International Association for Statistics Education

President Helen MacGillivray, Queensland University of Technology,

Gardens Point Campus, GPO Box 2434 Brisbane Q4001, Australia
Telephone 61-7-31382337, Fax 61-7-31382310
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.qut.edu.au
Section Editors Andrej Blejec, National Institute of Biology,
Vecna pot 111 POB 141, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tel: +386 1 423 33 88, Fax: +386 1 2412 980
E-mail: [email protected]
and
K. Laurence Weldon, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science,
Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
Tel: +1 604 291 3667, Fax: +1 604 291 4368
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.stat.sfu.ca/~weldon
IASE Website http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase

topical and controversial statistical issues organised by Chris

ICOTS 8 Wild with the title "The great debates of ICOTS 8".
Data and Context in Statistics Poster presentations can be submitted to the poster
Education: coordinators Mojca Bavdaz ([email protected]) and
Towards an Evidence-Based
Alesa Lotric Dolinar ([email protected]) up to the
Society
Ljubljana, Slovenia, 11-16 July 2010 date of 15 February 2010. Guidelines for the preparation of
Planning for ICOTS 8 to be held in posters are on the website.
historic Ljubljana, Slovenia, 11-16 The referee process is now complete and the Conference
July 2010, is at an advanced stage. The second circular was Proceedings are being prepared with all papers included.
released in November and can be found on the Conference Authors are reminded that they should follow the guidelines for
website, icots8.org. The website contains registration, preparation of manuscripts.
accommodation and tour details along with a link to the A draft timetable will be released during February 2010. At the
Convention Centre in Ljubljana where registration and time of writing this article, it appears there will be seven
accommodation requests are being processed. You are parallel sessions at the Conference. On the Monday, many
reminded that the cut off date for early bird registration is 31 sessions timetabled will be in areas of interest to the ISBIS
March 2010. community. Note the special rate for ISBIS delegates to attend
A full programme of 250 invited papers and 140 contributed on the Sunday afternoon and Monday. Our ISBIS friends are
papers is developed. The plenary addresses will be presented welcome to come to the Conference opening and first day of
by Hans Rosling (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), Gerd papers.
Gigerenzer (Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Please keep checking the website, icots8.org, over the next
Berlin), Cliff Konold (University of Massachusetts), Jessica Utts few months for Conference announcements.
(University of California) and Anuska Ferligoj (University of
Ljubljana). A new feature is a plenary session of debates on John Harraway

International Statistical Literacy Project

Let´s improve statistical literacy together further in this ISI Newsletter and be active! You can also follow
our project from our web page:
Dear Members and its Sections, www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/islp/.
Please feel welcome to cooperate with us!
For the next four years, I am leading
the ISLP (International Statistical Best wishes,
Literacy Project) together with Dr. Reija Helenius
Pedro Campos and Dr. Sharleen ISLP Director
Forbes. Pedro, Sharleen and I
strongly believe in cooperation. We New ISLP Team for 2009-2013:
hope that you will also contribute to
the ISLP and advance our common Reija Helenius is the new Director of the ISLP. She comes
Reija Helenius
goal to improve statistical literacy from Finland, where she works as Head of Development in the
worldwide. Information Services Unit of Statistics Finland. She is an ISI
elected member and an IASE member. In her current job, her
At the moment, the International Statistical Literacy Project is main task is to develop user-friendly services for users of
seeking country representatives to promote and implement statistics. Statistical training and national statistical offices´
project activities. Please read the announcement included cooperative activities with educational institutions are

ISI Newsletter - Volume 34, Number 1 (100) 2010 18

especially close to her heart. For the next four years, she will working very actively in different statistical associations and
lead the ISLP together with Dr. Pedro Campos and Dr. committees.
Sharleen Forbes. An ISLP Advisory Board will assist them with Call for country representatives
Sharleen
their work. AForbes
common aim is to improve statistical literacy The International Statistical Literacy Project is seeking country
worldwide. representatives to promote and implement project activities.
The mission of the ISLP is to support, create and participate in
Pedro Campos, a Deputy Director of statistical literacy activities and promoting these around the
the ISLP, comes from Portugal world.
where he is working as an Assistant
Professor at the University of Porto What do we expect from a country representative?
and teaches statistics and We are seeking a person or team who is willing to help
information systems. He is also advance statistical literacy in their country or region. An ISLP
working in the Department of country representative might be an employee of a statistical
Methodology and Information office or of an educational institution or might be a member of
Systems in Statistics Portugal (INE). a society. They may be an ISI and/or Section member, but the
He is an IASE member and a member of the Research Unit membership is not obligatory.
LIAAD-INESC (Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and
Decision Support). Pedro was one of the pioneers in What are the main tasks of a country representative?
organising a pilot ISLP statistical literacy competition for the Willingness to:
• improve statistical literacy
first time in Portugal in 2007.
• give suggestions and ideas of how to develop the ISLP

Sharleen Forbes, a Deputy Director of • advance and implement ISLP plans within own

the ISLP, is a New Zealander who country/region

• provide informational material (e.g. on coming events,
has worked at Statistics New Zealand
since 1994. Currently, she is a country´s ISLP activities) to the ISLP team and the ISLP
General Manager in the Statistics Newsletter.
Education & Research Unit there. She
How to apply to become a country representative?
also holds an adjunct professorship in
If you are interested in becoming a country representative and
official statistics at the School of
working in this international cooperation project, please contact
Government, Victoria University,
the ISLP Director, Reija Helenius, by e-mail
Wellington. Sharleen has a long-
([email protected]) by the 15th of February 2010. The ISLP
standing interest in mathematics
team will handle the informal applications and inform about
education, in the measurement of gender and ethnic
selections during February 2010.
differences in mathematics in particular, and in the application
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
of simple techniques to explain longitudinal data. Sharleen is
Reija ([email protected]).
an ISI elected member, IASE and IAOS member. She is

Reija Helenius, ISLP Director

19 ISI Newsletter Volume 34, Number 1 (100) 2010