A web platform for International Centre for Mathematics Ukraine

Brights partnered with the International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine (ICMU) to develop a comprehensive digital platform. This platform facilitates the dissemination of news and events, provides access to a digital library, and supports fundraising efforts to advance mathematical research in Ukraine.

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.

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.

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.