AIMS graduates ready to take on the challenges facing Africa
Inside this issue:
Graduation 2017
1/3
MMED clinic
1
Cosmology Group 2 updates Journal Club
2
Visiting researchers
2
AIMS Desktop
2
Thank you for tutors
2
Student updates
2
Public Lecture
3
Network news
4
Announcements
4
“Coming to AIMS has changed our lives for good. Before AIMS, life for some of us was all about competition. AIMS taught us that the beauty of life is collaboration. Together, we stand to win, not just the battle but the war against indiscipline, corruption, poverty and underdevelopment in Africa.”
These are the words of Ms Chinenye Jane Ani (from Nigeria), one of the graduates at the 14th Graduation Ceremony of the African Institute for Mathematical
Sciences (AIMS) South Africa held at the Muizenberg Pavilion in Cape Town on 20 June 2017. 50 students (including 20 women) from 17 African countries were awarded a Master’s in Mathematical Sciences, bringing the total number of AIMS South Africa graduates since 2003 to 706, of which 34% are women. The invited speaker at the event was Ms Naadiya Moosajee, Women-Eng Co-Founder, who encouraged the students to
dream audacious dreams. “What you have now is a toolbox but what you do with toolbox is up to you. The world is changing so quickly and we are living in unprecedented times. Every one of you can literally go and do anything you choose. I am so proud, as an African, to see the light shining through all of you today.” Continued on page 3
Clinic on the Meaningful Modeling of Epidemiological Data The 8th annual Clinic on the Meaningful Modeling of Epidemiological Data (MMED) was held from 29 May - 9 June 2017 at AIMS South Africa. This was a 2-week modeling clinic that emphasised the use of data in understanding infectious disease dynamics. Participants conducted modelling projects informed by epidemiological data that address practical questions in a meaningful way. There were 65 participants including 10 AIMS students.
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Workshop participants
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Research Centre updates
Journal Club
Cosmology Group updates On 9 June, Gilad Amar, one of Prof. Bassett’s Master’s students gave a talk titled: ‘Machine Learning in the real world.’
Dr Zahabi
On 13 June, Audace Amen Vioutou Dossou-Olory, Stellenbosch University (SU), gave a talk titled: ‘On the Maximum Asymptotic Density of Topological d-ary Trees.’
Mr Amar
Visiting researchers
Dr Zahabi
On 5 June the AIMS South Africa Research Centre welcomed 2 new visiting researchers: Dr Seyedali Zahabi, affiliated with the Department of Physics at the University of Witwatersrand. His PhD is in the area of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics. During his time at AIMS he worked on a joint research project with Dr Alberto Cazzaniga. He left on 10 June 2017. Dr Mokhwetha Mabula, affiliated with the University of Pretoria in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. His research interests are in Functional Analysis in particular Banach lattices and asymmetrically normed lattices. He will be with us until 6 July 2017.
On 6 June, Dr Ali Zahabi, University of the Witwatersrand and Queen Mary University of London, gave at talk titled: ‘Universality in integrable combinatorics/probability: the curious case of generalized XX0 spin chain.’
Mr Dossou-Olory
On 22 June, Dr Mokhwetha Mabula, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Pretoria, gave a talk titled: ‘Cone Metric and Metric Spaces’ On 27 June Zoe Gill, SU and Dr Wilfred Ndifon, AIMS and SU, gave a talk titled: ‘Mechanistic null models in science: from data to theory and back.’
Dr Mabula
Dr Mabula
AIMS Desktop Ms Gill
Dr Ndifon
Thank you for tutors
On 17 June the AIMS Desktop team released the latest version of AIMS Desktop. This version is now based on Debia. Days before the release, students were installing the new AIMS Desk-
top system in the computer lab. AIMS Desktop now has a brand new website that contains the download links, installation guide and other documentation at https:// desktop.aims.ac.za
Student updates The January 2017 intake completed the following review courses: Discrete Optimization in Big Data (Montaz Ali,
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University of the Witwatersrand) and Designing Algorithms (Jeff Sanders, AIMS South Africa).
A farewell and thank you ceremony was held for the tutors on 15 June 2017. Pictured above are: Alberto Cazzaniga (Italy); Nirina Maurice. Hasina Tahiridimbisoa; (Madagascar); Romeo Mandanirina (Madagascar); Jeff Sanders (AIMS South Africa Academic Director); Andry Rabenantoandro (Madagascar); Eyaya Birara Eneyew (Ethiopia); Carine Umulisa (Rwanda) and Myriam Mahaman (Madagascar).
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Graduation continued
Ms Naadiya Moosajee
The ceremony was officiated by Prof. Vivienne Lawack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, University of the Western Cape, Prof. Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Stellenbosch University and Dr Max Price, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town.
Ms Chinenye Jane Ani
tive. Studying at AIMS has been fulfilling. Dreams have been conceived, dreams have come true and dreams are yet to be born. But to us, we are Africa’s ‘dream’. The AIMS student choir also entertained the guests.
In the ceremony AIMS Endowed Scholarships were awarded to a number of top achievers by Prof. Thandi Mgwebi, Director of Research at the University of the Western Cape and AIMS South Africa Council Board Member. The Stephen Hawking Scholarship, named in honour of the world-renowned physicist went to Mr Tanjona Radonirina Rabemananjara, from Madagascar. The Martin Rees Scholarship, named in honour of Lord Martin Rees, who is widely acknowledged as one of the world's leading astronomers and cosmologists, was awarded to Ms Funmilayo Lydia Makinde, from Nigeria. The Paul G. Allen Scholarship, For the student address, Ms endowed by the Microsoft co Ani, was joined by fellow stu-founder and philanthropist, dents, Mr Evans Yeboah, Mr was awarded to Mr Morris Felix Silwimba and Ms Rita Macharia Musyoka, from Sianga who recited a poem that Kenya. she had written. “We are Africa. and two Dr Victor Rothschild We are innovation. We are Scholarships, went to mathematics. We are strong. Ms Emily Shobana Muller Above all we are AIMS.” She from South Africa and Ms went on to say, “Our time at Oluwafunmilola OluwatobiAIMS has come to an end. It has loba Olusanya, from Nigeria. been everything, but unproducProf. Lawack congratulated the students and noted that the real strength of AIMS is not only in mathematics but also in the exposure students receive to research in the mathematical sciences. Prof De Villiers told the graduates, “You can truly make a difference. The mere presence of you with an MSc in the South African economy and on the continent will have a huge impact on things that matter to people in real life.” Dr Price echoed this sentiment, “It is an exciting world that you are going into and there are many opportunities for mathematical sciences to make an impact on development and for you to make a difference to the world.”
Mr Felix Silwimba, Ms Rita Sianga and Mr Evans Yeboah recited the poem
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Prof. Barry Green with scholarship winners: Mr Morris Macharia Musyoka, Ms Funmilayo Lydia Makinde, Ms Emily Shobana Muller, Mr Tanjona Radonirina Rabemananjara, Ms Oluwafunmilola Oluwatobiloba Olusanya and Prof. Thandi Mgwebi who presented the awards.
The AIMS Choir entertained guests during the ceremony
AIMS-MasterCard Scholars who graduated from AIMS South Africa.
The graduation procession
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Public Lecture
Announcements Public Lectures The AIMS South Africa Public Lecture Series in collaboration with the SKA present the following two public lectures: ‘The Exoplanet Revolution: NASA’s Kepler Mission and the Search for Earth-like Planets’ By Howard Isaacson, Research Scientist, University of California, Berkeley, & Breakthrough Listen
Prof. Williams
On 6 June 2017, the AIMS South Africa Public Lecture Series presented a talk ‘Scientific certainty and public health action: Where does the balance lie?’ by Prof. Brian Williams, Research Associate, South African Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analaysis (SACEMA).
Prof Williams discussed how debate is needed in order to develop new guidelines to supplement those already in place in order to inform those who practice public health and those who are engaged in developing guidelines that inform public health practice.
‘Fast Radio Bursts: Mysterious Cosmic Whistles’ By Griffin Foster, University of Oxford and the University of California at Berkeley Date: Tuesday 4 July 2017 Time: 18:45 for 19:00 Cost: Free Venue: African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, 6 Melrose Road, Muizenberg
Network News Centre Graduations
44 students from 10 African countries graduated from AIMS Rwanda on 22 June 2017
36 students from 14 African countries graduated from AIMS Senegal on 22 June 2017
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