Stephen Nyamwange and Gituro Wainaina

Ostriches outside Nairobi, Kenya
Photo by Gituro Wainaina

The Operations Research Society of Eastern Africa (ORSEA) will host ORSEA 2011, the seventh of its annual conferences, at the Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 13–14.

The conference is the premier operations research event in Eastern Africa, and this year’s theme of “The Role of Operations Research in the National Visions Within the East African Community (EAC) and Regional Integration” will attract many operations researchers from the EAC countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. Participants from other African countries—as well as Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Pacific Rim—also are expected to participate.

Among other initiatives, this year’s conference will feature the first INFORMS/IFORS/ORSEA International Teaching Effectiveness Colloquium, consisting of workshops on innovative approaches to operations research education by renowned educators. It also will provide opportunities to exchange ideas across cultures to those deeply interested in operations research education.

ORSEA chair Isaac Mbeche of the University of Nairobi hopes conference delegates from outside the region will spend a few extra days in Kenya. Attractions include wildlife watching, hiking, nature safaris, and remote beaches. Cultural interaction can be experienced through the diverse cultures of the Maasai, Samburu, and 42 other Kenyan communities.

For more information about ORSEA 2011, email orsea@uonbi.ac.ke or admin@orsea.net. Conference updates and information are available on the website.