Chris Brink
Encyclopedia
Chris Brink is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
. From 2002-2007 he was the Vice-chancellor of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa
.
Before his involvement with Stellenbosch University, he was Pro Vice Chancellor
(Research) at the University of Wollongong
in Australia
(1999–2001). Before that, he was Professor
and Head of the Department of Mathematics
and Applied Mathematics
at the University of Cape Town
, where he also headed a research unit called the Laboratory for Formal Aspects of Computer Science.
During the transition period from apartheid in South Africa, he served as Coordinator of Strategic Planning at the University of Cape Town. Before that, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University
, where he worked on a 5-year research programme known as the Automated Reasoning Project.
. At the age of 18 he moved to Johannesburg
, where he gained a first degree in maths and computer science. He continued his postgraduate study in mathematics and philosophy at Rhodes University
, Grahamstown, South Africa, before being awarded a prestigious scholarship to Cambridge, where he completed a PhD in Algebraic logic
in 1978.
His career since then has divided between academic and management positions in South Africa and Australia, with frequent contacts in Britain and Europe. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Information Science Research of the Australian National University in the late 1980s, before becoming Professor and Head of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. In the mid-1990s he was involved in the restructuring of the University of Cape Town, where he served as Coordinator of Strategic Planning, and oversaw the production of the institution's strategic planning framework and mission statement.
In 1992 he was awarded an interdisciplinary DPhil by the University of Johannesburg, and by the late 1990s he was ranked as one of South Africa’s leading scientists by the national Foundation for Research Development.
In 1998, he was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he restructured the University's activities in research, innovation and commercialisation. Following the decline of the steel industry, the University was key to the rebirth of Wollongong as a knowledge-based city. Professor Brink served as Board member of several organisations, including a company in high performance computing at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, and the Illawarra Regional Development Board.
He was appointed Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2002, which he has led through a transformation agenda while at the same time increasing its research and academic profile nationally and internationally.
Professor Brink has an international profile as a leader of research. He is a logician with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary work who has published widely in the fields of mathematics
, logic
, philosophy
and computer science
. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
, a former President of the South African Mathematical Society, a Founder Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa
, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
He is married with three children; two daughters aged 22 and 8, and a 6 year old son.
s. Boolean modules together with relation algebras provide a modern formalization of Peirce's logic of relatives in terms of universal algebra
.
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. From 2002-2007 he was the Vice-chancellor of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Before his involvement with Stellenbosch University, he was Pro Vice Chancellor
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
In a university, an assistant to a vice-chancellor is called a pro-vice-chancellor . These are sometimes teaching academics who take on additional responsibilities. Some of these responsibilities are in charge of Administration, Research and Development, Academic and Education affairs...
(Research) at the University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(1999–2001). Before that, he was Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and Head of the Department of Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, where he also headed a research unit called the Laboratory for Formal Aspects of Computer Science.
During the transition period from apartheid in South Africa, he served as Coordinator of Strategic Planning at the University of Cape Town. Before that, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, where he worked on a 5-year research programme known as the Automated Reasoning Project.
Biographical details
Chris Brink was born and grew up in a small rural town at the southern edge of the Kalahari DesertKalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
. At the age of 18 he moved to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, where he gained a first degree in maths and computer science. He continued his postgraduate study in mathematics and philosophy at Rhodes University
Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
, Grahamstown, South Africa, before being awarded a prestigious scholarship to Cambridge, where he completed a PhD in Algebraic logic
Algebraic logic
In mathematical logic, algebraic logic is the study of logic presented in an algebraic style.What is now usually called classical algebraic logic focuses on the identification and algebraic description of models appropriate for the study of various logics and connected problems...
in 1978.
His career since then has divided between academic and management positions in South Africa and Australia, with frequent contacts in Britain and Europe. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Information Science Research of the Australian National University in the late 1980s, before becoming Professor and Head of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. In the mid-1990s he was involved in the restructuring of the University of Cape Town, where he served as Coordinator of Strategic Planning, and oversaw the production of the institution's strategic planning framework and mission statement.
In 1992 he was awarded an interdisciplinary DPhil by the University of Johannesburg, and by the late 1990s he was ranked as one of South Africa’s leading scientists by the national Foundation for Research Development.
In 1998, he was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he restructured the University's activities in research, innovation and commercialisation. Following the decline of the steel industry, the University was key to the rebirth of Wollongong as a knowledge-based city. Professor Brink served as Board member of several organisations, including a company in high performance computing at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, and the Illawarra Regional Development Board.
He was appointed Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2002, which he has led through a transformation agenda while at the same time increasing its research and academic profile nationally and internationally.
Professor Brink has an international profile as a leader of research. He is a logician with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary work who has published widely in the fields of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
Royal Society of South Africa
The Royal Society of South Africa is a learned society composed of eminent South African scientists and academics. The Society was granted its royal charter by King Edward VII in 1908, nearly a century after Capetonians first began to conceive of a national scholarly society...
, a former President of the South African Mathematical Society, a Founder Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa
Academy of Science of South Africa
The Academy of Science of South Africa is the national science academy for that country. It was started in 1996, and encompasses all fields of scientific work. Its legal foundation is the Academy of Science of South Africa Act, Act 67 of 2001, which came into operation in May 2002...
, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
He is married with three children; two daughters aged 22 and 8, and a 6 year old son.
Contributions to mathematics
Brink pioneered the study of Boolean modules over relation algebraRelation algebra
In mathematics and abstract algebra, a relation algebra is a residuated Boolean algebra expanded with an involution called converse, a unary operation...
s. Boolean modules together with relation algebras provide a modern formalization of Peirce's logic of relatives in terms of universal algebra
Universal algebra
Universal algebra is the field of mathematics that studies algebraic structures themselves, not examples of algebraic structures....
.