Genesis of the Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology (CMBE):

Interdisciplinarity, with a mathematics core, has sought new strides since the mid-seventies of the last century. Biomathematics/Mathematical Biology saw its valuable bedrock with its site, as part of instruction and research, as well. As a matter of fact, 1985 saw the report of Environmental Dimension in General University Education as a part of International Environmental Education Programme. A new perspective was thus allowed to groom in the Department of Mathematics of Jadavpur University, despite its repugnance elsewhere, at the state level. Mathematical Ecology began to have its foothold and intimately, as a close ally to efforts on mathematization of different facets of human endeavor. Qualitative aspects, abstraction, application etc. have enabled the Department of Mathematics to have edges over others elsewhere. The collaboration at the institutional level has thus come to stay. Ecological study and research kept on having strides because of irretrievably pervasive characteristics. Several layers of support, obviously, kept on occurring from UNESCO, UGC, CSIR, DST, NBHM etc. so that evolutionary traits, with all their aspirations and challenges, have become continually discernible. That happened to be a grooming elan of enriched study and research, so as to have the shareability and interaction with cohorts, be they in India and abroad. This is well the more buttressed by collaborative linkages with institutions both in India and abroad. Several publications in international journals of repute as upshots of conferences, seminars at the national and international levels, do point in impeccable ways, the dynamics of innovative ideas in the entire gamut of theoretical studies has flourished with a leadership.

Considering the achievement of Department of Mathematics in this branch of study, UGC sanctioned a special grant of Rs 7.75 lakhs and a post of Reader under the Emerging Areas - Environmental Science programme vide Memo No. F. 13-47/94 dated 07.021994 for infrastructure development towards offering a paper on Mathematical Modelling of Ecological and Environmental Systems at the M.Sc. level. The duration of the scheme was 5 years from 1994 to 1999. To strengthen and sustain the activities in this field, the University established the Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology vide the Executive Council resolution No. 11 dated 27.08.1997.

CMBE acknowledges its deep indebtedness to Prof. D. K. Sinha, Late Prof. A. B. Roy and Prof. K. S. Chaudhuri for their foresight and effort in the establishment of this centre.

Course Offered:

Each year 8 to 10 students of regular M.Sc. Course and 20 to 25 students of Evening M.Sc. Course in every alternate year opt for Mathematical Biology as their special paper in final year M.Sc.

Thrust areas of research:

Mathematical ecology, Epidemiology, Bioeconomic modeling of exploitation of natural resources, Marine ecosystems, Pest management, Environment & sustainable development, Computational biology, Physiology and Systems biology. The objectives are to explain & understand complex biological phenomena through mathematical modeling and give insights.

MOU signed:

Jadavpur University has signed a MOU with Translation Health Science and Technological Institute, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Haryana in 2015 for scientific collaboration between Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology (CMBE) of JU and Drug Discovery Research Centre (DDRC) of THSTI.