Michel Mandjes appointed professor at the Mathematical Institute
As of 1 September, Michel Mandjes has been appointed full professor of Probability and Operations Research at the Mathematical Institute. He succeeds Frank den Hollander, who will retire on 1 October. ‘The combination of deep thinking on your own combined with working towards solutions together with others is what makes my profession great.’
‘The Mathematical Institute is well known, nationally and internationally. It has a fantastic reputation, and it is an honour to become a part of it’, says an enthusiastic Mandjes. ‘Also, after two decades in Amsterdam, I had become curious about how things work in other places. A lot of things will be organised similarly, but there will surely be distinctive differences. In time I will find out!’
An amazing profession
Mandjes looks forward to engaging in mathematics together with his new colleagues. ‘The combination of deep thinking on your own combined with working towards solutions together with others is what makes my profession great. This is primarily about mathematics itself of course, but also about the processes surrounding it. Trying to create good working conditions for example, and contribute to the structures that make it possible for us to pursue this amazing profession.’
Unique research
Gianne Derks, scientific director of the MI, is very happy with Michel Mandjes joining the team. ‘Michel’s research is unique because it is a broad combination of probability, operations research and complex networks theories. His theories are also being applied in collaborations with industrial partners. The leading interdisciplinary activities in the field of complex networks that are already flourishing in Leiden are given new perspectives and will be further strengthened by Michel’s arrival.’
Mandjes studied Econometrics and Mathematics at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam. After he obtained his PhD in Operations Research at the VU and worked outside of academia for some years. In 2000, he returned as full professor of Stochastic Operations Research at Twente University and as group leader at the Centre Mathematics & Computer Science (CWI). In 2004, he joined the mathematics department of the University of Amsterdam. He has taken sabbaticals at Stanford University (2008) and New York University (2013-2014).