predecessors, provide a forum for sharing the latest thinking in these disparate fields and for building multidisciplinary links between conflict researchers.

The theme of the present conference is the process of conflict transformation.  When conflict analysts focus upon specific episodes within what are usually protracted and complex networks of interaction, they may easily lose sight of relevant issues in the spatial, temporal or causal environment.  Furthermore the processes by which confrontation may transform into collaboration, or co-operation may degenerate into conflict, are central both to conflict escalation and conflict resolution.  The conference will therefore be concerned with the dynamics of conflict processes and will include wide-ranging interpretations and explorations of this theme. 

There is a secondary emphasis.  Rather than separating the analytical activity from its 'real world' impact there is a preference that those contributing to this event should demonstrate attention to the actions that their work informs.  The means by which this is achieved may range from facilitating workshops or running simulations to experimentation and interactive modelling, and presentations may describe such activities.      

This is an international event and will attract contributors from many countries.  The conference is intended as a meeting place for those who operate directly in arenas of conflict (e.g. the military, staff of NGOs, mediators), those who provide support or advice (e.g. analysts, contractors, counsellors) and others who offer theoretical concepts and practical frameworks for handling conflict (e.g. academic researchers).   

Conference topics include

• Conflict: concepts and theory
• Modelling and analysing conflict
• Group decision and negotiation
• Processes of confrontation and collaboration
• Conflict resolution and peace-building
• Collective action addressing conflictual issues
• Simulation and role play
• Evaluation and assessment
• Information architectures and technologies
• Lessons from specific conflicts

Venue

Further information about the conference venue can be found at: http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/conferences/introduction.html

Enquiries

Scientific enquiries should be made to:
Prof Jim Bryant (email: J.W.bryant@shu.ac.uk)
Sheffield Business School, City Campus, Sheffield, S1 1WB, U.K.

General enquiries concerning conference arrangements should be sent to:
Amy Marsh (email: amy.marsh@ima.org.uk)
The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, Catherine Richards House, 16 Nelson Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1EF, U.K.
Tel: +44 (0)1702 354020