“Optimism” is Theme of the Future of the

International Year of Statistics News
November 2013
“Optimism” is Theme of the Future of the Statistical Sciences Workshop
Optimism about the future of our discipline and profession and a keen awareness of the challenges
ahead were on full display at the Future of the Statistical Sciences Workshop in London November 11
and 12.
More than 100 top researchers in statistics and scientists from other fields who collaborate with
statisticians examined a broad range of science across which statistics is not only applied but also is
providing important guidance to developing new science and making science better.
The result of this workshop will be a paper aimed at research funders around the world that will
summarize the current and near-term future state of the statistical sciences. This paper will be made
widely available when it is completed during the first quarter of 2014. We’ll spread the word about its
availability through this newsletter.
Also available very soon will be video of the workshop’s discussions and presentations. We will send
word about those links through this newsletter as well, as soon as possible.
For one participants’ view of the workshop, see this entry in the Simply Statistics blog.
The Statistics2013 Steering Committee and the Workshop Organizing Committee thank everyone—
including those statisticians who participated remotely—for making the Future of the Statistical Sciences
Workshop a success!
Wall Street Journal Spotlights Statistics2013
In a front-page article in its November 16 weekend edition, The Wall Street Journal heralded the
International Year of Statistics. In an international look at the celebration titled “Odds Lot: Statisticians
Party Like It’s 2.013 x 10 Cubed” reporter Daniel Michaels writes:
“Statistics2013 began as a move to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Swiss mathematician Jacob
Bernoulli’s ‘Ars Conjectandi.’ His treatise on gambling, which was written in Latin, is considered the first
scientific analysis of probability. Statistics evolved from probability and expanded to the study of
genetics, epidemiology, business management and other fields.
“Today, statistics are everywhere, as entries to the Statistics2013 video contest enumerated. One
winner, ‘A Day Without Statistics,’ starts by explaining the data analysis in quality control of
toothbrushes and toothpaste. It continues until sunset with Internet search engines and credit-card
security measures. Another video, ‘Why Statistics Matters?’ offers a litany of answers, concluding: ‘To
make life better.’”
Later in the article, the reporter writes: “Statistics2013 aims to get kids started in the subject earlier so
they'll feel more comfortable swimming in numbers. Branko Rumenović, a high-school-economics
teacher in Ogulin, Croatia, says the first mention of statistics ‘provokes wonder and fear’ among his
students. But the 17- and 18-year-olds come around after projects like a study of the national census
they conducted this year.”
Click here to read the full article. Click here to see the front page of the issue featuring Statistics2013
(scroll to page bottom).
Missed the Unconference? No Worries!
If you missed the Unconference on the Future of Statistics, don’t fret! You can watch the event on
YouTube.
The Unconference was a huge success, said co-organizer Jeff Leek: “We think the Unconference went
amazingly well. All six speakers gave really insightful talks, we had major participation on YouTube and
Twitter (the only time I’ve ever seen more statisticians on Twitter was when Nate Silver spoke at JSM!),
and we had a ton of viewers. So overall, it was everything we had hoped for.”
Several innovative statistical thinkers discussed the future of statistics, especially those issues that affect
junior statisticians the most: education, new methods, software development, collaborations with
natural sciences/social sciences, and the relationship between statistics and industry.
Organized by the authors of the Simply Statistics blog, the Unconference was a virtual event held
October 28.
Get Ready for Statistics2013 in 2014!
The old adage says that all good things must come to an end. But that doesn’t always have to be the
case, especially for the successful, global International Year of Statistics movement that has brought
together nearly 2,300 organizations (and growing!) from 128 countries (also still growing!).
Members of the Steering Committee—comprised of representatives of the six founding organizations of
the International Year of Statistics—will soon announce a new name for the movement, and are working
on a new website and plans for post-2013 activities
Among the website features that will continue on the new website will be the popular Activities
Calendar, which lists hundreds of statistics-related events and meetings from around the world.
If your organization already has confirmed activities for 2014, 2015 or beyond, please send us
information about these events so we can post these to the new Activities Calendar or send us this
information as you finalize your events. Go to page 22 to learn how to submit information about your
organization’s event.
In the weeks ahead we will have more detail about the continuation of the Statistics2013 movement. So,
please be sure to read upcoming issues of this newsletter to keep up to date on the plans for 2014.
Statistics2013 Photo Contest Deadline Extended to December 1
The submission deadline for the International Year of Statistics (Statistics2013) Photo Contest, which is
sponsored by the American Statistical Association/National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Joint
Committee, has been extended to December 1.
The contest for secondary-school students (grades/years 7-12) around the world is organized by
continents (excluding Antarctica) to ensure winners are selected in each region of the world. Winners
will be announced on or about December 16. Click here for complete contest criteria.
Please help us spread the word about the Statstics2013 Photo Contest to secondary schools and
teachers in your area or country. Send information about the contest to your country’s national teacher
organizations. Use your education contacts to inform schools and teachers in your local area or country
so students get involved in contest. You can download a promotional article here.
You can learn more about the contest at the Statistics2013 website. For more information, email Jeff
Myers at [email protected].
Participation Pulls Closer to Next Milestone
Nine! That’s how many more sign-ups Statistics2013 needs to hit its next participant milestone: 2,300.
As of today, there are 2,292 Statistics2013 participating organizations that hail from 128 different
countries around the globe. You can view the current participant and country lists by going to the
Statistics2013 website.
There is still more than a month to go in Statistics2013 and, as we mentioned in an earlier article, we are
going to continue the movement into 2014. As such, there are many more groups that can and should
participate in the International Year of Statistics and its successor. So, please encourage other
organizations, secondary schools, universities and businesses in your area to join this worldwide
movement. It’s easy for them to join. Simply tell representatives of these groups to go to
www.statistics2013.org and click on the “Join Statistics2013” icon on the top right-hand side of the
homepage to become an official International Year of Statistics participating organization.
Participating Organization: News & Events
Following is the latest news about events hosted by Statistics2013 participating organizations:
Italy—The Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat), through the School of Statistics and Social and
Economic Analysis (SAES), is actively working to promote statistical literacy, especially among younger
students. In our current knowledge-based society, it is essential to possess adequate statistical literacy
in order to gain knowledge through data and fully exercise the right to citizenship. Therefore, Istat
believes that the investment in statistical literacy, with particular attention to young people, is a precise
duty and an investment with long-lasting positive effects.
Within the activities of SAES, through a partnership with Istat territorial offices, a significant synergy has
been developed with the result of important innovations in the supply of learning materials for younger
generations. In fact, an area of a website dedicated to the young generations—Under21—has been
enriched with a number of educational packages for schools of all levels. Teachers can access learning
tools that support students in their school courses aimed at the acquisition of knowledge, skills and
competence in the use of statistical data. These learning tools are available for free download from the
website and are designed to meet teachers’ various needs for laboratory, self-training or group
activities. The learning tools are interactive, with the precise goal to stimulate curiosity and creativity of
people of all ages, even through modern dynamic visualization tools.
Canada—The University of Toronto (U of T), a Statistics2013 participating organization, and its
Department of Statistical Sciences planned a series of six public lectures in honour of the celebration,
inviting world leaders in statistical research to present their work to a wide audience. Professor James
Stafford, chair of the U of T Department of Statistical Sciences, says public outreach is a major goal of
the lecture series: “I wanted the audience to be people I didn’t recognize,” he says. “I didn’t want it to
be a seminar series.” For Stafford, statistics is “by its very nature interdisciplinary,” a science that has
applications in many fields, including biology, computer science, political science, and even the study of
medieval manuscripts. The increasing importance of statistics is not only due to its interdisciplinary
nature, but also due to the increasing amounts of data available. In the last 30 years, computers,
smartphones, tablets and the Internet have radically changed the way that information can be collected
and analyzed. Fittingly, the final public lecture at U of T is titled “Smart Use of Smart Phones and other
Mobile Devices to Improve Health.” Professor Susan Murphy, a professor of statistics and psychiatry at
the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, will deliver the talk November 21. Her
research focuses on methods of data analysis that inform the development of new interventions in HIV
treatment, diabetes, depression, autism, alcoholism and obesity. The goal is to deliver analysis of that
information and interventions, in real-time, by using smartphones to collect patient information.
International—Leading experts on statistics and data science will tell their stories about the value of
statistics to science, industry, health, business and beyond during an insightful, free webcast on
December 11 that will be hosted by Analytically Speaking. The event will mark the end of the
International Year of Statistics. The webcast will be moderated by Bob Stine, professor of statistics at
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, while the panelists will be:
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Marie Davidian, president of the American Statistical Association
Kaiser Fung, author of the new book Numbersense
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Bradley Jones, principal research fellow, JMP division of SAS
Denise Lievesley, head of the School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London
Will Potts, vice president of statistical analysis, Risk Management Department, Capital One
During this webcast, panelists will talk about the fundamental role of statistics, positive strides in the
field of statistics, importance of statistical literacy, image of statisticians, and evolving methods for
teaching statistics. Click here to register for this free web event.
Iran—On October 23, Isfahan Mathematics House in collaboration with the University of Isfahan held an
exhibition and ceremony for the National Day of Statistics and Planning in Iran. Among the main
objectives of the exhibition, visitors learned about the issues and applications of statistics in different
fields at universities, organizations and institutions in Isfahan. A number of agencies, organizations and
private companies were invited including the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian
Statistical Society, Iranian Statistical Center, Mobarakeh Steel Company, Social Security Organization—
Isfahan Branch, Isfahan Municipality, GIS Statistics and the Information Center of Isfahan. There were
different programs including a lecture titled “Network Reliability Modeling” presented by Dr. M. Asadi,
professor of Isfahan University, and a roundtable titled “Statistics and Its Applications, Challenges and
Opportunities.” The professors who participated in the roundtable discussion expressed their views on
various questions and offered suggestions.
The exhibits area at the National Day of Statistics and Planning features an oversize Statistics2013 logo.
Iran—During the National Day of Statistics and Planning on October 23 there were many ceremonies in
different parts of country to celebrate this national day by statisticians, research centers and
universities. Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and the University of Rafsanjan hosted a joint
celebration of the statistics day and the International Year of Statistics over two days. Mr. Afshin
Ashofteh and Mr. Alireza Zahedian talked about statistical literacy and the importance of statistics in
Iran and other countries. Ashofteh presented two talks—one about statistical literacy in managerial
concepts for managers and the other about basic concepts of statistical literacy for students of statistics.
He started his talk for managers asking, “Why Statistics?”, and discussing the use of statistical concepts
and statistical literacy in different fields of management, such as strategic planning, knowledge
management, talent management, project management, risk management, information technology and
e-citizens. During the event, several workshops were held that focused on official statistics, sampling,
application of stochastic process in industries and R programming. Also, top statisticians from the
Kerman province were honored in a ceremony at Kerman University.
Attendees listen to a lecture at the National Day of Statistics and Planning event jointly hosted by Shahid
Bahonar University of Kerman and the University of Rafsanjan.
Europe—Kudos goes out to the European Central Bank for highlighting Statistics2013 on the Statistics
page of its website. The page displays the Statistics2013 logo and includes the following statement: “The
ECB supports the 2013 International Year of Statistics initiative (www.statistics2013.org).” Thanks to Per
Nymand-Andersen for making this key recognition of Statistics2013 happen.
Sri Lanka—To celebrate the International Year of Statistics, the Department of Statistics and Computer
Science of the University of Peradeniya and the Department of Statistics and Computer Science at the
University of Kelaniya jointly organized “Statistical Camp 2013.” The camp:
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Strengthened cooperation between two universities.
Provided an opportunity for the students in the two universities to cooperate
Strengthened their cooperation with fellow members
Enabled the students to apply in different ways statistical theories and methods they studied
Developed the students’ social and communication skills
Obtained the views and experienced the teaching methods of instructors from the different
universities
Gave an opportunity to share their views with the other participants
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Students worked in a group of 12 students, staff members and instructors
The students listened to the opinions of other members of their group
The students shared the work with the other members of their group
They completed their work in a given time period
Expressed their ideas and opinions among the members over issues at the discussion
Participants in Sri Lanka’s Statistical Camp 2013 post for a group photo.
México—From November 11 to November 14, the Mathematics Research Center of Guanajuato
(CIMAT) conducted the “Estadística en el Cine” (Statistics in Film) mini-festival during which guests
screened four Hollywood films in which statistical knowledge plays an important role. The films—Red
Lights (2012), Moneyball (2011), Rain Man (1988) and Margin Call (2011)—were followed by
presentations by CIMAT statisticians at the Euquerio Guerrero Auditorium on the campus of the
University of Guanajuato.
A CIMAT poster promoting the Statistics in Film mini-festival.
United States—On November 15, Florida State University’s (FSU) Department of Statistics held an event
to mark Statistics2013: “FSU Celebration of the International Year of Statistics”. During this successful
event, 12 graduate students presented “speed-oral sessions”—a speed talk plus a poster presentation—
and seven students presented posters. Prizes were awarded for the best poster and best speed talk +
poster. Featured speakers were Dr. Regina Liu, chair of the Department of Statistics and Biostatistics,
Rutgers University; Dr. Nilanjan Chatterjee, senior investigator and chief, Biostatistics Branch, Division of
Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute; and Dr. David Marker, senior statistician
and associate director, Westat. Click here to see the agenda.
Organizers, speakers and competition winners pose after FSU’s Statistics2013 event. From left to right
are Xufeng Niu, PhD, Chair of Statistics at FSU; Elizabeth Slate, PhD, event co-organizer; Robert P.
Clickner, PhD, co-organizer; Felicia Griffin, graduate student award winner in the poster-only category;
Glenna Gordon, graduate student award winner in the poster-only category; David Marker, PhD, invited
speaker and judge of all student competitions; Elvis Martinez, graduate student award winner in the
speed talk + poster category; Kaixian Yu, graduate student award winner in the speed talk + poster
category; Michael Rosenthal, graduate student award winner in the speed talk + poster category; Regina
Liu, PhD, invited speaker and judge of all student competitions; and Mingfei Qiu, graduate student award
winner in the speed talk + poster category.
Norway—Two scientists from the University of Tromsø—the Arctic University of Norway—gave a talk
titled “The Play of Chance,” during which they took the audience through a number of important fields
of science where statistics is a vital tool for solving complex problems—from finance and climate science
to medicine and heath issues. Finally, James Grime of the University of Cambridge took the audience on
a fun and engaging journey through the history of codes and code-breaking, from the simple codes of
the Spartan generals to the presumed unbreakable code of the Enigma machine, which was broken by
Alan Turing and his crew during World War II.
Ethiopia—The Haramaya University Department of Statistics convened two days of training on the role
of statistics for evidence-based planning and policy-making for Western Haraghe Zone Finance and
Economic Development district offices staff and others from different sectors of the zone. The training
was held October 12 and 13 at the university’s Chiro campus. Introducing the session, Dr. Adem Kedir,
assistant professor of statistics and agricultural economics, said the objectives of the training were to
create awareness about the uses of statistics in planning and policymaking and making professional
contributions to the development of the country and the region. Similar training was presented to
Eastern Hararghe Zone Finance and Economic Development district offices last academic year. The
training was offered by three department staff. Mr. Kassahun Takele, statistics lecturer, presented the
concepts of evidence based planning and policymaking; Mr. Tariku Tessema, statistics lecturer,
presented the uses of statistics for monitoring and evaluation; and Dr. Adem Kedir presented on
different statistical methods with particular examples in planning and policymaking based on the science
and his practical experiences.
Participants in the Haramaya University statistics training gather for a photo.
Finland—The Finnish Statistical Society, Statistics Finland and the City of Helsinki Urban Facts recently
conducted a seminar on statistical literacy as part of the country’s celebration of Statistics2013. The
seminar featured presentations titled “What is Statistical Literacy and the Ability to Use Statistics” by
Jussi Melkas and “Global Efforts to Promote Literacy” by Reija Helenius, International Statistical Literacy
Project (ISLP) director.
The Finland seminar speakers were (from left) Riikka Muje, ISLP poster competition winner,
Minna Torppa, Jussi Melkas and Reija Helenius.
United States—More than a dozen U.S. federal statistical agencies hosted a symposium November 13
and 14 in Washington that highlighted the variety of federal statistics and the numerous statistical
careers available in the public sector. The Symposium of the U.S. Statistical Agencies, part of the
celebration of the International Year of Statistics, was held at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). During
the two-day symposium, attendees learned about federal statistical agencies, the range of statistics
each produces and how to pursue a career as a government statistician. The symposium was divided
into five sessions targeted to different audiences and users of federal statistics and data products. Those
sessions were Statistics for Economists, Statistics in Health, Career Choices in Statistics, Statistics for
Journalists and Statistics in the New Media Era. Representatives of various federal statistical agencies
presented including the BLS, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics, National Cancer Institute, National Center for Health Statistics, Food
and Drug Administration, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income,
National Agricultural Statistics Service, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Economic
Research Service, National Center for Education Statistics, and Energy Information Administration.
Kudos to Wendy Martinez of BLS and all organizers from the various federal government statistical
agencies for making the event an unqualified success!
An audience of early-career statisticians soaks in career advice dispensed by seasoned
government statisticians during the Career Choices in Statistics session at the
Symposium of the U.S. Statistical Agencies last week.
Poland—The conference “Statistics-Knowledge-Development” was the highlight celebration of the
International Year of Statistics in Poland. It took place October 17 and 18 in Lodz. Organizers were the
Central Statistical Office of Poland (CSO), the Lodz Statistical Office, Polish Statistical Association, and
Institute of Statistics and Demography at the University of Lodz.
The event was held under the honorary patronage of Hanna Zdanowska, Lodz mayor; Professor Barbara
Kudrycka, Science and Higher Education minister; Professor Michał Kleiber, president of the Polish
Academy of Sciences; and Professor Marek Belka, president of the Polish National Bank. The Polish
Television Branch in Lodz and Radio Lodz covered the event.
Conference topics focused on the role of statistics in the modern world and the challenges facing official
statistics. Forty-four papers and posters were presented in the following thematic sessions:
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Statistics in the face of global challenges
Statistics is friendly to all users
Quality aspects in statistics
Statistics in socio-economic practical aspects
Methodology of statistical research in theory and practice:
o a poster session
o mathematical aspects of survey methodology
o sample surveys versus alternative sources of information
The conference was attended by 150 people, including Professor Janusz Witkowski, CSO president;
several other CSO senior representatives; directors of regional statistical offices; directors of CSO
subordinate units; academic representatives of regional authorities; honorary patrons; and guests.
The conference was accompanied by an exhibition organized by the Statistical Office in Lodz and the
Marshal Jozef Pilsudski Provincial Public Library. The exhibition was divided into two parts:
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Historical statistics of the Lodz area
Educational—statistical education of children and youth
Detailed information about the conference and conference materials (in Polish) are available here.
A crowd looks on during the conference “Statistics-Knowledge-Development’ in Poland.
Egypt—As part of its International Year of Statistics 2013 celebrations, the Institute of Statistical Studies
and Research is pleased to announce the 48th “Statistics, Computer Science and Operations Research”
(SCSOR48) International Conference will be held December 23 to 26 at Cairo University in Cairo.
Conference discussion topics and details can be found by clicking here.
Egypt—Alexandria University’s Departments of Statistics and Mathematics jointly organized the 2nd
International Conference of Statistics, themed “Statistics and Scientific Development”. The conference’s
goals included increasing awareness of the power of statistics in the development of high-quality
scientific research; facilitating the exchange of research ideas to promote collaboration among
researchers and contribute to the further development of statistics; increasing awareness of new
statistical methods in education and scientific research; and promoting creativity and development in
the sciences of probability and statistics. Workshops were held on official statistics, R programing, new
trends in econometrics and the generalized statistics theory. A special panel honored Professors Yehia
Elbasouni and Abdulmordy Azzam, both of whom passed away earlier this year. The conference’s
presented, contributed and invited papers will be published internationally in a new book. Discussions
among 20 distinguished professors of statistics from various universities led Alexandria University to
establish a central statistical collaboration laboratory to provide consultation and training for
researchers and graduate students and participate in applied scientific projects conducted jointly with
the government and local industries. Scholars from Saudi Arabia, Libya and the United States
participated in this international conference. A third annual conference is being organized for next year.
A speaker makes a point at Alexandria University’s 2nd International Conference of Statistics.
Caribbean—The Caribbean Association of Professional Statisticians (CAPS), whose motto is “Promoting
Statistics for Sustainable Development”, was launched October 28 in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. Its
formation was announced during the opening ceremony of the 38th meeting of the Standing Committee
of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) and the 23rd meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee
(RCCC). CAPS, which had its genesis in 2009 at a high-level forum on statistics in Trinidad and Tobago, is
a nonprofit whose objectives are the:
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promotion of the contribution of statistics and its applications to evidence-based decisionmaking in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Region
collaboration and discussion among professional statisticians
promotion of continuous training and development of professional statisticians
The organization will be a forum for discussion on statistical matters and will act to encourage research
on statistical methodology and its applications and publish and disseminate findings. It also will promote
statistical literacy, awareness and the general use of statistics in everyday life to the public. It is
anticipated that CAPS will positively impact the statistical harmonization process within the Caribbean
region and that its membership will be a catalyst for a Database of Regional Experts. Also, it is expected
that CAPS chapters in the CARICOM region will consist of individual member countries in the case of the
larger countries and groups of member countries in the case of the smaller countries. CAPS also is
expected to establish committees to address various subjects, such as official statistics, survey statistics,
statistical computation and statistical education.
Iran—The General Directorate of Economic Statistics of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(CBI) participated in the 13th General Assembly of Asian Ombudsman Association, which was held
October 8 and 9 in Tehran. During this conference, governmental and nongovernmental organizations
presented relevant topics.
A visitor reads a brochure at the General Directorate of Economic Statistics booth at the AOA meeting.
The General Directorate’s proceedings were summarized on a banner featuring the International Year of
Statistics logo. The banner noted that the General Directorate is working toward achieving
recommended standards of objectivity and is continuing efforts to make statistical information as
transparent as possible. Additionally, the banner outlined the agency’s process for achieving
transparency, including improving accessibility of statistics, providing reliable data and developing
programs to increase the knowledge and skills needed to use statistics.
Poland—The Warsaw School of Economics will host a conference November 5 themed “Advanced
Analytics & Data Science”. During the event, more than 120 academic and business leaders will gather to
discuss the value of advanced analytics in business and challenges regarding analytically focused
educational programs designed to address real-world business needs. The conference is organized as
part of Poland’s celebration of the International Year of Statistics.
Colombia—The School of Statistics at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín has organized
several short courses and seminars in celebration of the International Year of Statistics. Among the
events were:
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A short course held in late January on “Small Area Estimation” presented by Pedro Silva of the
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics’ National School of Statistical Sciences
An April conference focused on “Modeling the Monthly Cost of Electricity in Colombia” featuring
Universidad Nacional de Colombia Professor Elkin Castaño
The statistics department also has scheduled other short courses and conferences for the coming
months to further its celebration of Statistics2013.
Mexico—Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico during the first days of November include the
traditional Altar of the Dead at which people honor their departed loved ones. Following this centuryold tradition, the Mathematics Research Center of Mexico (CIMAT) created an altar dedicated to the
legacy of Jacob Bernoulli, Thomas Bayes and Ronald Fisher. The colorful installation, which was placed in
the heart of Guanajuato, became a major attraction for tourists and citizens alike.
CIMAT’s Altar of the Dead honoring Bernoulli, Bayes and Fisher in Guanajuato.
Spain—On October 18, the Parliament of Catalonia hosted an event to celebrate the International Year
of Statistics. More than 200 attendees from Catalan universities, administration and industry took part
in the event that was opened by President of the Parliament Nuria de Gispertjointly with Catalan
Statistical Society President Guadalupe Gómez and the of the Catalan Statistical Institute Director
Frederic Udina. A keynote talk delivered by Professor Geert Molenberghs was titled “The Applied
Statistical Scientist in a High-Profile Professional and Societal Environment.”. Molenberghs, a professor
at Hasselt University and KU Leuven, focused on the interdisciplinary nature of statistics and the need
for integration of statisticians into research groups. In a series of shorter talks, Montse Guillén, of the
University of Barcelona, representing applied statisticians; Rosa Lamarca, from Almirall, representing
statisticians working in the industry; Pere Puig, from Autonomous University of Barcelona, representing
statisticians in mathematical research; and Frederic Udina, representing official statistics; gave their
personal view of statistics. The event was closed by Professor Andreu Mas-Colell, minister for Economy
and Knowledge of the Catalan government, accompanied by Anna Cabré, president of the Catalan
Statistics Council and Joandomènec Ros, president of the Institute of Catalan Studies.
All seats were filled when the Parliament of Catalonia celebrated the International Year of Statistics.
United States—Rutgers University is establishing the Rutgers Center of Excellence in Financial Statistics
and Risk Management (FSRM). The Center’s mission will be to serve as a central platform for
interdisciplinary research and collaboration between academic researchers, students and practitioners
in the financial industry. The inauguration will take place November 7 during the Rutgers Statistics for
Financial Risk Management Conference.
Financial institutions increasingly rely on sophisticated statistical methods to process massive amounts
of data quickly and extract useful information from it. Statistical methods are used to explore arbitrage
opportunities due to market inefficiency, automate the asset evaluation and selection process, optimize
portfolios and evaluate risk exposure.
The facility will serve as a focal point for interdisciplinary research and facilitate the exchange of ideas
and discussion around practical problems. It will serve as a platform for close collaboration between
fellows (scholars and practitioners) and research associates (current FSRM master's program students)
on specific studies. Their findings will be widely disseminated for the benefit of the entire financial
community. It also will help fellows generate research proposals for competing grants and funding and
provide seed-funding to sponsor or support research activities. It will run research competitions on
topics related to FSRM, participate in and sponsor external activities related to the Center's mission, and
extend research expertise on consulting projects.
Revolution Analytics, a leading commercial provider of open source R, a statistical language with more
than two million users worldwide, is a sponsor of the Rutgers Center of Excellence and conference. The
company provides its software to universities for free and supports other centers of excellence around
the world.
Rutgers Center of Excellence in FSRM is part of Department of Statistics and Biostatistics at Rutgers
University and has a close tie with the FSRM master’s program. Professionals may participate in the
Center through three categories of membership. Individuals may join as general members. Institutional
membership is available to financial firms and government agencies. Fellows and research associates
may join by invitation only.
The Rutgers Statistics for Financial Risk Management Conference is part of the 2013 International Year
of Statistics celebrations. Financial services industry professionals and researchers will gather for this
one-day event to hear distinguished experts from around the world share their insights on the statistical
facets of risk management.
Venezuela—As part of its celebration of the International Year of Statistics, the Central University of
Venezuela has published two e-books on statistics. Those are:
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Statistics Education in Latin America: Trends and Prospects—This book contains papers from
various countries in Latin America and discusses various topics of statistical education
Statistics in Research: Cross Competition in University Education—This book contains a sampling
of applications of statistics in research in different fields
The cover of one of two e-books published by the Central University of Venezuela.
The books are free and can be downloaded at the links above. Each book’s articles were selected by an
academic committee and evaluated by referees. Professor Audy Salcedo, director the university’s
Interfaculties Cooperation Program, coordinated the publication of the books, which will help raise
awareness of the impact of statistics on various aspects of society.
Lithuania—The Lithuanian Statistical Society together with Statistics Lithuania and Kaunas University of
Technology (KTU) organised a seminar to celebrate the International Year of Statistics. The event was
held October 17 at KTU. The seminar provided an overview of the role of statistics in Lithuania and
worldwide, organisation of official statistics, and the past and future of the statistical science and
studies. Participants talked with the professors and scholars of national universities and representatives
of Statistics Lithuania. There also was an exposition of publications from Statistics Lithuania and the KTU
library dedicated to official statistics and statistical science, the Official Statistics Portal and its
possibilities, and an interactive educational tool for pupilsss—E.school created by Statistics Lithuania.
The seminar drew the widespread attention of students.
A speaker talks at the Lithuania celebration of the International Year of Statistics.
National Statistical Organization: News & Events
Following is the latest news about upcoming and recently concluded events hosted by national
statistical organizations (NSOs) participating in Statistics2013:
Italy—The Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) conducted the Third Italian Day of Statistics in
Rome October 21 in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Statistics (SIS). The event, aimed at
promoting statistical literacy throughout the country, was accompanied by 28 initiatives organized by
Istat regional offices in partnership with other agencies of the national statistical system. Approximately
120 students from upper secondary to university levels participated. The morning program featured the
presentation of awards to young student winners of the national competition “Statistical Olympiad” and
the international competition the “International Statistical Literacy Project Poster Competition,” the
presentation of the new training module “Say It with a Graph,” and the launch of three new contests on
official statistics targeted to different audiences. A video message from Professor Vijay Nair, president of
the International Statistical Institute was screened in the morning. Nair presented various celebrations
of the International Year of Statistics initiative carried out around the world. In the afternoon, two
roundtable discussions were held on the themes of teaching statistics in schools and using data
visualisation strategies as new opportunities to interpret data and broaden the audience of statistical
information users. An additional initiative—Statistical Graffiti—was featured at the Rome event.
Students were called to represent and revisit statistics and its importance through graphic-visual
activities within a dedicated space.
Students participate in “Statistical Graffiti” at Istat’s Day of Statistics event in Rome.
Philippines—A first-year chemical engineering student from Mindanao State University in Marawi City
will represent the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) at the National Statistical Quiz to
be held December 5 in Manila. Traodio Acuemo II, a 17-year old, is ARMM’s official contender to the
quiz after emerging as champion in the November 14 regional-level contest in Cotabato City. The
regional and national statistical quizzes are activities of the National Statistical Office (NSO). The quizzes
encourage college students to become statisticians. Acuemo defeated seven regional finalists from
different ARMM provinces. The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both on
mainland Mindanao, the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan and
Marawi. The top five place-winners in the national finals will receive trophies and cash prizes.
Ghana—The Ghana Statistical Service has announced that the celebration of the 2013 African Statistics
Day will be held November 20. The theme for the celebration—“Quality Data to Support African
Progress”—is aimed at drawing attention to the importance of quality statistics for evidence-based
decision-making in economic management, poverty reduction and other aspects of socio-economic
development. David Yenukwa Kombat, Ghana’s chief statistician, said the main goal of the celebration is
to promote awareness among political decision-makers, the private sector, civil society and the public.
Heightened awareness, he said, would allow the public to know the fundamental role of statistics in the
formulation of economic and social development policies in the country. The Ghana Statistical Service
also will use the occasion to disseminate monographs that had been prepared from 2010 Population
and Housing Census data.
France—Public statistics offices produce figures and studies that are essential for understanding
economic and social life in France. They help clarify democratic debate by providing reliable indicators,
vital for decision-making. With the growing complexity of society and changes in the economic and
financial world, the measurement tools statisticians use are evolving. There are questions that can
legitimately be asked: How can public statisticians adapt their work to take into account economic and
social upheavals the moment they occur? How can we meet the new needs of users? What is the role of
public statistics offices at a time when there is such an abundance of figures and Big Data is growing?
To discuss these issues, the Conseil National de l’Information Statistique (National Council for Statistical
Information–CNIS) and the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) are meeting
with users of public statistics: elected representatives, company directors, the media, associations, trade
unions, administrations, researchers, students and citizens. Through the programme “Public Statistics
and Democracy: What’s the Point of Figures?”, CNIS and INSEE hope to raise awareness of the relevance
of the work of public statistics offices to promote a better understanding and wider use of their data in
public debate and to exchange with users for a better picture of their expectations.
The four events organised by CNIS and INSEE are:
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At the “Journées de l’économie” (JECO) November 14 and 15 in Lyon experts from INSEE
participated in “Cafés économiques de Bercy” to present to the public the economy of the
Rhône-Alpes region.
A seminar, “Statistics and the media”, organised in conjunction with the École Supérieure de
Journalisme in Lille, will be held December 12 to raise media awareness of working with
statistical data at a time when “data journalism” is growing fast.
The highlight of these activities is a conference-debate “What’s the point of figures?” coorganised with the Conseil économique, social et environnemental (Economic, Social and
Environmental Council) in Paris January 30. To mark this event, INSEE will publish a document in
the Insee Références collection tracing “Thirty Years of Economic and Social Life”.
In partnership with the association “Les Petits Débrouillards”, which has been awarded
investment for future projects, INSEE is developing activities to encourage young people to be
aware of the potential of statistics, which will be presented at the January 30 conference.
Public statistics are produced and disseminated by INSEE, ministerial statistical offices, and public
operators such as Cereq, Ined and Acoss. CNIS works to ensure agreement between the producers and
users of public statistics: employers’ bodies and syndicates, institutions representing national and
regional elected representatives, associations, administrations and researchers. The CNIS highlights its
statistical needs for debate and action.
United Arab Emirates—In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Education Council, Statistics Centre–Abu
Dhabi (SCAD) hosted a lecture for students of the Al Reem Girls' School focused on participation in the
Statistics2013 Photo Contest. The lecture was attended by 30 students and supervisors. It focused on
three core themes: background about statistics, Statistics2013, and the Photo Contest. The lecture
emphasized the importance of statistics for individuals, organizations and decision-makers and shed
light on the reasons behind naming 2013 as the International Year of Statistics and showcased events to
celebrate the occasion throughout the year. Presenters also discussed in detail how to participate in the
photo contest. The students were given some ideas for photos that depict the role of statistics in
improving the well-being of society. The event was marked by a lot of interest and interaction,
embodied in the discussions and inquiries from students and supervisors concerning statistics in general
and the photo contest particularly.
Students from Al Reem Girls' School following their immersion in Statistics2013 by SCAD.
Philippines—The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the government will soon
appoint the head of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to lead the new agency, which will replace
four government statistical agencies. NEDA will serve as the unified body of the National Statistics
Office, National Statistical Coordination Board, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics and Bureau of Labor and
Employment Statistics, after the enactment of a law that reorganizes the country’s statistical system.
PSA director-general Arsenio Balisacan said the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the new law
would likely be issued by December. “We want to have the IRR out and published within the first half of
December,” he said. “We have to come up with the IRR. We’ll publish that, and once we have done that,
we’ll hire, we’ll search for the national statistician who will become the head of the PSA. We are hoping
that we can start the search for a new head within the year, before the end of the year.”
Balisacan said the PSA board of directors had met to discuss how the group would implement the
law. “We have to program it, because this is a long process,” he said. He added it might take them one
year to complete the entire process of establishing the office and its functions.
Caribbean—Practitioners in the field of statistics were challenged to demystify the science to young
people in the Caribbean and find imaginative ways to expose them to all that is intriguing about
pursuing a career in statistics. The charge was issued October 28 by Nigel Carty, minister of education
for St Kitts and Nevis, during remarks at the opening ceremony of the 38th meeting of the Standing
Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) and the 23rd meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating
Committee (RCCC). The meetings were held in St. Kitts and Nevis to celebrate the country’s 30th
anniversary of independence and to observe the International Year of Statistics under the theme
“Statistics in Everyday Life: Let us Educate and Appreciate”.
Carty told delegates that ways had to be found to increase the general public's awareness of the
importance of statistics in public and private life and to increase their comfort level with the subject
matter. “Firstly, in our outreach to the public, we must avoid even terms like ‘Statistical Literacy’, which
only serves to place yet another wall between the field of statistics and the public. We must modify our
language so that it becomes human and understandable,” he said.
Carty noted that the vast majority of the world’s population had no idea how many areas of their lives
were influenced and governed by the work of statisticians, citing several examples, including a country's
inflation rate, economic growth projections, projected revenue flows, and population trends.
Carty said practitioners also must ensure that within the borders of the Caribbean there are statisticians
who can provide the data and analyses that were critical to the effective and efficient functioning of
Caribbean progress and stability.
United Arab Emirates—Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has unveiled an electronic version of the
2013Statistical Yearbook of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In the book’s foreword, HE Butti Ahmed
Mohammed Al Qubaisi commended this important publication and the efforts made in collecting data
and compiling the statistical indicators included in the book, which meets the needs of decision-makers,
policy-planners, investors, businessmen, researchers and all other segments of data users. Click here for
more information about the yearbook.
Nominate a Statistician of the Week
Do you know an outstanding statistician deserving of recognition for his or her work? If so, nominate the
person for the Statistics2013 Statistician Job of the Week. To do so, simply send us a 250-to-300-word
article about your colleague along with a photograph. In the article, explain the person’s job and his or
her contributions to the mission of their organization. We’ll feature the profile on the Statistics2013
website homepage for a week. Send your nominating submission to Jeff Myers at [email protected].
RSS, ASA Launch Stats2013AtSchool Quiz on Statistics2013 Website
The Statistics2013 website has a new feature—called the Stats2013AtSchool Quiz—thanks to the Royal
Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association. Developed by the Royal Statistical Society
Centre for Statistical Education in cooperation with Plymouth University, Stats2013AtSchool is a world
statistics quiz for learners across the world.
The Stats2013AtSchool Quiz launched in September and currently:
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More than 60 countries have taken part
more 70 participants (under 19 years of age) have scored full marks
New Zealand is top of the leaderboard for this month, with 49 participants achieving full marks
to date
RSS and ASA encourage your organization to promote this fun activity to teachers and school-aged
learners in your country. We hope to build an international community of champions who will help
develop Stats2013AtSchool by contributing additional questions and resources.
If you are interested in being a champion please register at Stats2013AtSchool. To give the quiz a try, go
to www.statistics2013.org and click on the Stats2013AtSchool quiz located at the bottom of the
homepage.
Attention All Participating Organizations
If you want to share news about your organization’s activities to celebrate Statistics2013, we invite you
to provide a blog entry or article that we will highlight on the Statistics2013 website. Many
Statistics2013 organizations have done so already and your group could be the latest to be featured in
the Statistics2013 Blog on the homepage or on the Around the World in Statistics page. To submit your
article or blog, follow these guidelines:
1. Statistics2013 Blog—A blog entry up to 500 words. Since the Statistics2013 website is oriented
to the public, all blog entries must be written in layman’s language (no statistical terminology)
and tie into the International Year of Statistics in some fashion (be creative!). Submit all blog
entries via email and include as attachments to the email any images and graphics, including the
author’s headshot photo, to be used in the blog entry.
2. Around the World in Statistics Article—A 250-to-500-word article about how statistics makes life
better for the people of your country or about an initiative your organization is undertaking to
promote statistical awareness among your constituency or audiences.
Submit your blog or article to Jeff Myers at [email protected].
Calling All National Statistical Organizations
Statistics2013 is seeking informative, educational and insightful statistics about your country to feature
in the “Statistic of the Day” area of the Statistics2013 website homepage. These can be a series of four
or five brief statistical facts about your country’s population, economy and education systems; the
health of its citizens; and similar social, economic, government and other relevant topics. Send your
submissions along with a link to your organization’s website to Jeff Myers at [email protected].
Event Submission Forms on Website
Two web-based forms make it easy for you to submit your organization’s Statistics2013 events as well as
a summary and photos after the event is over.
The first form—called the “Event Submission Form for the Statistics2013 Activities Calendar”—provides
you a quick and simple way to submit information about your organization’s planned Statistics2013
events. All you have to do is input into the form the requested information and press the “Submit”
button. We’ll then take your information and post it to the Statistics2013 Activities Calendar. You can
access this form here.
The second form—titled “Statistics2013 Post-Event Information & Photo Submission Form”—enables
you to let us know about the success of your completed event and to submit up to two photos. On this
form, you are prompted for information about your event and you also can input a brief summary (up to
1,750 characters). After you submit information about your organization’s event, we’ll run your photos
and stories in this newsletter so others can see the creative and fun ways that your organization is
promoting the International Year of Statistics. Click here to access this form.
Check out Website for Activities & Ideas
On an almost daily basis, we are adding new items to the Activities Calendar on the Statistics2013
website. This list is an excellent place for finding activities in which you and your organization can
participate to celebrate Statistics2013. It also is a great place to see what other organizations around the
world are doing to mark the celebration and use those ideas as the starting point for your group to
brainstorm ideas of its own. Check out the Activities Calendar today and start planning your
organization’s event!
The Statistics2013 website is filled with information and resources—particularly the posters and the
downloadable flyer—to educate the public about how statistics improves their lives, the work of
statisticians as well as careers in the statistical sciences. We invite and encourage all International Year
of Statistics participating organizations to make use of these resources, including these helpful resource
areas:
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What is Statistics?—An explanation in layman’s language
Statistics2013 Video—The informative two-and-a-half-minute video: Why Statistics is Important
to You
Statistics as a Career—Information about the work of statisticians and careers in statistics
Teacher Resources—Primary and secondary school resources, a downloadable flyer and posters
There also is a section dedicated to participating organizations, titled “Statistics2013 Global Supporters”,
where you can access the roster of participating organizations, a comprehensive list of Statistics2013
activities, and the official Statistics2013 logos in various languages.
Use the Statistics2013 Video
We encourage your organization and its members to use and share the International Year of Statistics
video. Created by SAS Institute, the video relates the many and varied ways that statistics impacts our
lives. The video is accessible at www.statistics2013.org.
You can:
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view the video
post the video to your organization’s website
e-mail the link to your members/employees
share it with your organization’s stakeholders
promote it to the public, media and other external audiences in your area or country
show it at your meetings and other events
The video narration is in English. However, thanks to SAS and many Statistics2013 participants who are
providing translations, subtitles are being added in other languages. Currently available languages are:
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Catalan
Czech
Dutch
Euskara (Basque)
English
French
German
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Indonesian
Italian
Portuguese (Portugal)
Russian
Spanish (Mexico)
Swedish
Turkish
To access these subtitles, follow these easy instructions:
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Press “Play” on the video
Click the “CC” button to see the list of subtitle options
Click on the desired language (the subtitles will appear onscreen)
We will be adding other subtitled languages soon, so check the video frequently to see if your language
is available. If you want the video subtitled in your country’s language, please e-mail [email protected]
to request a copy of the script that you can translate.
Get the Official Statistics2013 Logo
With the move to the new public website, the link to the Statistics2013 logo and the various languagespecific versions has changed. That new direct link is:
http://www.statistics2013.org/iyos/logos.cfm
Be sure to save the link in your web favorites.
You also can access the logos page by going to the “Statistics2013 Global Supporters” area of
www.statistics2013.org and then clicking on “Resources” in the pull-down menu. The link to the logos is
listed first on the page.
Language-Specific Logos Available
The Statistics2013 logo is available in 37 languages and we are ready create new ones for you. To have a
version of the logo created in your language, please e-mail the following to [email protected]:
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The interpretation of the phrase “International Year of Statistics” in the appropriate font in this
format: International Year of Statistics=“The interpreted phrase”
The interpretation of the phrase “Participating Organization” in the appropriate font in this format:
Participating Organization=“The interpreted phrase”
A high-resolution PDF document or a tif file of the interpretations of the phrases “International Year
of Statistics” and “Participating Organization”. (This file will be used to compare against the font to
ensure it was transmitted properly. If it doesn't compare accurately, we will use the image of the
interpretations from the PDF or tif in the logo instead. This step will ensure accuracy of your logo.)
Once your language-specific logo is created, it will be posted to the Statistics2013 website here and we
will send you an email to let you know the logo is available for download.
Follow Us on Twitter, Facebook
Get the latest International Year of Statistics news and updates by following us on Twitter at
@Statistics2013. Also, when you use Twitter to spread the word about Statistics2013, be sure to use the
hashtag “#STATS2013”. You also can become a “friend” of Statistics2013 on our Facebook page.