NZMRI Summer Workshop 2027

Overview

The theme of the 2027 NZMRI Summer Workshop is Combinatorics, Probability and Symmetry.

This meeting is organised in partnership with the Clay Mathematics Institute, which kindly supports the participation of Sarah Peluse and Julian Sahasrabudhe as named speakers.

This workshop features leading researchers giving lecture series on selected topics. The broad theme of the meeting is the interplay of combinatorics, probability, and symmetry. Topics covered include problems of geometric flavour with roots in analysis, probability and combinatorics, probabilistic and additive combinatorics, enumerative combinatorics, and more.

Location

The workshop will be held at the Function Centre at Tahunanui Beach, Nelson.

Lecture Series

The workshop features six outstanding researchers, each giving a series of three lectures.

• Anita Liebenau (University of New South Wales)
• Brendan McKay (Australian National University)
• Sarah Peluse (Stanford University)
• Julian Sahasrabudhe (University of Cambridge)
• Marius Tiba (EPFL)
• Geordie Williamson (University of Sydney)

Geordie is the inaugural NZMRI Vaughan Jones lecturer. Named after our founding director, this scheme is funded by a generous donor.

Schedule

Arrival: by the evening of Saturday, 9 January
Departure: lunchtime Saturday, 16 January

Talks will start at 9am Sunday 10 January, and finish by lunchtime Saturday 16 January. Lectures will run each morning. Wednesday is a free day.

Lecture Notes

These will be available later.

Accommodation

Accommodation is reserved for NZ students at the nearby Tahuna Beach Holiday Park.

All other participants must arrange their own accommodation bookings. Some nearby options:

• Arcadia Motel
• Amber Court Motor Lodge
• Beachcomber Motel

Meals

Dinner will be provided at the Function Centre for participants and their families on Sunday and Friday. Lunch will be provided on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Wednesday is a free day.

Financial Support

NZ-based students

We will cover the cost of accommodation and catering for all NZ-based student participants.

Students at NZ universities are encouraged to apply for a Kalman Summer Scholarship to assist their participation at this workshop. The Kalman Summer Scholarships were established from a generous bequest in support of New Zealand mathematics from the late John Kalman, a former professor at the University of Auckland.

Four or five scholarships will be awarded to help cover costs of travel and incidental expenses (on top of accommodation and catered meals).

Applicants must:

• Be studying for an Honours, Masters, or PhD degree at a NZ university
• Submit an academic transcript and brief CV
• Provide a statement from their academic supervisor or mentor explaining how participation will benefit their development

Applications should be sent by email to the NZMRI Secretary, Prof. Rod Gover (r.gover@auckland.ac.nz), by 15th November 2026.

Scholarship recipients will be expected to submit a short report by mid-February 2027 describing what they gained from the workshop.

NZ-based academics

We will provide some support for NZ-based academics to attend. Cost of catering is covered for participants and families. We will make a contribution of at most $500 to accommodation costs. You must provide a GST receipt for your accommodation charges.

Participants outside New Zealand

You are most welcome to attend. However, the NZMRI's funding for the workshop does not permit support for participants based outside of New Zealand. If you need assistance, please email us.

Registration

Travel Options

Nelson Airport is located 2 kilometres from the workshop venue. There are flights between Nelson and Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. By car, Nelson is a pleasant 2-hour drive (110 km) from Picton, where there are car and passenger ferries connecting with Wellington.

Organisers

Rajko Nenadov and Eamonn O’Brien.

Additional Information

This page will be updated regularly. To obtain further information, email us.