Conference

Kudu and other wildlife await conference visitors.

For only the second time in 41 years, the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) has decided to hold its annual conference outside the borders of South Africa. In an effort to accelerate the spread of effective application and instruction of operations research across the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), ORSSA will hold its 2011 conference in Zimbabwe. The conference will be held at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on Sept. 18-21, hosted by Zimbabwe’s National University of Science & Technology (NUST).

The venue sits on a small hilltop three kilometers upstream from the Victoria Falls and features a spectacular panoramic view of the Zambezi River as well as access to wildlife game drives, safari walks, canoeing, spectacular photography and birding and Zimbabwean culture. Other potential activities include flights over the Victoria Falls, river rafting on the Zambezi, traditional tribal dancing shows and golf. The adjacent Elephant Hills 18-hole golf course – designed by Gary Player – is one of the world’s most beautiful courses and features several unusual obstacles including herds of warthogs, antelope and even an occasional elephant roaming the course.

The Local Organizing Committee, chaired by Edward Chiyaka, is encouraging broad engagement in the conference by individuals from outside the SADC region. For more information, contact Chiyaka by telephone at +263 9 282842 (ext 2467 or 2204) or by e-mail at edward.chiyaka@gmail.com or echiyaka@nust.ac.zw. Visit the ORSSA Web site (www.orssa.org.za) for periodic updates.