The LTCC

The aim is to increase doctoral students' awareness of and ability in mathematical sciences outside the immediate areas of their research projects, to complement the depth and focus of the latter. Modular lecture courses will be provided by the London Taught Course Centre with an emphasis on personal contact, introducing students to a wide range of topics in statistics and pure and applied mathematics, striking a balance between classical and recent developments.

In summary the impact of the courses themselves is to be evaluated directly by questionnaires to students, supervisors and directors of graduate study and discussions at all levels from individual institutions to nationwide. The LTCC will also gather information on graduating students' work destinations and the relevance of their TCC experience. The balance of nationalities among newly appointed staff in UK will be considered. The eagerness of the consortium institutions to join in the LTCC indicates the substantial impact of this initiative on departmental quality in terms of provision for individual doctoral students. Further impact is from the representatives of the consortium institutions, the 65-75 doctoral students starting each year and the added value in interactions between representatives, lecturers and students. The LTCC also has substantial links with the Knowledge Transfer Network in industrial mathematics, numerous connections with other disciplines, and an industry representative and an EPSRC representative on the advisory board. A central objective of the LTCC is to improve the employment prospects of UK mathematical sciences PhD graduates in competition with those from other countries. Access for the wider community will be ensured as students and staff from all disciplines are welcome.