When Mathematics Creates Connections

A particularly important contribution has been his role in developing new innovation environments at SDU, including work on the university’s activities in Vejle. In this context, he has highlighted the importance of trust, informal networks, matchmaking, and flexible organizational structures as key elements of robust innovation ecosystems.

- Keith has contributed not only exceptional professional expertise but also generosity, humility, curiosity, and a rare ability to bring people and ideas together," says Gitte Miller Balslev, Associate Professor at FNUG.

Mathematics from a historical and societal perspective

Keith Devlin has also made a significant mark on teaching at IMADA. Among other things, he has co-taught the course "History of Mathematics" with Associate Professor Chunfang Zhou.

"I have greatly valued the collaboration with Keith on the 'History of Mathematics' course. His extensive knowledge, broad perspective, and passion for mathematics have elevated the teaching and made a lasting impression on the students," says Chunfang Zhou, Associate Professor at FNUG and head of the AI Learning Lab.

At the launch of the AI Learning Lab in the spring of 2025, Keith Devlin gave a presentation on how artificial intelligence can transform mathematics education. In doing so, he linked mathematics, education, and new technologies with their societal implications, offering perspectives that continue to inspire the research community surrounding FNUG.

Contributions to research and publications

Keith has also collaborated on FNUG publications. Among other things, he wrote the foreword to the book *STEM-didaktik* (published in 2025) and co-authored the article "Welding Together Mathematics and Craft: Structural Alignment and Engagement in Vocational Education" with FNUG researchers Professor Connie Svabo, Associate Professor Dorte Moeskær Larsen, Assistant Professor Maiken Westen Holm Svendsen, and PhD fellow Katrine von Bornemann. The article explores how close collaboration between mathematics and welding instruction can make mathematics more relevant and engaging for vocational students. Published in 2026, the article can be read here.

Farewell lecture picks up the thread from the inaugural lecture

On June 2, Keith Devlin delivered a farewell lecture titled "The Devlin-Cardier-Goranson Model: From the National Security Agency to the Hospital, by Way of the Classroom." In it, he brought together the various strands of his research into mathematics, learning, and complex systems, demonstrating how insights into human learning can bridge the gap between mathematics, education, technology, and society. Through the Devlin-Cardier-Goranson model, he argued that the same fundamental mechanisms shape the way we learn, make decisions, and create new knowledge—whether in a classroom, a hospital, or an advanced organization.

Collaboration Continues

Although Keith Devlin’s adjunct professorship has now concluded, colleagues at FNUG and IMADA look forward to continuing the academic dialogues and collaborations established over the years. As early as November 2026, a group of FNUG researchers will visit Stanford University, where they have arranged sessions with Keith Devlin for academic exchange and consultation.

The farewell lecture thus did not mark the end of the collaboration, but rather the transition to a new phase in an international relationship that continues to foster connections between researchers, ideas, and learning environments across continents.

Watch the recording of Keith Devlin’s farewell lecture here:
 

Here you can watch Keith Devlin's inaugural lecture, "Can there be a 'physics' of learning?"