Since 1971, the Executive Committee of IMU has been inviting, from time to time, a distinguished and active mathematician of high international standing, to give a set of four to five lectures, on important new developments in mathematics, to which the lecturer, directly or indirectly, has made a contribution and which deserve to be "surveyed" at some length, for the benefit of younger mathematicians as well as others.
IMU provides an stipend of US$ 2000 to the lecturer upon receiving a manuscript corresponding to his talks. The present Executive Committee has also decided to consider the payment of the transportation of the lecturer when an institution of a developing country is involved.
The lectures should be given at mathematical centers and they will be published in the L'Enseignement Mathématiques.