Faces of Transformation: Celebrating the AIMS Model
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The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is Africa’s first and biggest pan-African network of centres for postgraduate training, research and public engagement in mathematical sciences. AIMS centres operate in South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania and Rwanda. The AIMS-Next Einstein Initiative is a strategic plan to open 15 centres of excellence in mathematical sciences in Africa by 2023. To date, AIMS has graduated more than 1200 mathematical scientists, who are currently working in academia, industry, and shaping policy for the continent’s growth. This book is a collection of their stories: the Faces of Transformation.
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fx (x0,y0)(x− AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE
efined (level) curves CONTENTS Foreword by Neil Turok, Founder of AIMS
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Note from Thierry Zomahoun, President & CEO of AIMS
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Introduction
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Alumni profiles by field - Climate Sciences/Food Security - Education - Energy - Finance - Health - Industry - ICT - Policy Making (Government) - Research - Transportation
13 17 22 30 34 50 54 68 71 80
My experience at AIMS
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Partners
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Index
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FOREWORD
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Prof. Neil Turok, Founder of AIMS and Chair of the AIMS International Board of Directors; Director and Niels Bohr Chair, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
It may seem a strange thing for a theorist such as I to say, but AIMS started out as an experiment. We wanted to test a very simple but powerful idea, that young Africans have just as much raw intellectual ability and talent as any other group of young people, anywhere in the world. If African students can succeed in maths and science, then they are the continent’s greatest asset and the key to its future development. Why are those fields so critical? Because they underpin the modern economy and modern society. If Africa cannot catch up in maths and science, and in engineering and technology which rest upon them, it will remain a poor continent subsisting on its natural resources rather than thriving on the ingenuity of its people. There will literally be no hope for Africa. If, however, one can show that young Africans do succeed at maths and science when given the right opportunity, it would point the way to a bright future for the continent. It would send this message to African leaders and governments: invest in your youth, give them the chance to learn and to develop their minds. They will become leaders in the world of ideas and they will drive Africa’s development.
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In fact, from AIMS’ inception, the talent, hard work and commitment of the students have driven its growth. It is the only scientific institution in the world that I know of with such a clear sense that it is changing a continent. AIMS brings people together who are extremely diverse in terms of language, religion, culture and economic background. But they all share a passion for science and an understanding of its importance for the future of Africa. The diversity of people involved in AIMS is phenomenal and an enormous source of strength. Africa is an important continent. Humankind was born here, along with so many world inventions. Music and art, astronomy and mathematics originated in Africa, and it still gives so much to the world, in art and music and sport. It gave the world Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. It is filled with wonderful people and places, with such a rich history. But Africa lags behind badly in science and technology, a situation which must urgently be rectified, for the good of the continent and the world. Nowhere else is there such enthusiasm for bringing about the transformation of Africa’s situation in science than at AIMS. What is unique at AIMS is the exciting mix of aspiring students from a huge range of African countries and cultures, along with outstanding lecturers from around the world. The combination makes sparks fly – new questions, new explanations and the birth of new ideas. Opportunities such as AIMS do not come along very often. Maybe once in a century, there is a chance to participate in something as fundamental and important as AIMS. Everyone at AIMS feels this, but specially the students. They realise they are changemakers. They know that by succeeding, they are setting an example and opening doors for others. Through the years, I have enjoyed a great many interactions with AIMS students. Each time, I am moved and energised by stories of the obstacles they have overcome. I am delighted that AIMS is providing them with opportunities they would otherwise have been denied. As much as I have taught them, they have inspired me. I will never forget the Rwandan genocide survivor who, in his quiet way, told me how he coped with the loss of his entire family. How do you live each day? How do you survive? I asked. “By thinking only about the future,” he replied. To witness such strength and determination is the privilege of a lifetime. Likewise, the idea that ‘the Next Einstein must be African’ was first expressed by a young woman student at AIMS from Darfur in the Sudan. Having lost many members of her family, she was determined to make the most of every living moment, to enjoy, to do science and to create. Her words formed the basis of my TED wish, which put us on the path to opening more AIMS centres.
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FOREWORD
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Five new centres in the last five years is a remarkable achievement. Within the world’s scientific community, AIMS is now widely recognised. In Africa, many ministers and presidents are aware of AIMS and are looking to us to help revitalise their education system, starting with primary and secondary schools, through university to postgraduate programs and basic research. I cannot give enough credit to Thierry Zomahoun and his remarkable team for raising AIMS profile. We now have the chance to massively transform the scientific community in Africa over the next decade. Our vision is for AIMS to generate large numbers of people who are highly skilled, highly motivated, original and creative, each one of whom will become an entrepreneur in some sense - whether by making scientific discoveries in his or her chosen scientific field, by starting a new company, by making systems better and more effective in government, or by becoming engaging, enterprising teachers. More than 1 200 students have now graduated from AIMS. Through their stories, shared in this book, it is evident that AIMS is creating a brilliant community of highly skilled people who remain in contact and work together to advance Africa. As more and more students join – at least 300 or so every year – the AIMS alumni will form an increasingly powerful force working for progress in Africa and giving us all great hope for the future. One of AIMS’ biggest impacts will be in education, by setting an example of how teaching can be done in more imaginative and effective ways. Likewise, in research, when African scientists make discoveries of global significance, this will do more than perhaps anything else to transform the way Africa is seen, both here and around the world. It will give young Africans the confidence to start re-imagining and recreating Africa itself. Not only does Africa need science, but science needs Africa. All too often, scientists serve as mere technicians advancing the interests of others, be it governments or companies. At AIMS, the desire to do science is allied to the desire to serve the needs of society, and to uplift disadvantaged peoples. There is a strong awareness at AIMS that scientists must not only do cutting-edge research and make breakthrough discoveries, but they must care about the public, and show that they care by explaining and justifying themselves so the public can understand and support their work. In facing each of the challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, pollution, drought and the scarcity of resources, growing inequality, poverty, disease and alienation, science will be a big part of the solution, but only if it is relevant to what people actually need. The community AIMS is creating is unique in the world of science, because AIMS students originate from the very communities that are suffering the most from these challenges. I believe the spirit of AIMS will influence the future of science itself.
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NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
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Taking Africa’s most talented minds beyond potential Thierry Zomahoun, President & CEO of AIMS
“You have been given an opportunity to claim your freedom, a freedom I never experienced because I did not go to school. Embrace education and you will always know freedom.” These words by my grandmother on my first day of school in Benin Republic, have been the foundation of my deep respect for and belief in the power of education to transform lives. I realised, from a young age, that creating opportunities for access to high-quality education is one of the best gifts African youth can be given. With education, they can move from dependent solution-seekers to independent problem-solvers, mere absorbers of information to critical thinkers, from liabilities to assets. They can contribute to the transformation of the continent. It is with this background that I joined AIMS in 2011. At the time, AIMS consisted of one centre of excellence in Cape Town, South Africa. I was invigorated and motivated by Neil Turok, our founder, and the international board of directors’ vision of expanding AIMS’ work across Africa, reaching and teaching more African youth and leveraging mathematical sciences to create an ecosystem of transformation for the continent by building human capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The model was unlike any other I had seen - take the brightest students in Africa and give them the opportunity to learn from world-renowned scientists and mathematicians, including Nobel Laureates and Field Medallists, in a 24-hour environment. Beyond that, the idea was to teach them critical thinking, communication and employability skills that would enable them to apply their research in the academic arena and elsewhere. Finally, all of this would happen on African soil. I was sold and it was time to get to work.
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To expand the AIMS model, we built a pan-African and internationally diverse team and volunteers who brought to our vision the passion required for impact. Our goal was to ensure that each institute offered research and training opportunities that matched the highest international standards. We believed that we could not accomplish this without the full support of the host governments in the countries in which AIMS centres were opened. African governments quickly understood that what we had to offer was unprecedented and unparalleled - an opportunity to impart to youth who would otherwise be potentially disenfranchised, the skills that their countries need for development. We are creating engineers, mathematicians, scientists, tech innovators and researchers who are able to directly apply their skills to their countries and Africa’s most pressing challenges, such as energy, infrastructure and food shortage. Soon after we set out to build Africa’s first and biggest network of centres of excellence in mathematical sciences, we opened centres in Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania and, most recently, Rwanda. None of it would have been possible without the support of host governments and our partners, including the Government of Canada, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the MasterCard Foundation and the Department for International Development (DFID). We are conscious of the severe shortage of STEM skills on the African continent. As the core objective of our program, we want to train a critical mass of young Africans in science and technology, equipping them with the mathematical skills they need to solve problems. We plan to reach 15 countries in Africa within a decade. We also want to accelerate access to high-quality STEM education through teacher training, using technology and a different approach to curricula development. We provide cutting-edge research through research chair programs and the upcoming Quantum Leap Africa (QLA) research centre. In addition, we have come to realise that there are students who do not want to go into academia, but who don’t have the employability skills immediately after their Master’s to pursue other paths. We have created our STEM skills for employability and entrepreneurship program (the AIMS Industry Initiative) to facilitate their transition into industry. Of course, we want to showcase to a global audience what young African scientists are doing, so we created the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) platform, which held its first global gathering in March 2016, in Dakar, Senegal. This book celebrates a significant milestone in our journey. AIMS has graduated more than 1 200 mathematical scientists from 42 countries, the majority of whom work in Africa and 31% of whom are women. We set out with a goal that was big and bold - to find the next Einstein - and we believed, and still do, that he or she will be African. Just as with all scientific experiments, the proof lies in the results and our graduates are proof that the AIMS model is working. Some 70% of AIMS graduates remain on the continent, filling positions in academic institutions across Africa and through our Industry Initiative, bridging into important private sector work in information and communications technology (ICT), finance and health sectors to name a few. Two thirds of AIMS graduates are pursing PhDs in Africa and 131 graduates are teaching at universities in 26 African nations.
r (t) = r0 + We are grateful for the support of our partners, friends and all those who have believed in and fuelled our mission so far. Most of all, we are thankful for our students, who continuously encourage us with their curiosity, hard work and passion for the continent. We look forward to the future, to the creation of a pool of talent that can and will transform the continent and make a contribution to solving not just African, but global, challenges.
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AIMS is Africa’s first and biggest network of centres of excellence in mathematical sciences. Since its inception, AIMS has championed the notion that investing in Africa’s youth is imperative for the continent’s growth. Over the years, the talented, ambitious and hardworking students who have been a part of AIMS’ story have left us all feeling inspired and more determined to continue to find, nurture and encourage other young African mathematical scientists to flourish to their full potential. This book is a collection of some of AIMS’ alumni’s stories. These stories are a testament to the impact of the AIMS model on the lives of young mathematical scientists. It captures their challenges and triumphs, how AIMS affected the way they view themselves and the world, and their current aspirations. This book is a celebration of young African talent and their potential contribution to a continent that is undergoing transformative and positive change. We also take this opportunity to share the experiences of lecturers and friends of AIMS who have supported us and worked with our students over the years. We are excited about what’s in store for Africa in the next decade and beyond. We are confident that Africa’s youth will not only be catalysts of change for the continent but for the world. They are changing Africa’s narrative for the better, contributing ideas and unique solutions to the continent’s challenges. We look forward to continuing to invest in Africa’s youth through a unique and impactful education model that ensures they go beyond mere “potential”.
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efinedCREATING (level) curves AN ECOSYSTEM OF TRANSFORMATION FOR AFRICA: THE AIMS ECOSYSTEM OF PAN-AFRICAN TRANSFORMATION
SHOWCASING SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE
LIFELONG LEARNING AND INSPIRATION
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT
DISCOVERY AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Showcasing Scientific and Technological Excellence The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), launched in 2013, is a platform that brings together relevant stakeholders, from the scientific and academic sector, governments, policymakers, science funding agencies, industry, media and civil society to showcase the remarkable progress that Africa is making in science. By creating a community of scientists, NEF is catalysing action to translate these scientific advances into human benefit.
Industry and Economic Advancement AIMS is putting Africa’s brightest minds to work. The AIMS Industry Initiative seeks to maximise the opportunities and potential for mathematical sciences to contribute to African economies through human capital, knowledge transfer and applied research for scientific and technological excellence. The initiative links mathematical sciences to the needs of industry as we focus on filling the skills gap in Africa.
Scientists Technologists Industrialists
Lifelong Learning and Inspiration AIMS is committed to building the pipeline of students progressing to secondary and tertiary mathematics and science education, and to decrease the failure and drop-out rate of mathematics students at all levels. Through innovative pedagogical approaches, the use of technology, and continually updated curricula, the AIMS Teacher Training Program is focusing on strengthening the mathematics teacher capacity and building the pipeline of mathematics and science students in Africa by providing as many of them as possible with a quality education in maths and science, investing in the future thinkers who will lead Africa’s development.
Discovery and Technological Advances AIMS researchers are tackling, through multidisciplinary approaches, research topics that challenge fundamental concepts and high-end research (fundamental research and quantum science). For example, we are
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working in partnership with the Government of Rwanda to launch Quantum Leap Africa (QLA) in Kigali, a world class centre for scientific research and innovation.
Public Engagement Global research has demonstrated the power of mathematics and science to fuel economic growth. AIMS public engagement programs spread the word about the ways maths and science can help to build a better future for all. Through the AIMS Women in Stem Initiative (AIMSWIS), AIMS is dedicated to accelerating progress for African women in STEM through evidence-based reporting and advocacy, leveraging increased investments, adoption of best practices, engaging men
and collaboration across African women in the STEM pipeline. AIMS regularly speaks at international forums about the link between mathematical sciences education and the transformation of Africa. AIMS regularly organises public lectures, workshops, master classes and special events for learners and promotes the formation of maths clubs in schools.
Skills for Development AIMS develops scientific, technical and entrepreneurial competence by creating a critical mass of well-rounded scientists with excellent problem-solving skills, capable of creative thinking and genuine innovation.
Nationality of AIMS Alumni (as at December 2016) Female 386 Nigeria 64 Ghana 38 Cameroon 33 Sudan 56 Madagascar 30 Rwanda 17 Ethiopia 11 Kenya 22 South Africa 19 Tanzania 16 Senegal 6 Democratic Rep of Congo 8 Congo Brazzaville 3 Uganda 9 Egypt 9 Zambia 3 Togo 4 Burundi 2 Malawi 8 Zimbabwe 7 Lesotho 4 Mali 3 Country
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Male 836 79 84 84 48 38 40 44 29 39 30 39 30 31 23 21 25 22 20 13 10 9 6
Total 1222 143 122 117 104 68 57 55 51 58 46 45 38 34 32 30 28 26 22 21 17 13 9
Country Swaziland Algeria Benin Burkina Faso Chad Liberia Morocco Central Africa Republic Niger Somalia Botswana Mauritania Côte D'Ivoire Comores Gambia Mozambique Namibia Angola Eritrea Guinea Libya
Female 386 2 3 1
4 1 1 1
1
Male 836 7 5 6 6 6 6 2 4 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Total 1222 9 8 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
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Fields where AIMS Alumni pursue post-AIMS Master’s and PhDs
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Fields/areas or sectors where AIMS Alumni work
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9% 23%
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Applied Mathematics
Education
Physics (including Astrophysics and Astronomy)
Research
Pure Mathematics
ICT
General Mathematics (unspecified)
Financial services
Economics & Finance
Government
Statistics
Health
Computer Science
Transport & Construction
Engineering Science
Energy
Epidemiology
Non-Profit
Other
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CLIMATE SCIENCES/FOOD SECURITY Agriculture continues to provide employment to more than 70% of the African population, contributes about 50% of total export value, and 30% of Africa’s GDP. However, over 40% of Africans continue to experience food insecurity on a daily basis. As a result of underperformance from this sector, the continent spends colossal amounts of money annually, between US $40 billion and US $50 billion, on food imports despite having nearly 60% of unexploited arable land capable of producing enough food for Africa and surplus for markets. Challenges can be turned into opportunities. By training mathematical scientists, the continent can unlock agricultural potential through improved access and effective use of climate data, and the deployment of proven agricultural technologies and innovations to raise farm productivity, increase farmers’ incomes and ensure food security. According to the World Economic Forum, by delivering climate data combined with information, technology and innovation, African countries can hasten the pace of their transition from subsistence agrarian economies to those that are inclusive and business-oriented.
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Olive Dushime Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, Millennium Promise, Rwanda
After leaving AIMS, Olive set to work on meeting several ambitious goals. She joined the Millennium Villages Project in Mayange, Rwanda, as a monitoring and evaluation coordinator providing technical support to ensure the project is contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Against the backdrop of the food security crisis in Rwanda and on the continent, she also started a small factory that produces breakfast food supplement from maize, one of the main crops in the country. The project, which seeks to provide food security solutions, was awarded the Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund 2014 grant for ‘Best innovative project’. “The most recent Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) report revealed that 51% of households had difficulty accessing food over the 12-month survey period and that chronic malnutrition among children under five years of age stood at 43%,” Olive explains. “Exploiting technology and resources promises to go a long way towards alleviating the problem.”
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Ms Sophie Tsinampoizina PhD student, Meteorological Institute, University of Bonn, Germany
Faced with numbers, equations and many an X and Y, Sophie could not get her head around maths and her grades showed this clearly. Her light-bulb moment came when she realised the simplicity with which real-world problems could be understood through mathematics. During her undergraduate degree, she realised that mathematics went beyond mere numbers - it taught a whole way of thinking reasonably and helped to demystify seemingly complex problems by breaking them down into basic steps. The philosophy of maths as she now knew it gave her a burst of motivation. In 2010, she was accepted to AIMS South Africa, where she was struck by the healthy competition among students to “show who had the strongest maths brain”. Although the workload was sometimes stressful - Sophie relates how students referred to AIMS jokingly as the ‘African institute for missing sleep’ - the long hours resulted in valuable skills, especially in computing. Most importantly, she discovered a passion for climate modelling. Her final project at AIMS, on the relationship between the climate variability over the Indian Ocean with rainfall over northern Madagascar, began a pursuit to become an expert on the Madagascan climate. Accordingly, her next step was an MSc in Ocean and Climate Dynamics from the University of Cape Town, where she developed for her Master’s thesis a more comprehensive rainfall variability model for southwestern Madagascar. She reworked her dissertation into a scholarly article in 2016, ‘Interannual variability of rainfall characteristics over southwestern Madagascar’, which was published in the scientific journal, Theoretical and Applied Climatology. The research gained the attention of the Regional Initiative in Science and Technology (RISE) at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. With the WIO-RISE Western Indian Ocean Regional Initiative, Sophie became part of a network of scientists working to grow local STEM expertise in southern African universities to stimulate economic development. In 2016, she was awarded a Climate Protection Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The initiative gives research grants to bring in from developing countries prospective leaders in climate change and biodiversity conservation to host institutions in Germany. With Prof. Dr Andreas Hense of the University of Bonn, Sophie has been working to create more accurate climate models using climate reanalysis for Madagascar and its surrounding Indian Ocean. The project contributes to regional climate services for the Western Indian Ocean, helping to predict the rainfall critical to agriculture, which remains the main source of livelihoods in the region. With climate change making weather patterns less predictable, having a clearer understanding of severe weather events is now more important than ever.
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Although her work has taken her away from the continent for now, Sophie describes herself as an ambassador for Madagascar, with the vision of leading a change in thinking on how best to tackle climate and other development challenges. Mathematics, she believes, can create solutions that are both efficient and reliably correct in everyday life. Given the strides she has made after a very lukewarm introduction to mathematics, her vision should soon be reality.
Mr Francis Feehi Torgbor PhD student, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
The critical thinking and problem solving approaches he learnt at AIMS stood Francis in good stead and he is now a leading team member of the Capacitating African Smallholders with Climate Advisories and Insurance Development (CASCAID) project in West Africa, which supports farmers with planning and decision-making. One of its key activities is the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) - funded Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA), which operates in the three northern regions of Ghana, providing climate and weather information to farmers, including historical records and forecasts. Francis, who went on to earn his research Master’s from the University of Cape Coast, explains that he earned his current position through accumulated experience and expertise gained from research work at AIMS and university, which involved the use of varied analyses of historical climatic data. “My work attracted the interest of CASCAID, an initiative of AIMS Ghana, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET) and the University of Reading, and I was invited to join the team.” Francis is involved in analysing historical climate data from the GMET, trains extension staff who work with farmers on PICSA ideas and is a monitoring and evaluation officer overseeing the successes of the project.
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EDUCATION Africa’s future lies in the hands of its scientists. From urbanisation to agriculture, climate change to pandemics, Africa needs science, technology and innovation to secure a prosperous and sustainable future and this can only be done through STEM education. Introducing African youth and current students to STEM opportunities, and getting them engaged and excited about seeking advanced schooling in related fields, will build a more critical and analytical workforce. Currently, less than 25% of school-going students in Africa are studying in STEM related fields while the World Economic Forum predicts that 85 million jobs in the world by 2020 will be in the fields of STEM. Africa will need a new generation of engineers, tech experts, and researchers. How we get there is by encouraging education in STEM from an early age.
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REPLACE FACES TRANSFORMING OFWITH TRANSFORMATION TRANSFORMING AFRICA THROUGHENERGY AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE SECTORENERGY relativity Mr Ahmed Eltayeb Elbushra Lecturer/Researcher, University of Khartoum, Sudan
Not many people can boast of living their dream, but Ahmed is an exception. In 2013, he received an Islamic Development Bank Merit Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom and is currently completing a PhD in computer sciences - a joint program between the University of Sussex and University College of London. “My ambition is to become a leader in my field and to use the knowledge I acquired working with electronic patient records (EPRs) in Britain to build my own company in Sudan,” he says. “I want to design software to collect patients’ statistical data for Sudan and other African countries. Changing the way in which data is kept will allow for easier access to patients records. Then doctors will be able to make better and more informed decisions, and, ultimately, save more lives.” Ahmed completed a Master’s in Computer Sciences at the University of Khartoum. The university then hired him as an assistant lecturer. Some of his faculty colleagues were AIMS graduates and spoke highly of the institute. Following a visit to the university by AIMS founder Prof. Neil Turok, Ahmed applied, hoping it would help him to fulfil his dream of completing a PhD in Europe. He graduated in 2007 and returned to teaching at the University of Khartoum, where he introduced a foundation course in open source software, which allowed his students to continue their studies and conduct research in Sudan. His interest and area of expertise is medical informatics and databases. With the growth of primary care database systems and patient information management systems, EPR is rapidly expanding in the United Kingdom. This is producing large amounts of free text data generated by general practitioners, which necessitates the development of a more accurate model of document classification. “As part of my PhD, I will study suitable ways to model the text-rich patient record,” Ahmed concludes.
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Ms Amel Shamseldeen Ali Alhassan Junior Lecturer/Researcher, Nile College, Sudan
While many schoolchildren struggle to come to terms with the principles of maths and science, for Amel, the subjects made more sense than any other lessons. This made her a perfect candidate for lecturing and she is now a full-time lecturer at a private college in her home country of Sudan. Amel graduated in 2013 from AIMS Ghana, where she was introduced to the group for which she currently works. “I teach young medical sciences students physics and mathematics to help them understand their specialisations in a deeper and, hopefully, better way,” she says. She recently undertook a research visit to the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), where she worked on a transition edge sensor for single photon detection, her research funded by the AIMS Alumni Small Research Grant (AASRG). “The project I am working on is part of a dark matter endeavour experiment, which might help humanity to gain a better understanding of the universe,” she explains. The underrepresentation of women in academia worries Amel, but she believes it will change. During her undergraduate studies, she says, women were in the majority in the physics department, but the situation changed dramatically at Master’s level. At her college, she is the only full-time woman in the physics department. “AIMS is doing very good work in encouraging the women of Africa to study mathematics and science, so I believe we will see many more women educators in the not-too-distant future,” she concludes.
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Dr Gift Muchatibaya Senior Lecturer, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Having developed his skills in mathematical sciences and research, Gift knew he had to ‘pay it forward’. “My country needed me,” he explains. “After developing my skills, I saw the need to give back as a lecturer and enable as many youngsters as possible to excel in mathematics.” Zimbabwe-born Gift was part of the first graduating class at AIMS in 2004. Previously, he had completed a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Zimbabwe in 1991. He went on to pursue a PhD in mathematics at the University of Cape Town and was a postdoctoral fellow in industrial mathematics at AIMS South Africa in 2010, where he also worked as a tutor. Following a career as a lecturer at the University of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, he returned to Zimbabwe in 2014, where he currently works as a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Zimbabwe. “I had a strong desire to build a pipeline of students skilled in mathematical sciences at all levels,” he says. Mathematics is a fundamental skill for most careers in modern society, he adds. “AIMS enabled me to realise my potential as a young African mathematician and to build a professional network that has given me access to various opportunities. If I can inspire the youth the way AIMS inspired me, then I will have achieved something truly remarkable.”
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Ms Mpeli Alice Takane Lecturer, National University of Lesotho NGO: Her Chance to Be, Lesotho
Mpeli loves a cup of tea during her work breaks, but being her company’s only female employee, she often finds herself sitting alone, while her male counterparts huddle together and speak what she describes as “their own language”. It’s a small price to pay, though, for making her way up the career ladder and breaking barriers in a world still dominated by men. Mpeli achieved her Master’s degree in Lesotho, at a time when the government was planning to build a cancer treatment centre that would require skilled personnel. This motivated her to specialise in physics, with applications for the treatment of cancer. During the essay phase of the AIMS program, she tackled how different types of radiation interact with matter and combined the essay with education research focusing on the public’s perspective of radiation. The latter became the focus of her Master’s research, driven by her observation that many brilliant scientific projects in Africa fail due to a lack of sufficient or accurate information. She hopes her work will provide guidance on the correct interventions for cancer treatment through radiation and she plans to further it through a PhD in the near future. In 2013, Mpeli and nine other Basotho women established a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Her Chance To Be Foundation, to empower girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. “Currently, we are assisting three girls with all their high school needs,” she says. “We also plan to tutor and mentor high school girls, particularly in rural areas where early marriage is often promoted over education.”
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2 E=mc relativity ENERGY Sub-Saharan Africa (with a total population of 800 million) generated 90GW of power in 2012; that is roughly the same amount of power as Spain, a country of 45 million. Two-thirds of the sub-Saharan population live without electricity, and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Africa Outlook reports that electricity consumption per capita is, on average, less than that needed to power a 50-watt light bulb continuously. One of the reasons for Africa’s energy crisis is the lack of a skilled domestic workforce to build the appropriate infrastructure to “light” Africa. For example, Nigeria needs 51,000 engineers to build its electricity power infrastructure. At the rate things are going, the country will be able to have 5,000 engineers in the field by 2040. These numbers are not nearly good enough. By investing in the education of Africa’s brightest minds in mathematical sciences, the scarcity of skilled professionals can not only be managed but we can also tap into Africa’s expansive natural resources, the management of which continues to elude most African countries.
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Ms Alice Ikuzwe PhD student, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Alice is tapping into Africa’s unlimited solar resources to tackle the transformation of rural South African classrooms. Using her Master’s thesis, ‘Modelling, design, construction and installation of a daylighting system for classrooms in rural South Africa’, as the basis, she is applying her skills and knowledge in mathematical sciences to develop energy-efficient lighting solutions and help increase access to energy among the poor and disadvantaged in Africa. “Some 585 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, with the electrification rate as low as 14% in rural areas – on a continent such as ours, that is untenable,” says Alice, who has already secured a patent for her solar light reflectors. After graduating from AIMS South Africa in 2012, Alice obtained a research Master’s in Mechanical Engineering (Mechatronics) from Stellenbosch University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Pretoria, specialising in solar energy systems and renewable energy. With Prof. AB Sebitosi of Stellenbosch University, she developed an innovative light collimator to enhance the amount of light captured and transported through tubular skylights. “This improved design offers more illuminance in buildings for substantial energy savings, while increasing occupants’ productivity and comfort,” she says. The innovation is currently installed in one classroom at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch, South Africa.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Antoine Tambue AIMS ARETÉ Junior Research Chair, AIMS South Africa
Antoine has a clear but lofty goal: to accurately forecast energy production in oil, gas and geothermal reservoirs and predict the spatial and temporal spread of pollution in groundwater reservoirs. In this way, he will not only make a marked impact on environmental protection and waste management in Africa, but potentially open up new opportunities for African countries to develop their own industries, including petroleum exploration and the development of systems required for the exploitation of alternative forms of energy. Antoine graduated from AIMS in 2007 and three years later, obtained a PhD in applied mathematics at Heriot Watt University, in the United Kingdom, through an interdisciplinary collaborative project. He has remained affiliated to AIMS centres as a visiting lecturer and supervisor. He was a research associate at the University of Bergen from 2010 and a research Fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 2014. In July 2014, he was appointed the first AIMS ARETÉ Junior Chair, a collaboration between AIMS-NEI and Robert Bosch Stiftung School, Germany, which offers an opportunity for African scientists currently studying or working overseas, to return to Africa to continue their research work, contributing to Africa’s growth through research and teaching. On accepting the inaugural AIMS ARETÉ position, Antoine said: “Being awarded this position feels like receiving the Fields Medal. This program allows me to continue international-class research as well as help to build international recognition for research in Africa.” His research interests include stochastic partial differential equations, computational finance and scientific computing. Key applications of his research, particularly in Africa, are oil and gas recovery from hydrocarbon reservoirs, groundwater contamination and sustainable use of groundwater resources, storing greenhouse gases (e.g. CO ), radioactive waste in the subsurface, ² and mining heat from geothermal reservoirs.
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Ms Doaa El-Sakout PhD student, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
In the shadows of the great pyramids of Giza, Egypt, Doaa began her enduring love affair with mathematics, with encouragement from her late father. She reached her first milestones when she earned a first Bachelor’s from the Faculty of Education at the Helwan University in 2004, and a second, in mathematics, at the Faculty of Science from Cairo University in 2006. Working as a teaching assistant at Cairo University, she completed her Master’s degree in applied mathematics in 2010. In the wake of the Arab Spring, Doaa left Egypt to attend AIMS and find her own “freedom, independence and future; to be my own revolutionary”. At AIMS, Doaa was struck by the sheer passion and quality of international lecturers and teaching staff. It was clearly the place for her and, after graduating, she was awarded the prestigious Stephen Hawking Scholarship, one of only five scholarships awarded to AIMS South Africa graduates each year. “My heart swelled with immense pride when I received this award,” she recalls. ”All my hard work and all my father’s efforts were rewarded. I know I have made my father proud.” With the assistance of the post-AIMS bursary program, she applied to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she conducted a joint PhD involving the mathematics and the petroleum engineering departments. Her vision is to create a mathematical model to forecast the trend of availability of resources such as oil, providing a range in between two different numbers that represents the most accurate forecast for a natural resource reservoir. She cannot wait to put her research to the test in her home country’s petroleum sector. “The future is bright for me, and for Africa, thanks to AIMS,” she states.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Hind Ahmed Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
To call Hind well-travelled would be an understatement – her studies have taken her from Africa to Italy, the United States and Ireland. She came to AIMS with an Honour’s Degree in Physics from the University of Khartoum. She obtained her Master’s in Material Physics from the University of Cape Town, and also boasts a Master’s in Micro-/Nano-electromechanical Systems from the University of Trento in Italy. She completed the prestigious Graduate Studies Program at the Singularity University at NASA Ames in California, United States. Hind has worked as a physics tutor at the University of Cape Town, an engineering researcher at Landi Renzo in Italy and a teaching assistant at both AIMS South Africa and the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, where she also completed her PhD in solar energy. Her work there involved developing and characterising plasmonic luminescent down shifting layers for enhancing solar cell efficiency. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College, Dublin. Her interests lie in nanotechnology, applied physics and engineering, particularly how to use these technologies to address humanity’s biggest problems, namely creation of and access to energy, food and water. “Were it not for AIMS, I wouldn’t have achieved all of this,” she says. “I had my sights set on postgraduate studies in physics and maybe a Master’s, but AIMS showed me who I wanted to be and could be, developing not only my academic skills, but my thoughts. I discovered my potential and my capabilities. “ Hind is passionate about Africa and believes its challenges require collective passion, vision and action. “AIMS is making that happen,” she says. “I can’t wait to finish my studies and share my knowledge and thoughts about Africa, as I’m convinced that the solution to Africa’s challenges lies with Africans themselves.”
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Ms Laila El Ghandour PhD student, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
Laila, from Morocco, graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2010. “Through an AIMS review course I discovered mathematics applied to financial markets,” she says. “This course really opened my mind to the possibilities of specialising in financial mathematics.” She went on to complete a research Master’s in Financial Mathematics at Stellenbosch University as well as tutoring at AIMS South Africa for six months. “It was because of AIMS that I was able to complete my research Master’s and then be accepted into a PhD program at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.” Her field of study is the application of financial mathematics to the energy sector, specifically to try to have a stock optimisation for a storage facility. In the United Kingdom, the government wants to meet the nation’s energy demand with at least 15% coming from renewable sources. Part of these renewable sources are produced by wind turbines, the problem with this source of energy is that the electricity produced by them can’t be stored but have to be used straightaway. In these cases the only solution that has been found is to use the electricity produced at night to accumulate energy which can be later released into the system, in case there is a lack of renewable sources, so as to avoid blackouts in the system. The object of the research team of which she is part of is to develop a mathematical model which can be used to maximise the production and profits of these storage facilities. “I see renewable energy and specifically mathematics applied to it, as one of the best sources of development for the African continent. I know that my research and everything I learned at AIMS is going to have an impact. I am looking forward to contributing to the continent I love. I believe the work of AIMS has transformed my life and the lives of every exceptional student who has been fortunate enough to graduate from it. I hope the work of AIMS continues and expands to reach as many young talented scientists as possible. I am confident that because of AIMS, the next Einstein will truly be African!”
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Sara Abass Lecturer, University of Khartoum, Sudan
Growing up in Sudan, a country in which only 35% of the population has access to electricity (21% for rural areas), prompted Sara to cast her face and mind to the sun and throw all her energy into solar power physics research. With sunlight in abundance and plenty of land on which to build solar farms, Africa certainly lends itself to an off-the-grid energy solution. Many countries could benefit immensely from such a development. Even though Sudan has the Nile and its tributaries to generate hydroelectricity, there is a lack of infrastructure to transmit power to the rest of the country, forcing many to rely on dirty and expensive diesel power generators. South Africa relies on coal power plants, which are heavy polluters, for 90% of its electricity. Ensuring that Africa meets its growing population’s electricity needs demands innovative solutions of the kind that Sara and her fellow African scientists hope to pioneer. She always knew mathematics would figure largely in her future, from the time she learnt to count in primary school. She progressed to studying calculus in preparation for university and remained intrigued throughout about the many applications of maths in the real world. Sara’s first degree, in physics, came from the University of Khartoum. In 2007, she was accepted at AIMS South Africa. Rote learning and adherence to methodology, which had always been the order of the day, were a contradiction for her, as, she says, “the cores of mathematics are creativity and imagination”. AIMS fostered that creative spirit, developing not only her academic background, but changing her personal thoughts. “I discovered my potential and what I am capable of,” she explains. “AIMS helped me to shape my purpose in life.” For her final AIMS research project, Sara studied electrical resistivity in semiconductors using the Van der Pauw method. Understanding the electric properties of semiconductors is fundamental to designing the most efficient photovoltaic cells in solar panels. Her final paper, written under the supervision of professors at the University of Cape Town, acted as a springboard to further studies in physics at that university, where she strengthened her research in semiconductors. She is now completing a PhD jointly between the University of Khartoum and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, with a thesis topic exploring the energy
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applications of solar cells. Specifically, she is using computer simulations to investigate hydrogen and sodium titanates, materials that may be used to build more-efficient and lower-cost solar cells. She also teaches physics at the university. Her passion for solar energy comes at a time when the finite nature of fossil fuels is being driven home and the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is proof of the severity of greenhouse gas emissions. “Securing safe and sustainable sources of energy is a key challenge for the future of humankind,” Sara concludes.
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2 E=mc relativity FINANCE The financial sector is crucial to the growth of Africa if the continent is to continue the 5% per annum average growth rate it is currently experiencing. The rise of Africa’s financial services sector in recent years has been remarkable. From a relatively underexplored and underinvested sector a mere decade ago, today, this sector is considered to be one of the continent’s brightest prospects. Financial sector development has been on the agenda of African policymakers for some time now. Continued development of this sector has the potential to transform the lives of millions of people across the continent. For instance, access to credit by the informal sector has the ability to provide jobs, create safety networks and ultimately play a role in reducing poverty. One of the biggest causes of poverty has been the lack of financial inclusion for all. Renowned economist, Irving Fisher (known for the Fisher equation of money), stated that for financial inclusion to happen, “one has to make economics into a genuine science through careful and sound analysis, usually carried out with the help of mathematical methods and statistical verification.” It goes without saying that investing in mathematical sciences education in Africa would catalyze the creation of a critical mass of problem solvers who can create the tools Africa’s economies need to thrive.
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Dr James Malm Finance Professor, College of Charleston, University of Alabama, USA
James’s grandmother had no formal education, but she believed so strongly in the power of knowledge and learning that she often sold her belongings to make sure her six grandchildren were schooled. She can be justifiably proud. With doctoral studies in finance to his credit, James holds a faculty position at the College of Charleston in the United States. He obtained a BSc in electrical engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. Through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)-International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IAESTE) Internship Program, he travelled to Germany, where he worked as a research intern at the Robert Bosch Stiftung Company in Stuttgart. Since graduating from AIMS, James has held several positions in Ghana, teaching, tutoring and mentoring students in business finance, financial management, operations management, business statistics and financial modelling. His teaching and research skills have earned him numerous awards, including the Best Graduate Student Paper Award in the business and commerce category at the 2010 Graduate Student Association Research and Thesis conference. He has also presented his research work globally. James continues to give back to Africa and coordinated a book drive at the University of Alabama that sent 1 500 books to elementary school children in Ghana. Passionate about the legal environment and corporate financial policies, he hopes to contribute to the development of financial markets in Africa and other regions of the world. In whatever he does, James follows this simple philosophy: “No matter what obstacles get in the way, always keep trying, keep reaching, keep dreaming, keep believing and never get discouraged … and, when things work out, do not forget to give back to society.”
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2 E=mc relativity Mr Michael Kateregga PhD student, University of Cape Town and Research assistant, AIMS-NEI, South Africa
When, in 1987, the world financial markets took their biggest dive in history in an event known as Black Monday, Michael was more interested in playing in the dirt at his Kampala home. At the age of two, who could blame him? Now a PhD student in mathematical finance, he has long realised the significance of the event to both the practice and study of finance. Although the integration of world markets facilitated investment and growth, Black Monday showed that ever-faster flow of capital could produce unprecedented financial shocks. And Michael is convinced that the key to avoiding a repeat of that dark day lies in prudent investing and financial regulations informed by mathematical models. His interest in finance began in high school, when he was introduced to business mathematics. Calculating taxable income and other business accounting triggered in him a passion for numbers, which culminated in undergraduate studies at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. While in university, he began teaching physics and mathematics at Eden International School. Although he maintains that teachers need to be motivated to go the extra mile to help weaker students, his years as a teacher gave him empathy for those putting in long hours as educators and receiving meagre salaries. Wishing to hone his skills in financial modelling, Michael applied to AIMS South Africa in 2010. His experience as a teacher gave him an extra appreciation for the way AIMS worked - always involved and interactive, and creating a sense of freedom for students to ask whatever questions they liked without fear of sounding ignorant. At AIMS, “everyone’s opinion counted”, he says. This lack of fear manifested in the terrific speed at which students learnt English, many of whom had never spoken a word of it before. But no matter what language students spoke, they were all able to understand the universal language of maths and science. Since graduating from AIMS, Michael has been a staple at the institute. He has helped to spearhead events, including imaginary workshops showcasing the beauty of mathematics through visualisations and interactive math activities for primary and secondary school students. He has a keen sense of how to make young learners excited about mathematics and an easygoing sense of humour when teaching concepts, telling his pupils that “all we do is move around symbols and numbers”. Michael anticipates a fundamental shift in how money changes hands in global markets. With the advent of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, money may become divorced from central banks. Future free-trade agreements and the establishment of regional trade blocs such as the East African Community - of which
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his home country of Uganda is a member - will further liberalise the flow of capital. African markets stand to benefit from these sweeping changes, but for the potential to be realised, investors must have the confidence and ability to invest properly. They will undoubtedly need experts of Michael’s calibre - who know how to move around symbols and numbers – to steer them in the right direction.
Ms Tabitha Gathoni Mundia Associate Risk Officer, International Finance Corporation - World Bank, USA
The world’s first-ever mobile money statistical scorecard, MKesho, bears Tabitha’s signature, as she was involved in leading its development. The innovation was used to grant credit to the unbanked population in Kenya. Tabitha took a sabbatical from Equity Bank Group, the largest microfinance and retail bank by customer base in east and central Africa, to attend AIMS South Africa. There, she acquired the knowledge on mathematical problem solving and programming skills that she needed to establish a quantitative department at the company, which she duly did. She also led and mentored a team of ten young mathematicians working on the statistical techniques applied in risk modelling using the R programming language, which she had learnt at AIMS. In November 2012, she joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, and arguably the most diverse workplace in the world, as a risk analyst. She currently holds this position at the headquarters of the bank in Washington DC. “At IFC,” she explains, “I’m part of a highly experienced group of quantitative risk analysts who help to drive the mission and vision of the company, namely to end extreme poverty by 2030 and boost shared prosperity in every developing country. My day-to-day work involves capital projections, and economic modelling and validation using various mathematical tools and statistical packages, skills that I acquired at AIMS.”
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2 E=mc relativity HEALTH The World Bank reports that 50% of the economic growth differentials between developing and developed nations are attributed to poor health and low life expectancy. The healthier the citizens of a country, the more effective the workforce; the better the health of their children, the fewer births, and hence the fewer dependents. Vaccinations and preventative strategies for childhood diseases are of key importance. Most sub Saharan African governments spend only 1% of their GDP on healthcare. Investment in STEM education can play a crucial part in the improvement of the health care systems in Africa as it not only helps create a new group of professionals for the field but also ones with adequate solutions to improve the system. For example, as mobile devices become increasingly common, they can enable the delivery of better healthcare in Africa’s most remote areas. In Rwanda, the government has started using drones to deliver health supplies in remote arears of the country, thus cutting down the time of transportation from four hours to just thirty minutes in some places.
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Dr Angelina Lutambi Regional Administrative Secretary, Government of Tanzania, Tanzania
Angelina devotes her time to a very small problem with massive consequences. In 2012 alone, the issue killed more than half a million Africans, mainly children. She is a leading researcher at Tanzania’s Ifakara Health Institute, where she is developing and simulating mathematical models to investigate the role of mosquito dispersal on malaria transmission and vector control. With about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 and about 57% of the population in 2010 living in areas where transmission remains moderate to intense, the problem is immense. Angelina was one of AIMS’ first graduates in 2005. She then completed her Master’s in Mathematics at Stellenbosch University and her PhD in epidemiology at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, at the University of Basel in Switzerland. She has become a prominent scientist in Africa and globally. She is a fellow of the Third World Organisation of Women Scientists and has spoken on her work in several forums, including the 7th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health in Barcelona in 2011. In 2014, she returned to AIMS South Africa as a lecturer. She has worked on mathematical modelling of a range of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. “My story can be used as an inspiration to many young African women who have to break notions that African women cannot excel in sciences and specifically mathematics.”
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Bewketu Bekele Assistant Professor, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia
Obtaining an education in Agew Gimijabet in northwest Ethiopia was not easy, given families’ limited means and reluctance to buy more than the bare minimum of school supplies and textbooks. Children were often kept at home to help with housework. This was not for Bewketu, whose interest in mathematics emerged at elementary school, when he discovered that he loved working on problems with geometrical figures. His good grades in elementary school, and strength in high school maths and physics motivated him to aim for a university degree. At Haramaya University, the only options were agriculture and education. Bewketu’s father, a teacher, wanted his son to enter plant sciences as he believed it offered entry to higher-paying careers than his own. Bewketu had other plans and joined the maths department of the education faculty, where he also served as a graduate assistant. At AIMS South Africa, Bewketu’s options to apply mathematics studies were widened and he remembers the lecturers always giving practical examples to convey the applicability of their course content. The curriculum used an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students from all disciplinary backgrounds to contribute to assignments together. Critical thinking and problem solving were integrated into every course. From his early undergraduate days, when career paths looked limited, Bewketu was exposed to many possibilities. Modelling infectious diseases interested him most, as he was drawn to understanding the dynamics of disease through mathematics, which would inform public policy and help prepare intervention mechanisms. Bewketu says: “Often, friends in other careers don’t see the relation between maths and infectious diseases, as they do between, say, maths and engineering, or accounting and finance.” But he explains to them that biomathematics research is at the heart of efforts to eradicate diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, and that mathematics can determine the most cost-effective prevention strategies - a vital consideration for African countries with limited public resources. Bewketu’s own research has included developing HIV and malaria co-infection models, as the group leader of a team of researchers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya and the United States. The paper they produced was published in 2015 by the peer-reviewed journal, BioMed Research International. Concurrently, Bewketu pursued doctoral studies at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) in Stellenbosch. His priority now is to work in Africa as a health researcher contributing to disease control. He also hopes to strengthen ties between African and international universities with collaborative research to build the
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capacity of African education institutions. With mathematicians working with biologists, pharmacists and other health professionals, this biomathematician envisages a future free of HIV/AIDS and healthier societies in general. Remembering his schooldays, Bewketu is extremely happy to report that community attitudes to education in Agew Gimijabet have changed over the past two decades and investment has been made in the education system to improve the area’s teaching facilities. More youth now attend school regularly and, no doubt, there is considerable mathematical talent being awakened.
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Clarisse Uwizeye Researcher, CEA Centre, Grenoble, France
Clarisse was understandably completely devastated when her parents were killed in the Rwandan genocide. “I was little and had no idea how I was going to survive without my parents’ opinion about life or my decision-making,” she recalls. “Study was the only thing I had left.” As one of only five girls in a class of 46 boys, Clarisse was often told to drop mathematics, but she refused, as she wanted to show her parents’ friends and colleagues whose hopes were alive within her what she could achieve. To keep herself strong, she imagined her parents were alive elsewhere and would be coming back. She let the reality finally sink in after she’d finished her Bachelor’s, and it heralded a dark period in her life. “Only the knowledge that I had achieved this without anyone’s help pulled me through,” she states. Another family stepped in, in the form of AIMS Senegal, and she learnt to have true confidence in her abilities, amid the realisation of how much she still had to discover about the world of mathematics. “It was the first time that I felt like a real scientist,” she explains. “I realised that life could be better if I became a mathematician and physicist. The time I spent at AIMS created the life I am living now.” It’s a busy, but fulfilling, life. Clarisse is currently a Master’s student at the Universite Grenoble Alpes in France. Her research has included improving bicycle transport networks through a model on graph theory. Recently, she proposed a model based on wavelet transformation to analyse the phase between C0 and temperature for climate change research. Now she is working in medical ² physics, where she hopes to contribute to the treatment of cancer and other diseases. “I want to be a researcher so that what I discover can be passed on to the youth and help to improve medical services for all,” she says determinedly.
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Ms Eleni Kinfe Degaga PhD student, Syracuse University, New York, USA
The ability of cells to respond to changes in their physical environments is vital to the maintenance of physiological processes that affect the entire body. This is a concept with which Eleni is very familiar, having studied the change in the biochemical response of the spectrin-based membrane skeleton exposed to mechanical forces. Cells are exposed to mechanical forces in the form of stretch, shear stress and hydrostatic pressure, and they transduce these forces to physical as well as biochemical responses. Eleni graduated from AIMS in 2008, after which she joined the Physics Department at Syracuse University in New York and obtained her Master’s in Physics in 2011. She is now working on a PhD. In addition to completing the 51 credit hour course work requirement, passing the PhD qualifying examination and working as a teaching assistant, she is part of an experimental soft condensed matter and biophysics research group with Prof. Martin Forstner. The group is involved in two interdisciplinary projects focusing on how cells respond to mechanical forces or external perturbations. Mechanotransduction modulates diverse functions such as ubiquitination, cell migration, protein synthesis, secretion, cell adhesion, apoptosis and proliferation. As a result, most of the time defects in mechanotransduction through acquired environmental mutations result in various diseases. At Syracuse University, Eleni was a Faculty for the Future Fellow from the Schlumberger Foundation. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in the Physics Department at Georgetown University and is working on developing traction force and total internal reflection microscopy methods for the study of the connection between growth cone mechanics, guidance and motility.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Emile Chimusa Rugamika Senior Researcher/Lecturer, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Applied mathematics is in Emile’s DNA, but he is now concentrating on other people’s genetic material, with his exploration of the heritability of traits found in diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV - huge burdens in Africa - using the DNA-sequenced data of both parents and children, particularly newborns. The work includes looking at variations in drug/treatment responses to optimise prescription and usage of medicines in the sub-Saharan African population. A wide variety of fields will benefit, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, computational biology, biostatistics and diagnostics. “My research focuses on medical population genetics and computational statistics methods for mapping complex diseases,” he explains. “I use computational and statistical methods to understand both the genetics and environment architecture of genetic diseases, and I am interested in methodologies for improving the analysis of large-scale genome-wide association and patterns of variation within and between species,” he elaborates. After obtaining a BSc in Applied Mathematics from the University of Kinshasa in the DRC, Emile graduated from AIMS in 2008, having developed a deep interest in human diversity and its relevance to human health. He completed his PhD in bioinformatics and computational biology at the University of Cape Town. He has lectured and tutored at AIMS, and has supervised several AIMS students since he graduated. In 2014, he became the first recipient of the AIMS Alumni Small Research Grant (AASRG), which supports alumni who wish to conduct applied research work in affiliation with AIMS centres. “This was a great opportunity for me to continue to build my capacity as an independent researcher in the field,” he says.
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Ms Eva Liliane Ujeneza PHD student, SACEMA, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Few primary school children can claim to know exactly what they want their future to hold, but Eva probably made up her mind before she could even spell the words, that she wanted a doctorate in science. And so it came to pass. Prior to AIMS, from which she graduated in 2011, Eva taught mathematics at a girls’ high school in Rwanda, where she developed her passion for teaching. After obtaining a BSc in Applied Mathematics from the National University of Rwanda, she joined AIMS. “Coming to AIMS gave me the opportunity to start building my primary school dream,” she states. Eva describes her experience at AIMS, as both student and tutor, as incredible. “The environment at AIMS helps you discover and develop your potential,” she explains. She is now working on her PhD in mathematics at the South African Centre of Excellence for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University. She was awarded the prestigious Schlumberger Foundation’s Faculty for the Future Fellowship, which supports women in doctorate STEM studies. Her research, which focuses on how to use mathematical and statistical models to describe the reconstitution of the immune system of HIV+ patients on longterm antiretroviral therapy (ART), will contribute to the improvement of ART health guidelines. Her interest in mathematical models in biological and atmospheric processes originated at AIMS. Eva is passionate about gender equality and is part of the founding committee of the Rwanda Association for Women in Science and Engineering, which promotes women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and decision-making processes in the country. “We want to set up a networking hub for women in STEM and organise workshops for young girls to further their skills in leadership and science communication,” she says.
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Faikah Bruce-Ah Shene PHD student, SACEMA, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Faikah became something of a loner at school after choosing mathematics, a subject in which hardly any of her classmates shared her interest. She had the unwavering support of her family, though, especially her mother. All her hard work paid off when she was accepted to attend AIMS, where, at last, she found kindred spirits and made friends for life. She is currently completing her PhD at the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Centre of Excellence for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University. In her research, she develops mathematical models that make predictions on infectious disease epidemiology and has learnt that interdisciplinary work is the way forward. “The spectrum of science is wide and so much is intertwined,” she says. “When developing a mathematical model to make predictions of the impact of a mitigation strategy on a disease, for example, you have to be aware of many disciplines, including biology, maths and statistics.” Faikah has also retained a strong connection with AIMS South Africa, having taken part in the annual Meaningful Modelling of Epidemiological Data (MMED) workshop since 2010. Initially a workshop participant, she became a mentor and is now part of the workshop faculty. “It is an amazing project that helps with the growth and development of future researchers,” she says. Once she has completed her PhD, she hopes to become a postdoctoral fellow en route to establishing herself as a renowned researcher.
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Dr Gaston Mazandu IDRC Junior Research Chair, AIMS South Africa
What makes humans susceptible to infectious bacterial diseases? There is no clear answer at this stage, but if anyone can proffer one, it will be Gaston. What’s more, he may hold the key to overcoming medication side-effects. This AIMS alumnus is currently exploring the integration of complex functional genomics data to analysing the factors that contribute to human susceptibility. More specifically, he is pondering drug repositioning, by investigating relationships between susceptibility and the use of existing drugs for new therapeutic applications. Using these different biological data, he is examining the complex relationships among drugs, targets and diseases to find possible new uses for drugs beyond their initial medical prescription for efficient and effective therapy. This may enable targeted interventions using more effective drug combinations and lead to optimal drug therapies that overcome issues such as side-effects. Gaston is an AIMS Joint Career Development Chair in computational biology/bioinformatics. His position is supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and he works with AIMS South Africa and AIMS Ghana. He obtained his undergraduate degree in the Democratic Republic of Congo, graduated from AIMS in 2005 and completed his PhD and postdoctoral research at the University Cape Town. Gaston has supervised students in the AIMS Master’s program and also researchers in his research group. He currently supervises PhD student, Ms Ephifania Geza, who graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2015. Gaston is also collaborating with Dr Emile Chimusa on a research project entitled ‘African integrated research group for tropical infectious disease’. The project will design computational and mathematical models and tools to tackle challenges of infectious diseases in Africa, focusing on existing and emerging infectious and neglected tropical diseases, including Ebola, tuberculosis and HIV, prevalent among the poorest populations in Africa. The project seeks to build predictive disease models and identify novel mechanisms for disease therapy, to contribute to the design of effective control strategies and the implementation of appropriate health surveillance strategies. Gaston and Emile have recruited seven AIMS alumni for the project. AIMS, he says, is “bringing Africa to the world and the world to Africa”, offering endless opportunities for the younger generation to flourish.
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2 E=mc relativity Mr Jean Claude Utazirubanda PhD student, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal
Jean visualises himself as a renowned statistician contributing to Africa’s development, especially in health. He has walked the first few steps already, as he is currently identifying disease risk factors, comparing treatments and estimating the probability of death or relapse in an individual, as part of his PhD in statistical mathematics at Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Senegal. He arrived at AIMS Senegal having completed an undergraduate degree in mathematics and statistics from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology in Rwanda, in 2012. At AIMS, his interest in biostatistics grew and he recognised the strong link between mathematics and the resolution of daily problems. Now also working towards a Master’s in Project Management at École Supérieure de Commerce et Gestion de Dakar, Jean says he is gaining the skills to create innovative development projects. These and his mathematical science skills gained from AIMS should make for a powerful weapon in the fight to combat health risks across the continent.
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Dr Martial Loth Ndeffo Mbah Research Scientist, Yale School of Public Health, USA
The interaction between schistosomiasis, HIV and malaria can now be tracked thanks to a mathematical model devised by Martial as part of his research into infectious diseases. With approximately 25 million people in Africa living with HIV in 2012, accounting for nearly 70% of the global total, the breakthrough is highly significant for its potential to reduce both schistosomiasis and HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Martial found that community-based interventions - providing clean water, sanitation and education, as well as mass administration of the drug Praziquantel to treat schistosomiasis in children - would be a cost-effective way of reducing both infections. Martial, from Cameroon, graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2005. In 2010, he received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, studying the optimisation of epidemic control under economic constraints. “As a mathematical theoretical biologist, I am interested in combining epidemiological, ecological, behavioural and economic approaches to modelling public health interventions,” he explains. Currently, Martial is a researcher in epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, working on a variety of infectious diseases. Recently, Liberia’s Ministry of Health sought his guidance on decisions that will affect the world as it races to halt the spread of Ebola.
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Morenikeji Deborah Akinlotan PhD student, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Deborah may be a master of mathematics, but she is equally at home baking and decorating a delicious cake or sewing a stylish dress. She founded her own enterprise specialising in these home crafts, because, she says: “I aspire to be a role model for the African youth, particularly girls and young women.” Deborah graduated from AIMS South Africa with a distinction in 2012 and followed this up in 2014 with a research Master’s in Mathematical Sciences from Stellenbosch University, also with distinction. Here, she mathematically modelled the dynamics of HIV-related malignancies and investigated the incidence of HIV-related lymphomas in the Western Cape. She is now doing her PhD in applied mathematics at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Her research interests include the modelling of infectious, zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases and she is currently working on a Chlamydia trachomatis project. Being ultra-busy juggling diverse roles has not stopped Deborah giving back to the society that has invested so much in her. She offers cost-effective or free tutoring services to youngsters and she also contributes to AIMS, serving on the steering committee that is setting up the framework for the AIMS Alumni Association. “AIMS caused a complete paradigm shift in my perception of science,” she states. “Achieving good grades was it for me, until I learnt how to think and write like a scientist, starting with the mathematical problem solving course. I was exposed to a great deal of scientific knowledge, such as writing scientific materials with LaTeX and scientific-programming languages. I was always led to believe that only males can thrive in computational mathematics, but I have now become the contradiction to that ‘theory’. I can’t help but spread the ‘gospel of AIMS’, sharing a colleague’s view that ‘an admission to AIMS is a farewell to years of ignorance’.” There is no doubt, she concludes, that the next Einstein will be found in the classrooms of AIMS.
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Savannah Nuwagaba PhD Student, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Savannah is not averse to giving high praise where it is due. “When I was offered the bursary and started my studies at AIMS, all my expectations were met - and more,” she says. ”The interaction between the students and lecturers and the lecturers’ commitment to sharing their knowledge made me dream of going back home to share my knowledge in a similar way. AIMS is the tower on which one can stand to see the beauty and potential in Africa.” Savannah graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2011. She obtained her Master’s in Biomathematics at Stellenbosch University, where she is currently completing her PhD, assisted by a prestigious Faculty for the Future Fellowship from the Schlumberger Foundation to support her research in mathematical modelling of ecological systems. Fellowships are awarded to talented women from developing countries who are pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering at leading universities worldwide. It’s not her only accolade. She took part in the TEDX AIMS South Africa event in 2014 and was a finalist in the South African leg of the FameLab Competition in 2016. She also attended the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in 2015, during which a network of African attendees was established as an experience-sharing platform and to carry out projects that will accelerate scientific research and its appreciation on the continent. Savannah was selected to lead the group. Currently, only Lindau alumni from South African universities can attend, but the intention is to involve as many African countries as possible. She maintains close links with AIMS South Africa and has returned to mentor women students as part of the AIMS Women in STEM initiative. She also hosted a presentation during the AIMS South Africa 2016 Science and Communication Workshop titled ‘Personal impact and emotional intelligence’. “I believe that the future of women, and of Africa, is dependent on education, because ‘if you educate a woman, you will have educated a nation’,” she states. “I hope to continue inspiring young Africans to take STEM courses to effect the change that Africa needs. I enjoy teaching and research, but, ultimately, I see myself as an advocate for policy changes that can create an environment where women can freely contribute, develop and grow without having to sacrifice other aspects of their lives.”
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Tendai Mugwagwa Junior Manager, Public Health England, UK
Tendai used to see mathematics as a set of problems that needed solving, but now she regards it as a set of tools that can solve life’s problems. The realisation came from her time at AIMS. Her passion for health sciences dates much further back, to early childhood. Her undergraduate studies centred on mathematics and biology and, at AIMS, she was introduced to biomathematics, a marriage of the two. She also gained valuable skills in programming and problem solving, which she applied in her further study of biomathematics, with particular interest in HIV infection. She completed her Master’s in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town in 2005. Five years later, she added to her credits a PhD in theoretical immunology from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. After a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rochester medical centre, she spent two years as a research associate at Imperial College, London, where she moved into the field of tuberculosis epidemiology and health economics. Currently, she is an infectious disease modeller for Public Health England (PHE) and a visiting research fellow at Imperial College. At PHE, she develops mathematical models that are used in the design and evaluation of tuberculosis control strategies, with particular focus on social groups with limited access to healthcare. Her work helps inform public health policy and improve health practices. Because AIMS changed Tendai’s view of science, she gave back by tutoring at AIMS South Africa and supervising a student project at AIMS Tanzania. However, her most significant gift to the institute was her collaboration with epidemiology researchers, Angelina Lutambi and Martial Mbah, to compile a course called ‘Epidemiology of infectious diseases’, whose goal is to give students a broad view of mathematical epidemiology and its importance for research and public health decision-making. The course was taught at AIMS South Africa in 2014, AIMS Tanzania in 2015 and 2016 and AIMS Cameroon in 2016.
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Ms Theresia Marijani Lecturer, University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Every day in rural Tanzania brought an early start for Theresia – she had to feed the livestock and milk the cows at her family’s homestead before she left for school. On her return, she was expected to help with the cooking and other household chores. It would sometimes be after 10pm before she had a chance to read and do homework - barely enough time to keep up with courses, let alone prepare for exams. In spite of this, Theresia performed well at school, becoming especially keen on mathematics until a bad experience with a primary school maths teacher convinced her to change her dream to biology. The switch was short-lived, though, and she soon realised maths was her true calling. After finishing her BSc, she applied to AIMS South Africa and arrived in Cape Town in 2005. “At AIMS”, she says, “lecturers and tutors had a genuine desire to spend time with their students, providing feedback on assignments outside of class time and chatting with students over meals in the cafeteria.” It was during this time that Theresia realised that her two passions, mathematics and biology, were a marriage made in heaven. Biomathematics entered the picture and she started using statistical methods to understand the dynamics of infectious diseases. Following AIMS, she studied at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, specialising in epidemiological modelling. She became involved in the Masamu Program, named after the word for mathematics in many Bantu languages in southern Africa. The program was founded in 2009 at the Southern Africa Mathematical Sciences Association (SAMSA) conference in Dar es Salaam, and includes members from the United States through Auburn University, the United Kingdom through the University of Sussex, and from universities across South Africa. Theresia has met with this international group at annual SAMSA conferences to discuss and organise joint research projects, including modelling the role of education in preventing the spread of Ebola, using data from the 1976 outbreak of the virus in Sudan. With ever-improving data collection and new capabilities for analysing huge quantities of data with the help of cloud computing, the possibilities for epidemiological modelling are growing. Theresia hopes that researchers like herself will soon be able to help eradicate one of Africa’s most pressing health challenges - HIV. It seems likely, then, that the rest of the world will look to Africa for the most advanced research and innovative ways of improving global health.
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2 E=mc relativity INDUSTRY Africa is the biggest importer of goods and services of any of the world’s regions. TradeMark Africa and the World Economic Forum have both extensively examined the lack of intra African trade as many African countries don’t have the goods they seek from other parts of the world. This is directly related to the lack of industries and consistent emergence of innovators on the continent. Since Africa lagged behind in the initial industrial revolutions, the continent can not only be part of, but be at the forefront of the next one with investment in mathematical sciences. A highly skilled, industrious, and entrepreneurial work force will allow the continent to create innovative solutions to African challenges.
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Ms Anne Akoth Misere Business Analyst, Infinite Potentials Consulting, Kenya
From difficult childhood to successful career, Anne is living proof that Africa’s youth has the potential to drive the continent’s growth. As a business analyst, Anne’s work is to improve the performance of African businesses to allow them to realise their potential on a continent that holds great promise if there is employment. Africa is often referred to as the youngest continent, with 47% of its population under 18 according to United Nations estimates. This ‘youth bulge’ has been cause for optimistic growth projections, compared to continents such as Europe whose dependency ratio - the proportion of older people financially dependent on those of working age - is worsening. However, for the population shift to translate into an economic boom, Africa’s youth must be able to find work. Anne lost both her parents within two years, leaving her an orphan at the age of 12. Her family experienced financial problems almost immediately, with only her mother’s small and underperforming retail shop left for her and her siblings. Her prospects seemed dismal in a community in which most girls don’t finish primary school and are often propelled into early marriage with false promises of suitors paying school fees. This was not for Anne. Displaying remarkable resilience, she earned a full secondary school scholarship from the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation. She had always loved mathematics and sciences and was consistently at the top of her class, assisted by her older sisters, including AIMS alumna Grace Omollo Misere, who also excelled at mathematics and science. Although mathematics seemed to be Anne’s calling, she was discouraged by the commonly held idea that mathematics prepared one only for a career in teaching. She loved to teach but wanted the freedom to explore other career paths. She says: “I hoped one day to help solve many challenges in my community, my country and Africa as a whole.” After receiving her first-class honours Bachelor’s Degree in Education Science with majors in physics and mathematics from Moi University, Kenya, and being the top student on campus, Anne spent one year teaching at Maseno School in Kenya, where she was singled out from 60 teachers to earn the top teacher of the term title. In 2012, she was admitted to AIMS South Africa on a full scholarship, where she found students who shared a passion for solving problems, whether physics, computer science, engineering or pure
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2 E=mc relativity mathematics. She found the teaching style very interactive and the success of fellow students made her believe that “anyone who puts their heart into mathematics can be a mathematician”. From AIMS, Anne joined Germany-based Infinite Potentials Consulting (IPC) as a business analyst intern through the AIMS Industry Initiative. IPC’s mission is to be one of Africa’s leading boutique consulting firms in education, energy and healthcare. From inception, the company has had a close relationship with AIMS. Its founder, Arun Sharma, was instrumental in expanding the AIMS network after the TED prize was awarded to the institute’s founder Neil Turok in 2008 to open more AIMS centres. Since joining IPC, Anne has continued to make valuable contributions to the company and to AIMS, notably as one of the driving forces behind the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) that brought together leading scientists from across Africa to Dakar, Senegal, in March 2016. With IPC, Anne has led the creation of corporate growth plans for private education institutions in Ghana and South Africa, and software development firms in Ghana and Rwanda. She has also provided market entry strategies for firms in Europe and North America looking to expand into burgeoning African markets. She sees the company continuing to contribute to a fundamental paradigm shift by providing meaningful employment to Africa’s most brilliant and hardworking talent, while helping organisations in Africa grow. African youth and employers alike are changing their image of a model organisation with the realisation that world leading business innovators can be African.
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Dr Chika Yinka-Banjo Lecturer, University of Lagos, Nigeria
When implemented, the results of Chika’s research promise to catalyse the mining sector towards sustainable growth and reduce loss of life from underground mining accidents. She is setting a foundation for building robots that can perform conventional and unconventional tasks that are too dangerous for humans. Chika explains the background: “In my research at AIMS, I developed a model that ensures that autonomous robots detect and avoid obstacles as they carry out various tasks assigned to them. At the University of Cape Town, she devised a model that can guide multirobots to perform a pre-entry safety inspection in underground mines or tunnels. The model will warn of dangerous gases and potential mine roof collapse. Chika holds two computer sciences degrees, a Master’s from the University of Port Harcourt and a Bachelor’s from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. After graduating from AIMS in 2010, she completed her doctorate in computer science at the University of Cape Town before returning to Nigeria, where she plans to establish a robotics and artificial intelligence research group at the University of Lagos, thanks to the AIMS Alumni Small Research Grant (AASRG), funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). She currently lectures at the university. Introducing novel mathematical science research concepts using the mathematical modelling skills she learnt at AIMS, Chika is a classic example of an AIMS alumnus contributing to teaching and research capacity building of young scientists in Africa. She continues to inspire younger generations, particularly women, through computer science and, in 2013, was rewarded the prestigious L’Oreal-United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) for Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Fellowship Award.
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2 E=mc relativity INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) In Africa, as in the rest of the world, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are set to transform society. The sector will deliver growth and prosperity based on greater inclusion, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. What was once technological infrastructure will become social infrastructure. As stated by the African Development Bank, for ICT to truly achieve its potential, it is imperative that governments and policy-makers methodically collaborate with private industry to create the right type of ecosystem. In Africa the ICT sector has been a major economic driver but in order for the continent to continue its momentum it needs a bigger pool of qualified tech graduates which STEM education provides. This talent pool is critical as otherwise African companies are limited in their ability to scale and the likelihood of tech entrepreneurial ventures reduces.
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Ms Abla Mawussi Azalekor PhD student, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
Mathematics and science are not valued highly enough in African society, Abla believes. “While I was studying my BA in mathematics, there were only a few other women in the course,” she explains. “Many of my friends just couldn’t understand why I was putting so much energy and time into my studies.” She concedes, though, that Togo has few opportunities to progress in academia, with the result that teaching is one of the only pathways available. “Many talented young graduates are forced to leave the country in search of more varied opportunities in research,” she says. In spite of this reality, Abla found her time as a tutor at the University of Lomé a valuable experience, as she was able to pass on the learnings from her four-year degree in mathematics to new generations of students. However, she felt a strong desire to further her studies and, having faced several financial obstacles previously, she was struck by the idea of an institute of excellence providing free postgraduate training to African students. “AIMS was a rare opportunity,” she says. “It was an incredible melting pot of cultures, languages and ethnicities, where students are made to believe they can achieve something world changing.” Apart from her Master’s courses, Abla also benefited from skills such as how to write a CV, how to fill in job applications and public speaking, all essential to personal and professional development. In 2013, she was invited to become a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Her field is applied probability and she aims through her research to increase the stability of all wireless networks with a new mathematical model. In this way, capacity will be increased and the wait people experience to send a message through the system will decrease.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Charles Lebon Mberi Kimpolo Senior Bilingual Program Manager, AIMS Industry Initiative, AIMS-NEI Rwanda
Technology is a powerful tool for social change in Africa and Charles aims to prove this through his work as a software developer at ThoughtWorks, a global information technology (IT) consultancy company based in South Africa. The ThoughtWorks team expends all its energies on revolutionising software design, creation and delivery, and, in so doing, ensuring the success of engineering, manufacturing and businesses endeavours. “Strong internal software capabilities will allow African industry to remain globally competitive,” Charles states. He graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2005 before going on to earn his PhD and post doctorate degree in mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand. He found the AIMS experience invaluable, “The training at AIMS provided me with the excellent graduate-level mathematical modelling skills that are prerequisites to learn software development quickly.” In May 2014, Charles and his team launched the Young African Technologies initiative to promote education in underprivileged communities. “It’s all about making a difference through technology,” he says. During his two-year stay in India, Charles was a great help to African students through the Knowledge Sharing Campaign (KSC) that he founded to empower the African student diaspora and reverse the brain drain. Charles recently joined the AIMS-NEI Global Secretariat as a Bilingual Senior Program Manager for the AIMS Industry Initiative. His overall responsibility will be to work with different AIMS departments and programs to ensure the success of the Skills For Employability (SFE) as it relates to industry across Francophonie Africa whilst supporting the AIMS Industry Initiative as a pan-African program that links AIMS academia to industry across the continent.
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Dr Darlison Nyirenda Mathematics Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
When we trust technology to safeguard our most important information, we are putting our faith in mathematical algorithms developed by researchers such as AIMS alumnus Darlison. Darlison is a mathematics lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, whose main research areas are number theory, especially q-series and partitions, and elementary number theory. He also studies the application of number theory to cryptosystems - the mathematical foundation of the encryption software that enables secure communication. For African countries, cyber security-related work is essential. The rapid rise of mobile money transfers, reducing corruption and delivering salaries reliably would not be possible without encryption. The ability of ordinary citizens to monitor their elections is facilitated by secure communication. As Africans continue to embrace mobile communication, cyber security will play an even greater role. Darlison’s journey down this exciting road began in his home country of Malawi, with Dr Khumbo Kumwenda, who graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2008. Khumbo decided to return to Malawi to teach at Mzuzu University, while he pursued his PhD at the University of the Western Cape. Even though Mzuzu, in the north of the country, did not offer similar networks and facilities to the more established institutions in South Africa, Khumbo was committed to strengthening higher education in his home country. Darlison, who applied to Mzuzu, found himself in Khumbo’s course by pure coincidence. But it was certainly fortuitous, as the lecturer’s high-level skills, teaching acumen and ability to inspire induced in Darlison a great passion for mathematics. After conducting his final BSc mathematics project, Darlison was encouraged to apply to AIMS South Africa, which he attended in the 2010/11 academic year. “At AIMS, I learnt to be confident and to recognise my hidden potential,” he says. “I had grown up thinking that being a mathematician was something reserved for the elite in society, but that idea was proved wrong during my time at AIMS.” For Darlison, almost everything at AIMS went against his perception of learning mathematics. He was shocked that lecturers freely interacted with the students, and were open-minded about approaches to solving problems, rather than tied rigidly to textbook methods. Frequent group discussions gave everyone an opportunity to voice their input. In this environment, maths problems looked fresh and exciting. The respect students from diverse cultures across the continent showed one other was remarkable, he adds, and AIMS’ ‘mini global village’ taught him to accommodate others. “I was made to change my way of looking at life,” he states. Together with excellence in mathematics, it is this vision of common humanity that has propelled Darlison’s teaching philosophy just as it had for Khumbo before him. FACES OF TRANSFORMATION
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2 E=mc relativity Mr Faris Mohammed Osman PhD student, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
As a researcher studying the physics underpinning modern communication technology, and a professional working with an internet media provider specialising in African content, Faris is putting his mathematically inclined mind to what is clearly a tall order - strengthening the cultural ties that will help ensure Africa’s future prosperity. Africa is populated by countless diverse cultural groups, speaking an estimated 3 000 languages. Some argue that it makes little sense to even talk of Africa as a whole. But for others, Faris included, threads of commonality link many African cultures and recent shared history - namely the nation-building that followed decolonisation - has given rise to a pan-African consciousness. Growing up in Sudan, Faris remembers the challenges of studying with limited resources. Students had to contend with frequent power outages, overfull classrooms and not enough books. In mathematics, teachers did a poor job of demonstrating a clear link between the subject matter and the real world. The operations in arithmetic appeared to be just magical symbols. Not one to be discouraged, though, Faris applied himself and drew motivation from his father, who always spoke to him and his siblings about the importance of mathematics. It was his father who first showed him that he could use the magical symbols he studied in the classroom to formulate simple everyday problems into maths equations. After finishing his BSc at the University of Khartoum, Sudan, Faris was accepted to AIMS South Africa in 2009, where the maths and physics he struggled with at school started to make perfect sense. Lecturers showed students how to harness the subjects’ power for innovative solutions to present and future challenges. This emphasis on problem-solving techniques was the missing link that existed for many students between mathematical theory and the work they hoped to do in their careers. For his final research paper at AIMS, Faris formulated a statistical model to describe the subatomic particles resulting from heavy-ion collisions, of the sort produced by the Large Hadron Collider - the world’s largest experimental facility. Specifically, the model sought to predict ratios of the different types of quarks ejected from these high-energy particle collisions. These quarks combine to form hadrons, such as protons and neutrons, which make up atomic nuclei. From nuclear physics, Faris jumped to photonics, the physics of light. He is currently working towards a PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he uses numerical methods to
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study photonic crystals. Solar cells are an application of photonic crystals. Understanding the way photonic crystals affect the motion of photons - in other words, how they bend light - has also led to the development of optical fibres that are already revolutionising communication technology in Africa. In addition to advancing the physics on which telecommunications networks rely, Faris also works in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. He is now with DStv, as a developer in the big data team. DStv’s flagship is Africa Magic GO, which offers African movies, television series and other entertainment programmes. Looking back on AIMS, Faris remembers being surprised at the similarities among the different African cultures represented by the diverse student body. Students often found that the things they thought were unique to their home countries were common across the continent. With African cultural content being shared across ever-improving networks, the strengthening of the pan-African spirit may not be such a lofty ambition after all.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Gaelle Andriamaro Senior Research and Development Scientist, Thales Group, UK
Although she works thousands of kilometres away as an engineer in the research and development department of the Thales Group in the United Kingdom, her native Madagascar is never far from her thoughts and she is committed to returning there some day to help discover and support its “next Einsteins”. At the moment, she is performing important work with application in the key industries of aerospace, defence, security and transportation. Her knowledge of scientific computing is helping the company to investigate innovative software solutions. Gaelle earned her Bachelor’s in Mathematics at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, before going to AIMS in 2007. In 2009, she obtained a research Master’s in Mathematics from Stellenbosch University. “As a female scientist, my time at AIMS was especially empowering,” she says. “The unique motivational coaching style gave me the confidence to apply for PhD studies in numerical analysis at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.” As part of the UK’s Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme, she was given a scholarship through the Scottish Funding Council. The objective of her research was the development of a new, finite algorithm that allows for standard finite elements matrices to be computed effectively and efficiently. From this, she developed C++ software for release on the internet using an algorithm to resolve problems, including trajectory. Her research is applicable to the defence, aeronautics, aerospace and environmental industries. Gaelle can rely on the resilience and other life skills she learnt at AIMS. “I feel well placed to solve problems I encounter in life, both mathematical and non-mathematical,” she says.
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Mr Jonathan Kwame Doku Implementations Officer, Itemate Solutions, Ghana
Mathematics was a nightmare for Jonathan growing up in Ghana. His teachers felt the same way. They were in short supply and so were learning materials. Being stretched to the maximum, the educators taught purely theory, without any insight into the practical applications, a problem common to many African school systems. In spite of his initial shaky relationship with the subject, his interest was such that, during his undergraduate studies, he began attending mathematical sciences workshops in Ghana and neighbouring West African countries, where he met great mathematics lecturers and impassioned students whose enthusiasm was contagious. Through these workshops, he met Prof. Francis Allotey, who became a mentor and encouraged him to follow the maths path, something for which he is eternally thankful. It would have been folly to ignore the advice of this Ghanaian giant of science, and renowned mathematician and physicist known for the ‘Allotey Formalism’, a technique for determining types of matter in outer space using soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. He is one of the few Africans to serve on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency and was the only African listed among the eminent physicists and mathematicians in One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist. Now in his mid80s the professor’s knowledge continues to be sought after by a number of international science organisations. Jonathan applied to AIMS Ghana and began his Master’s studies in 2012. At last he discovered the practical side of mathematics, as it related to African issues. He vividly remembers an occasion when students were shown how the exact amount of oil in untapped reserves could be determined before drilling even began, using mathematical modelling and fluid dynamics. These techniques are invaluable to the oil and gas industry, a key sector of many African economies. On top of the carefully planned curriculum-building foundational skills before the specialised courses and individual research phase, AIMS also allowed for flexibility in its teaching and brought a wide range of topical issues to the classroom. Jonathan even volunteered to teach mathematics in high schools in the central region of Ghana surrounding the AIMS centre in Biriwa. Jonathan now uses computing skills as an information and communications technology (ICT) implementations and support specialist with Itemate Solutions, a telecommunications firm based in Cape Town, South Africa. Itemate is the leading provider of telecom operations and management solutions to communications service providers worldwide. Here, he works with other experts in mobile pre-paid value chains, pre-paid product life-cycle management analysis and voucher management systems services, to provide a comprehensive end-to-end service. He headed the implementation FACES OF TRANSFORMATION
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2 E=mc relativity of a point-of-sale (POS) system across Ghana for MTN, Africa’s largest mobile network provider. He went on to enhance similar systems in Cameroon and Benin as part of a transition towards a secure and efficient POS system. The benefits of this shift will be wide-ranging, from reduced theft and corruption as the flow of money becomes more traceable, to increased investment as more of Africa’s savings enter the formal economy. Mobile money and cashless payment methods may well be the catalyst for an impending economic leap on a scale unparalleled in Africa’s history. Jonathan is proud to be contributing in such an extraordinary way to Africa’s telecommunications software and technology and hopes to help make efficient POS systems and secure payment solutions accessible to all. “At AIMS, I learnt problem-solving, computing, research-paper writing skills and the ability to understand issues, all of which contributed immensely to my success in telecommunications,” he says. “The future is really bright.”
Mbouye Khady Diagne PhD student, University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal
Trying to explain one’s thesis in three minutes in a way that will be clearly understood by fellow researchers, journalists and industry representatives is no small challenge, but PhD student Mbouye aced it, winning the ‘My thesis in 180 seconds’ competition in Senegal. Apart from the financial prize, she represented Sénégal at the 2016 international competition in Morocco. Her specialisation may sound cryptic to many people, but to her, cryptography is a simple concept to which she is happy to devote much time, for it is the subject of her PhD research at the School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar. “It is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication, involving the construction and analysis of protocols that overcome the influence of attackers or third parties,” she explains. “My research focuses on a family of codes called the quasi-dyadic codes, and aims to reveal if and to what extent the ‘problems’ in these codes are ‘difficult’, and hence, suitable for further cryptographic applications.” Her findings will be useful for other researchers interested in constructing post-quantum cryptographic algorithms (rules) for encrypting and decrypting highly secured data during the quantum computing era. Of benefit to the wider community, her work will support research activities focusing on developing the ‘internet of things’, which is the network of physical objects such as electronic devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity that enables them to collect and exchange data.
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Dr Olufemi Opeyemi Olaoye Research Scientist, Laser Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Since the dawn of the computer age, one element has been synonymous with electronics - silicon. Olufemi, a postdoctoral research fellow at South Africa’s Silicon Valley, Stellenbosch University, is determined to break the material’s stronghold on the industry. Computing power has increased exponentially since the early days of digital technology, he explains, but silicon remains the basic ingredient in the production of most electronics. The research Olufemi is leading at Stellenbosch University may end silicon’s reign as the predominant element in electronics. He works in condensed matter physics, studying organic conductors. Traditionally, organic molecules - compounds whose main element is carbon - have been poor conductors of electricity and thus unsuitable for use in electronics. Not until groundbreaking discoveries in the late 1980s were organic conductors seen as possible replacements for silicon-based conductors and other inorganic conductors. In the following decades, new organic conductors were synthesised by binding organic molecules to a metal such as copper. The bound molecules, known as ligands, form a coordination complex that can have both metallic and organic chemical properties. This mix of attributes gives the materials high tunability, meaning that they can be altered to produce specific desirable traits. As the intricate compounds can have many different molecular structures, research continues to learn more on how they behave. It’s a far cry from his humble beginnings in rural Nigeria, where Olufemi would walk for two hours to primary school. Although he didn’t complain much because he realised school was imperative and there would be many high-aptitude youngsters competing for limited tertiary education opportunities, he does admit, with a chuckle, to playing truant occasionally. In high school, with the help of a tutor from Obafemi Awolowo University, Olufemi achieved grades that qualified him for a BSc program at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He was then selected to attend AIMS South Africa’s Structured Master’s course in 2009. At AIMS, he was introduced to coding and realised for the first time how maths could be applied outside the classroom. AIMS students, he remembers, shared diligence and spoke the common language of mathematics. The passion of AIMS professors inspired Olufemi to achieve a doctorate in physics from Stellenbosch University. Since then, he has studied the properties of organic conductors using a process known as photoinduced phase transition. A phase transition is a rearranging of the molecular structure of any chemical
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2 E=mc relativity compound - freezing water into ice cubes is a temperature-induced phase transition. Just as matter can transition from a liquid to a solid through changes in temperature, certain compounds can undergo phase transitions when exposed to light. Rather than changes between the conventional states of gas, liquid and solid, Olufemi and his colleagues use beams of light to transition compounds from insulators to conductors. These transitions happen at incredible speeds, measured in the femtoseconds, or quadrillionths of a second. To put these speeds in perspective, one femtosecond is to a second as one second is to 32 million years. Olufemi is most excited about the future benefits of organic electronics for sustainable development. Some areas in Africa have long been dumping grounds for toxic electronic waste - the Ghanaian group QAMP reports that millions of tons of electronic waste from outside the continent are illegally dumped in Africa annually, much of it in Olufemi’s home country. He hopes that the next generation of electronics, using the organic conductors he researches, will be more environment-friendly and easily recyclable. He highlights the emerging use of organic conductors in solar panels. Just as organic display screens can potentially be manufactured at a lower cost than the current technology, so too can organic solar cells. “The cost savings from switching to organic solar technology may be just what is needed to tip the scales and make renewable energy more economic than fossil fuels,” he states. For the continent of limitless sunlight, cheap solar power would be invaluable.
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Dr Prosper Ngabonziza Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute For Solid State Research, Germany
The intriguing world of topological insulators keeps Prosper occupied day after day. Only recently discovered, these insulators are electronic states of matter with a high potential for future technological applications in spin electronics (spintronics) and quantum computation. They have a non-trivial topological order that behaves as an insulator in the interior, but whose surface contains conducting states, meaning that electrons can move along only the surface of the material. Prosper’s interest is in nanotechnology, focused on nanomaterials of unusual electronic properties and their interfaces. Since his graduation from AIMS, and with the support of a post-AIMS bursary, Prosper undertook a research Master’s in Experimental Physics at the University of Johannesburg, from which he graduated in 2012. He earned a PhD in engineering physics at the University of Twente, MESA and the Institute for Nanotechnology in the Netherlands in 2016. Now at the forefront of research in topological insulators, his work is crucial as the world prepares for the quantum age. “When an insulator is interfaced with a superconductor, a mysterious particle called majorana fermion emerges, which can be used to build a quantum computer that will run faster than any current computer,” he explains. Searching for majorana fermions based on this interface has become big business. Topological insulators can be implemented in computer processing devices as well as in memory and storage devices. Prosper was also a junior researcher at the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) in the Netherlands. He was nominated to attend the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting (2015) dedicated to physics, physiology or medicine and chemistry, where he had a chance to network and build collaborations with Nobel Laureates and more than 200 other young global leaders in science.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Siaka Lougue Lecturer/Researcher, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
On average across the developing world, nearly 25% fewer women than men have access to the Internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45% in sub-Saharan Africa (Intel, 2013, Women and the Web). It is estimated that 307 million unconnected women live in SSA. Though Africa leads the world in mobile money accounts and has seen rapid growth in Internet access, women are vastly underrepresented in technology, with a gender gap in mobile ownership of 13% (GSMA, 2015). Even in one of the most technologically advanced African countries, Kenya, only 20% of the Internet users in the capital city are women (World Wide Web Foundation, 2015. Women’s Rights Online). Originally from Burkina Faso, Siaka graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2010 with a focus on data analytics. Through a collaboration between the AIMS Industry Initiative and the Worldwide Web Foundation he led a team of 4 statisticians on a project designed to support evidence-based policymaking on ‘ICTs for empowering women and girls’. Under Siaka’s leadership, the team analysed primary and secondary data from the WWF Annual Web Index, which measures the effectiveness of the web and its utility as related to access, affordability, freedom, openness and gender. They developed regression analyses, extracted trends, and provided support and insights critical to understanding the role of ICTs in facilitating women’s rights across 86 countries. The results of this research enabled WWF to provide policymakers with evidence that would inform gender aware strategies to leverage ICTS as a tool for promoting women’s rights. After his time at AIMS, Siaka went on to complete his PhD in Applied Statistics in Demography and Biostatistics at the University of the Western Cape in 2013. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Statistics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “AIMS is for people who want to be among the pioneers using education, mathematics skills and hardwork to change Africa from a continent of war and disease to a continent of peace, innovation and glory,” he says.
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Mr Wole Solana Senior Software Developer, Thoughtworks, New York, USA
Madison Avenue is synonymous with the Big Apple’s advertising industry, but, as Wole will attest, it’s not too shabby in the software department either. Having completed his Master’s in Physics at the University of Cape Town, he cut his teeth at ThoughtWorks in Johannesburg before being transferred to New York as senior software developer. He loves the city that never sleeps and he loves his work at the company he met at an AIMS alumni recruiting event showcasing private sector opportunities. He applies not only mathematics, problem solving and computational skills to day-to-day activities, but uses the mathematical and statistical modelling techniques he learnt at AIMS to help solve problems for clients in the business sector. “Every day,” he elaborates, “I bring into play my ability to think logically, which is a crucial skill for a software developer, as it helps in breaking down complex problems into smaller modules that can be solved more easily.” Wole’s wider focus is on the development of a culture of self-reliance, excellence and integrity on the African continent by building a network of talented people who are willing to invest their time, energy and skills in nurturing the latent potential that abounds on the continent. “In this way, we will create an Africa that fully realises its enormous potential,” he stresses. In addition, he is involved in the Black Girls Code and Ikamva Youth, an organisation for disadvantaged youth in Johannesburg. ThoughtWorks also plans a number of community-development initiatives, in which, no doubt, Wole will feature prominently.
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2 E=mc relativity POLICY MAKING (GOVERNMENT) According to renowned political scientist Dr Andrew Reynolds, the ability to have individuals who can lead, and analyze and understand research will be the major leap in the ecology governance module. The UN’s SDG goals state that technology foresight or future-oriented technology analysis will influence global trends by governments, corporations, universities and think-tanks for the next 50 years. For Africa to have a development edge, scientists and mathematicians cannot be restricted to laboratories. They need to be at the forefront of leadership.
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Mr Ekoutiamé Ahlonkor Ahlin Co-founder, Centre for Research and Opinion Polls, Lomé, Togo
When he initially encountered probability, Ekoutiamé (Jules) found it abstract and difficult to understand. Now, you could refer to him as the cream of the CROP. As co-founder of the Centre for Research and Opinion Polls (CROP) in Lomé, Togo, he collects high-quality data in diverse fields to provide policymakers with insight into development issues. With his background in mathematics and statistics, he is able to derive meaningful information from the data. The backdrop for his work is the democratisation of Africa since the 1990s. The transition to democracy of Nigeria in 1999, in particular, completely reshaped the political environment. Quickly, other countries followed suit, including Togo in 2005. The opening of democratic space has spurred debate by civil society over which political parties should lead and what policies each should pursue. Sometimes the debate becomes noisy and protesters flood the streets, as thousands did in Lomé following the 2015 Togolese election. Whereas, in days gone by, this type of turbulence may have signalled a violent regime change, in the burgeoning democracies of today’s Africa, the largely peaceful protests are a healthy sign that citizens are making their voices heard. The direction of African countries is no longer being decided by a political elite, but by diverse elements of society with differing viewpoints. Out of this diversity, and after vigorous public debate, the majority opinion directs policy. But all this relies on a critical piece of information - what is the majority opinion? It is in this challenging environment that Jules is making his mark. Data from CROP serves to prioritise areas of public policy, in health, education, infrastructure or other services, by both measuring the performance of these areas and polling citizens to ask which areas they feel need the most attention. Equally important, once priorities have been established and government programs introduced, data can be used to empirically determine their effectiveness. As an independent body, CROP’s data analysis may confirm or refute government claims. Independent, unbiased statistics are, therefore, essential to any functioning democracy. The odds were stacked against Jules during his school life. Classes sometimes numbered more than 100 pupils. In secondary school, one room would be shared by more than more than one grade of pupils. After he’d conquered the concept of probability, which he did through reading and working on exercises on his own, he found that he loved the topic, and its applications in statistics. He went on to earn a Master’s in Public Economics and Applied Statistics in 2009 from the Institute of Empirical Research in Political Economy, Benin. In 2012, he was admitted to AIMS Ghana, where the expertise of the teachers, the approachability of the professors and the friendly study atmosphere made him feel at home. He used his time at AIMS FACES OF TRANSFORMATION
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2 E=mc relativity to increase his understanding of data science, a field combining probability theory and statistics with computer science. He says he is convinced that data science “will revolutionise the social sciences and other fields in the future”. Following his graduation in 2013, Jules was determined to contribute to the social development of his home country. At CROP, he found that mathematical sciences can effect social change and, in 2015, he co-authored ‘The 2015 presidential election in Togo’ with Kim Yi Dionne (Smith College, Massachusetts) and Tyson Robert (University of California) for the peer-reviewed journal, Electoral Studies. It remains the definitive scholarly article on the subject. When incumbent President Faure Gnassingbé was declared the winner, peaceful protestors took to the streets in Lomé to contest the result. Jules’s research helped to show that public opinion was consistent with overall election results. His team’s independent statistics thus contributed to acceptance of the election results and a stable Togo.
Ms Justine Nasejje PhD student, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Growing up in a slum doesn’t normally bode well for success in a high-flying career, but Justine managed to complete her schooling by securing financial assistance from organisations such as Plan International. A government bursary allowed her to enrol for a BSc in Education at Makerere University, Kampala, in 2007. She taught for six months at a local high school in Uganda before enrolling at AIMS in 2011. For the first time, Justine was introduced to research and began to appreciate the contribution she could make to society. The girl who could have been a class teacher in a small community would now be a teacher in the wider community, a leader, a woman with a promising career in research on public health in Africa, a role model. She is currently working towards her PhD degree in biostatistics at the University of KwaZuluNatal, where her research will inform policy on public health through models linked to big data and health. She intends to return to Uganda thereafter to help children, especially girls, from less-privileged communities, especially slums, to reach their full potential through education. In the meantime, she is supporting students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to broaden their understanding of abstract mathematics and statistics concepts by offering tutorials during her free time.
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RESEARCH According to the World Economic Forum, Africa produces only 1.1% of global scientific knowledge. The continent has just 79 scientists per million of inhabitants compared to countries like Brazil and United States where the ratio stands at 656 and 4,500, respectively. The importance of research is directly linked to innovation. Without research one is not able to predict what the future holds and this tends to limit one’s industriousness. Pushing the frontiers of research in response to challenges such as climate change is likely to yield new scientific breakthroughs in sectors like agriculture. Such research could lead to further advancement of agricultural research and economic development. The relationship between the two is not linear but iterative. If we invested more in research and development, Africa’s own scientists would be able to prevent diseases such as Ebola. It takes longer to find solutions to challenges on the continent if the research is being done elsewhere. Africa should be (and in some cases is) doing continuous Ebola research in Sierra Leone, basic science on HIV in South Africa, and malaria genetics in Mali. For this to happen, we need consistent, sustainable and intelligent investment in STEM research.
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2 E=mc relativity Mr Assionvi Hove Kouevi PhD student, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
When Assionvi was studying for his Master’s in Fuel Mechanics at the University of Lomé in 2011, financing his studies was a constant worry and he took to teaching high-school maths as a means of income. It struck him that the biggest hurdle facing African students was the cost of further education. AIMS, with its tuition-free model, was a welcome relief as it allowed him to dedicate himself 100% to his studies, without the stress of having to find the funds. “AIMS gave me academic freedom and independence in many ways,” he states. Assionvi is currently completing a PhD at Heriot-Watt University’s Department of Applied Mathematics, with specialisation in numerical analysis. He is researching a local time stepping method that gives more accurate and efficient solutions for partial differential equations. “Big data sets are split into smaller sets in such a way that it is easier to solve problems and avoid blocking a computer with too much data,” he explains. ” One can use this method to understand how water flows through soil and it can be used for oil too. I believe the method I am researching can contribute to reducing the cost of the oil exportation by minimising oil lost through extraction.” African governments have much to learn from the innovative AIMS model, he adds, as it provides further education to Africa’s brightest scientific minds, as well as leadership, confidence, cultural and career skills. Students can advance and become assets to the continent’s development. What impressed Assionvi most about AIMS were the regular gatherings of students, tutors and lecturers to share insights and exchange ideas. “Studying no longer felt as though it was an independent and solitary exercise - it was about collaboration and learning from peers,” he says.
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Dr Collins Amburo Agyingi Senior Lecturer, North-West University, South Africa
Life has been one big learning experience for Collins. His thirst for knowledge has taken him to several African countries and earned him a string of impressive qualifications. In 2006, he graduated from the University of Buea, Cameroon, with a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics. Three years later, he won a World Bank scholarship to study for an MSc in Mathematics at the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria, from which he graduated in December 2010. In 2012, he graduated from AIMS with distinction and was awarded the AIMS Victor Rothschild Scholarship. He completed his PhD in pure mathematics (topology) at the University of Cape Town. He returned to AIMS Cameroon in October 2013, where he was head tutor until May 2015. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Unisa. “AIMS was an attractive prospect for its research environment and the exposure it offered to world-class researchers,” he says. “I hoped to learn various research techniques and was also interested in diversifying my knowledge. I chose courses in applied mathematics, physics and computer science and learnt to work in a group. Moreover, AIMS helped me to realise my dreams by partly funding my PhD.” Collins wouldn’t hesitate to encourage talented students all over Africa to consider AIMS. “The experience is enriching and it gives insight into how people perceive things in other parts of Africa and the world, since the student and lecturer body at AIMS is so diversified,” he concludes.
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2 E=mc relativity Dr Fabien Rabarison Research Associate, University of Strathclyde, UK
Approximation theory, a branch of numerical analysis, first interested Fabien when he came across simple subdivision schemes and their applications to signal processing and many other real-life problems. “I am researching how to approximate a function on a domain,” he says. “This work can lead to refining or even creating calculations and formulas to be used for determining inequalities and estimates that have value as planning in sectors such as information technology, logistics and engineering.” Fabien is well qualified for the challenge. He completed a BSc in mathematics at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar, before graduating from AIMS in 2008. He was then awarded a scholarship from the Scottish Funding Council to complete a PhD in mathematics at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, which he did in 2012. He says: “AIMS equipped me for success in academic research. Firstly, it taught me not to simply resolve a problem, but to be more analytical, scrutinise myself and understand my methods of resolving the problem, as this can open up alternative ways of approaching it. Secondly, it exposed me to a wide range of mathematical sciences and their relevance to real life, which helped me to find a pathway of specialisation in which I have thrived.” In the future, Fabien sees himself establishing an institution in Madagascar based on the AIMS model to find a new breed of scientific researchers, which will help to enhance the country’s scientific and technological sector.
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Mr Gizat Derebe Amare Researcher, Department of Engineering and Safety, University of Tromsø, Norway
The ‘game’ started for Gizat in Grade 4, when he was introduced to mathematics. His teacher year piled maths homework on the students every week day and even more on the weekends. Some students may have been overwhelmed, but Gizat started loving the beautiful subject. He entered AIMS South Africa in 2009, where he found a supportive learning environment and still thrived on a high-intensity workload. He emerged with a better appreciation of the role of mathematics and is now with the Arctic University of Tromsø, Norway, where his research applies mathematics to Arctic safety. Using differential equations, he models the responses of platforms installed in the Arctic Ocean to wind, waves, currents and ice. This information is then used by engineers to create more reliable designs and improve the operational safety of the platforms. Just as recent technology has brought self-driving cars and drones, Gizat’s field is now changing rapidly, with the advent of autonomous marine vehicles. He is also exploring dynamic routings for autonomous marine vehicles in the arctic. Few mathematicians can boast of careers stretching from the southern tip of Africa to the furthest northern reaches of Europe, but Gizat’s pursuit of mathematics has been “just a joyful journey”, he says.
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2 E=mc relativity Ms Grace Omollo Misere PhD student, La Trobe University, Australia
Not many would think of doing calculus to relax the mind, but Grace Omollo Misere finds it calming and a great way to meditate. Calculating maths equations has always come naturally to Grace, whose precocious talent for figures in junior school was recognised by her fifth grade teacher, a well-meaning disciplinarian. Whereas other students could be spared the teacher’s wrath despite their failing grades, Grace remembers being seriously punished if she scored anything less than 100%. Although his methods could be harsh, her schoolteacher’s early belief in her abilities gave her lasting confidence. In her first year of secondary school, Grace’s mother died, leaving her an orphan. She nearly had to drop out of school because of lack of funds, but a ‘good samaritan’ stepped in. Buying books and affording other costs were still challenging, but the experience gave her an appreciation of the difficulties of completing a basic education when there is no support. Grace drew inspiration from her two sisters, both also highly skilled in maths. Her older sister trained as a civil and structural engineer, paving the way for Grace to do an undergraduate degree in mathematics. Her younger sister went on to major in physics before being accepted to AIMS South Africa, achieving her MSc in 2013. Grace says that, despite mathematics still being a maledominated field, her family of scientists convinced her that “it can be done by all”. After her Bachelor’s, Grace spent two years teaching at a boys’ high school in Kenya before heading for AIMS Ghana in 2012. The transition back into school was jarring, as the AIMS curriculum was rigorous right from the start. Luckily, two friends who had already made it through the programme kept her focused. In hindsight, she remembers AIMS Ghana as a place where students from different backgrounds “studied together in harmony as one big family”. Grace went on to La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, where she is working towards her PhD in combinatorics. She is also a tutor in multiple student support programmes and does charitable work. Combinatorics, a branch of pure maths dealing with discrete mathematical structures, has led her to work on a conjecture proposed by John Conway, one of the greatest living mathematicians. Formulated in 1952, Conway’s Thrackle Conjecture proposing a ratio between vertices and edges in a particular type of graph has defied solution ever since, leaving Conway’s cash prize unclaimed for more than half a century. But Grace believes recent breakthroughs in combinatorics have brought
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formal proof for the conjecture closer than ever. She is currently using computational methods to arrive at a more precise value defining the relationship between vertices and edges in Conway’s thrackled graph. Because she has never forgotten the support that allowed her to stay in school, Grace, with fellow AIMS alumna, Maureen Songa, cofounded Hope for the Girl Child Foundation (HGCF) in 2013 to help raise school fees for bright, orphaned girls in Kenya. She still finds time to tutor undergraduates at La Trobe University, realising how some students struggle to understand maths subjects that came easily to her. The key, she says, is to instil from a young age a positive attitude to mathematics. Then it is “simply a matter of practice, practice and more practice”.
Dr Ihechukwu Chinyere Lecturer, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
Prof. Robert Breezer of AIMS made such an impression on Ihechukwu with his graph theory course that it is now part of the latter’s research, which deals with low-dimensional topology starting from the Poincaré conjecture, one of the millennium’s most vexing problems, which was resolved by G Perelman. Ihechukwu completed a BSc in Mathematics at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria. He graduated from AIMS South Africa in 2012, before travelling to Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, for his PhD. Currently he lectures in the Department of Mathematics at his African alma mater. “AIMS allowed me to explore which academic pathway and specialisation was best for me,” he says. “The problem-solving skills we were taught demonstrated that no matter how complex a mathematical, practical or social problem first appears, there is always a solution and one must discover the right path to get to that solution.” Ihechukwu’s research seeks to understand the effects of Dehn surgery on a knot in three-sphere using group theory and graph theory.
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2 E=mc relativity Mr Sidiki Zongo PhD student, University of South Africa, South Africa
Sidiki credits ‘The Almighty’ for his interest in mathematics. In Sidiki’s case, The Almighty was a teacher from his Burkina Faso school, whose love of math was infectious - his excitement and clarity when explaining concepts had the whole class hanging onto his every word. Pupils didn’t even need to take notes - they just got it! In 2006, this budding mathematician was admitted to the University of Ouagadougou, where he became head of the Student Association in Math and Physics (CESPM), which helped to provide study materials to students who could not afford them, and organised outreach activities such as the ‘Jeux Crack Scientifique’ to motivate youth, especially young girls, in maths and sciences. With prizes of science games up for grabs, the Jeux Crack Scientifique helped to make maths fun and approachable for girls, who often were discouraged from studying mathematics. From Ouagadougou, Sidiki went to AIMS South Africa in 2010, where, with the support of faculty and fellow students, even those with large gaps in their maths knowledge were able to catch up and succeed. “Those with physics backgrounds would help those with pure maths backgrounds and vice versa,” he explains. “This diversity was a source of harmony at AIMS.” It was a privilege to study with such a diverse group of students, and the experience left him convinced that he would be able to succeed in any field. Sidiki’s ‘any field’ was photonics, the science of light. Light - as with all forms of electromagnetic radiation - is composed of oscillating magnetic and electric fields. When matter meets an electric field, the negatively charged electron cloud orbiting the nucleus is warped away from the field. As like charges repel and opposite charges attract, one can visualise atoms stretching as the positive nucleus is attracted to the negative electric field, while the orbiting electrons are repelled. The degree to which the electrons’ orbits are warped from their normal paths into elliptical ones, known as their dielectric polarisation, is generally proportional to the strength of the electric field. However, when the electric field is exceptionally strong, some types of matter react with disproportionate dielectric polarisation. Non-linear optics (NLO) studies this behaviour in strong beams of light, of the sort produced by lasers. Compared to traditional linear responses, the disproportionate, or non-linear, responses of various types of matter to the strong electric fields contained in laser beams are far more complex to model. With his firm grasp of mathematics, Sidiki has the perfect skills set to do so.
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He has also written extensively on NLOs, recently having an article published in the international scientific journal, Optical Materials, with co-authors from South Africa, France and Burkina Faso. He will soon be awarded a PhD in physics, specialising in photonics, from the University of South Africa. Although research into NLOs is in its early stages, Sidiki’s excitement about the future of the field is shared by many in the wider world of technology forecasting. What may prove most groundbreaking are new forms of optical electronics, otherwise known as optoelectronics. Building on two-dimension CD-ROM technology, three-dimension optical data storage disks may be capable of storing far greater amounts of data. More generally, research is gaining momentum on completely optical computers in which all electric currents are replaced by photons of light. These computers, using the materials being studied by Sidiki, promise dramatic increases in processing speed. He sees his work and that of other African experts in photonics as part of an African science renaissance. In 2015, he attended the African Light Source Conference in Grenoble, France, where he contributed to the Grenoble Resolution, whose plan is to construct a world-class synchrotron light source research facility in Africa to be used for experiments in both fundamental and applied sciences in myriad fields. The resolution envisions the African Light Source as a collaborative panAfrican effort to accelerate the continent’s rise in science innovation, allowing African countries to take control of their destinies and become major players in the international community.
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2 E=mc relativity TRANSPORTATION Poor infrastructure is one of the major challenges still facing Africa. According to the World Economic Forum, the lack of proper infrastructure in the transport sector costs the continent $15 billion annually. For a continent that receives $31 billion in aid per year, this not only slows down economic growth but also widens the income gap on the continent as it makes access to resources more costly for those in rural areas. The ease of doing business is also affected, making operations more costly for small and medium enterprises. With an emphasis on STEM education, Africa has seen a new brand of young engineers and innovators who can find solutions to Africa’s transportation needs. From the creation of mobile apps, such as the Tap and Go card that eases transportation needs which was rolled out in Cameroon, Rwanda and Ethiopia, to the use of mobile drones that transport health supplies from urban to rural areas, young Africans in STEM will not only bridge the skills gap in the field but also find innovative solutions to counter the challenge of transportation on the continent.
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Ms Fadekemi Janet Osaye PhD student, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Fadakemi certainly walks the mathematics talk, so much so that she strides to work each day using the shortest route according to the Pythagorean Theorem. It may not be a huge time saving on any given day, but in the long run it adds up. “If similar thinking were applied to other accepted ways of doing things, society may find myriad small changes that could make it more productive”, she says. Her morning walk certainly shows how mathematics can be used in surprising and sometimes simple ways to improve everyday work. Fadekemi grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, in an area that lacked basic school amenities and where there were often no qualified teachers for subjects such as mathematics. Despite this, she developed an early interest in the subject, having watched her mother calculating profits from her small trading business. A passion for figures kept her going when friends and family told her that the subject was a waste of time and would not lead to a high-paying career. Although little outside support meant that she struggled with university tuition costs in university, she forged ahead, with, she says, “selfdetermination and persistence”. In 2012, she received a scholarship to study at AIMS Ghana, where the teaching methods were different from anything she had experienced before. During her undergraduate year, the environment was geared towards producing good exam results, with no acknowledgement of how mathematics can be applied, particularly in industry. AIMS, on the other hand, showed how mathematics could change the world. Lecturers were committed to giving students a deep understanding of the concepts. Students all showed high intelligence in mathematics, and seeing each other’s strengths created in everyone a sense of pride in being African. “We were all very positive towards our studies, very passionate and enthusiastic about our future,” says Fadekemi. Outside of her studies, she has worked to promote mathematics education for girls and is a founder of Girlmatics, with which she has visited schools in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, teaching and mentoring young girls to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. She emphasises the importance of clearly communicating mathematical concepts, something many teachers, who may themselves have a weak understanding of maths, fail to do. Her ambition with Girlmatics is to change children’s mindset towards mathematics. “People who feared maths always end up loving it after taking the time to solve problems,” she explains.
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2 E=mc relativity Following her graduation from AIMS, Fadekemi completed a research Master’s at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (UKZN), where she received the prestigious Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science (S2A3) UKZN Medal in 2014. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Johannesburg. After she and Pythagoras walk to work each morning, she delves into a much higher level study of pathfinding. In graph theory, a graph formed of nodes connected by arcs can be used to model realworld networks such as those in transportation or telecommunications. Finding the shortest path between nodes in these sometimes-vast-and-complex graphs becomes even more difficult when additional constraints are added, such as the directionality of the arcs. For real-world systems, applying this theory can produce enormous efficiency gains. Fadekemi was able to demonstrate this on a trip to the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands in 2014, where she and an international team of young mathematicians created a model to address time delays at a port in Amsterdam. Her role was to write the program that compared loading rates at each terminal to find the most efficient route for cargo. With transportation a crucial challenge for Africa and port delays, in particular, hurting economic growth, this field of study promises to make important contributions to development on the continent. As her research continues to push graph theory in new directions, she will help to set Africa on the path forward.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Alan Beardon Cambridge University Lecturer at AIMS South Africa since 2003 Lecturer at AIMS Ghana
I think that what distinguishes AIMS from almost all other educational institutes is the informal contact between the visiting lecturers and the students. The transition from being a student to being a confident, independent thinker can be difficult, and AIMS does well to make this happen. The friendly atmosphere among staff, students and lecturers creates a family atmosphere that makes AIMS a very special place indeed, and a pleasure to be there. AIMS does well in providing a diverse range of courses, delivered in different styles. I believe that the absence of a permanent teaching staff is, in fact, a great advantage, for it provides a fresh approach each year that is rarely seen at other institutions. In general, I think that educational institutes do not make enough effort to help both students and researchers improve the presentation of their work, both written and spoken, to audiences at a variety of different levels. This is an important skill that is useful in any future career, and I would like to see AIMS increase its efforts in this direction, perhaps even include such training as a formal part of its programme. Two years ago, during a course on problem solving I was giving at AIMS, I gave the class a small problem on three-dimensional geometry. A solution to a simple case of this problem had already been published, along with a conjecture for a more difficult case. The students were asked to check the conjecture numerically, with different values of the parameter, which they did, and as a result, we formulated a revised conjecture that, subsequently, was published under the authorship of the AIMS class. This publication was seen by another mathematician who has since solved the problem. My clearest memory of a very special time at AIMS is of the first week of its existence. The builders were still present, with many issues still outstanding, and the students, staff and lecturers were doing all they could to get AIMS up and running. I particularly remember the enormous effort everyone made to set up the library, recording the large number of donated books, writing a program to print the labels, organising the books into subjects, arranging them on the shelves, and so on. We all worked into the small hours of the morning on this, and these efforts established the community spirit that AIMS has maintained since then. AIMS has a great future, but it must vigilant, and fight where necessary to maintain its special and individual characteristics. The reasons why AIMS is special are to do with learning in the broadest sense, and because the contributing factors are not easily quantifiable, they are not always recognised by others.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Dr Alessandro Crimi ETH Zürich Lecturer at AIMS Ghana
I came to AIMS Ghana for the first time more than four years ago, to be honest more as a tourist than a lecturer and a scientist. As a tourist, I was not disappointed. The country has nice beaches, nice food, friendly people and music. Then came the AIMS experience and it was even more than I expected. In all my experiences as a lecturer and researcher I had never seen anything like it: a 24-hour learning environment, where students are like a family. They are always studying, discussing and hunting down their tutors and lecturers even until two in the morning. Another exclusive factor is the complete lack of hierarchy among students, tutors and lecturers, which obviously facilitates the learning and research process. As a friend said: “This is a maths paradise at the beach.” Not many things have changed since the beginning. I see the number of students growing. With the increasing popularity of the programme, the composition is now also more heterogeneous than at the beginning. Then, the students were from a background of pure mathematics, and some from physics. Now, there are also engineers, financial mathematicians and so on. It makes them more challenging to teach as they all have different backgrounds, but it allows more differentiation, especially at final essay or Master’s thesis stage. I do believe that, in the long run, this creates different solutions and, therefore, wealth. There is now more awareness that maths is not just maths. We need to promote business skills and leadership, but, for the rest, the original spirit is the same and I do not see why it has to change. The interaction with students is also unique compared to that of teaching experiences I have had in Denmark, where I cannot even remember the names of the students. Indeed, I am still in contact with most of the students from AIMS Ghana, even those from the first year I taught, and as I said, living for a short period in such close interaction, makes people like a family. Sometimes, I was so impressed by the skills of some students that I tried to push them to pursue a PhD or something similar to mine, as I believe in the process of teaching a course, waiting for the students to graduate and then pushing them to become researchers in the real world, competing with the rest of the world. The second year I came to AIMS Ghana, I had the chance to run a small research project about prenatal care, hiring two former students (www.docmeup.org). It was an incredible experience, because we involved the local community in real problems. It gave the impression that people in the vicinity of AIMS also appreciated our efforts. And I love hackathons and other events that promote healthy competition and, therefore, innovation. I think that in the near future, AIMS will not only add more centres, but will enhance their quality, extending lecturing with research - at least this is what we should be doing. If not, we will produce highly qualified people who end up in Europe or the US. Alumni will continue to come back as teaching assistants or even lecturers. Maybe five years from now, I imagine AIMS centres all over Africa, maybe, one day, one in each country.
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MY EXPERIENCE AT AIMS
Prof. Amadou Tall Quality Assurance Manager and Student Recruitment Coordinator AIMS Senegal
What makes AIMS unique is its pan-Africanism and excellence. It has grown so fast. In 2012, when I joined the institution, we had two centres, in South Africa and Senegal, and a small team. With the devotion of people working for AIMS, we have gone through several challenges and we now have six centres and a big team. We have reached more African countries, and several NGOs and governments have committed to support us. My first year with AIMS Senegal was extremely difficult. Several times I had decided to quit, but there were two dedicated students who were always there to motivate me. They made me believe deeply in the cause and forget about the stones on the road. The AIMS global alumni reunion (GAR) was a very good experience for me. It showed me the big picture and I saw where I belonged and what I was contributing to. In the next five to ten years I imagine AIMS being the first African institution in education and research for the development of Africa. I see AIMS alumni taking on key positions in most African universities and governments, moving into decision-making positions and bringing change to Africa.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Bernd Schroers Head of the Department of Mathematics, School of Actuarial, Mathematical and Computer Sciences HeriotWatt University Lecturer at AIMS South Africa and AIMS Ghana
What makes AIMS unique is the humanity I have experienced in each AIMS centre: the willingness to bring out the best in each one of us. The spirit of improvisation of the early AIMS South Africa period has been replaced by impressive professionalism, but is still palpable in each new AIMS centre. I hope AIMS always maintains an edge where it experiments and improvises. At the party after one of my stays at AIMS South Africa, one student recited a poem he had written, which reflected on the previous three weeks of tough mathematics and tough hikes. In essence, the poem went: “When the going gets difficult, rejoice - you are probably in the vicinity of a great opportunity.” The poem explained this: “The difficulty of the path suggests that very few other people may have made it thus far, and that, therefore, there may be unexplored opportunities nearby. ” This struck me as a very wise response to challenges and difficulties. It has stayed with me. My best memories almost all relate to the solidarity and mutual support among the students. On one of the hikes on Table Mountain, one student reached the top, but was too exhausted to walk back. We took turns carrying her down the mountain, almost without a sense that this was a problem. Songs were sung and jokes were cracked all the way down. I very much hope to stay involved - as lecturer or adviser or in other capacities. If my circumstances permit, I could imagine spending an extended period working full time with or for AIMS.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Dr Ferdinand Ngakeu University of Douala Lecturer at AIMS Cameroon
What makes AIMS unique is that is it the first programme I have come across that takes into account the multidisciplinary curriculum of students. Over my time with AIMS I have noticed that the number of students keeps increasing and there are more and more female students. More lecturers from varied fields are invited. A Cameroonian student told me that the rhythm of classes at AIMS was difficult, but that he believed the training to be very beneficial, as it teaches mathematics, computer science and proficiency in English language practice. Particularly, he was very happy to discover and learn about mathematical problem solving, which was in the lessons given by Prof. Foupouagnigni and me. The student who impressed me most during the three years that I have been involved in teaching at AIMS is Walter Cedric Simo Tao Lee during in the 2015/16 year. He was probably the most brilliant of the first three intakes of students, but was very humble and available to help his classmates. In the next five to ten years, I believe AIMS Cameroon will become a great teaching and more attractive research centre. Partnerships with state universities mean that a graduate of AIMS can now be accepted at higher levels in research laboratories at these universities. Also, the appointment of the research chair will attract more scholars to the centre.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Jan Govaerts Université Catholique de Louvain Lecturer at AIMS South Africa
AIMS is unique on the African continent in that it brings together and fully supports, for a ten-month period, an intensive programme of courses and a diverse group of young, aspiring African scientists, from essentially all African countries. These brilliant young minds then all live and work together at the institute. AIMS is entirely dedicated to learning andb sharing in the passion of striving for an evermore thorough and comprehensive understanding of the fascinating mysteries and challenging unity of science and technology, the natural world and the whole universe, from its smallest to its largest scales, whose governing principles are best expressed through the abstract concepts and language of mathematics The programmes on offer are also unique in that they evolve from one year to the next at each of the AIMS centres, exposing AIMS students to a variety of scientific and technological skills and knowledge through intensive skills and review courses, to be concluded by a supervised research project. Unique as well is that these courses are taught by lecturers and researchers from the world over, living for intensive three-week periods with the students, who then realise that they as well can aim for and achieve the ‘scientific stars’ of their own dreams through a life in science and on the African continent. Truly, AIMS is an embodiment par excellence, totally dedicated to the future of the African continent through its young generations, of Nelson Mandela’s forceful vision rooted in science’s genuine heritage and tradition. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” he said. What has remained is the founding spirit of AIMS, which, even more than emphasising the importance of mathematical sciences in achieving any lasting scientific and technological projects and the development that the African continent will bring forth this century through its young generations, is driven by the will to give all AIMS students ownership of their future and the fulfilment of their own aspirations. Thus, through science and technology, the embodiment of their own dreams will also leave a lasting impact on the development of their continent. What has changed is the expansion of the AIMS project into a continually growing number of AIMS centres throughout the continent, thereby adding, through its increasing diversity and variety of cultural, scientific and educational variations of ‘colourings’, to an ever-richer tapestry of genuine African flavours woven into the network of AIMS centres. This contributes to the expansion and establishment of the true African tradition of the scientific, cultural and human adventure.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Each AIMS student has his/her own unique and singular story, and personal history, with its difficulties, hardships and sometimes dramas, and yet with its vivid aspirations, dreams and unrelenting hopes for the future. Inspirational to me has always been students’ strong will and motivation, which finally brought them to an AIMS centre, and then all the hard work they put into achieving the goals set by their intensive courses and assignments, for which sometimes their prior scientific background has ill prepared them and yet makes them even more determined to understand and surpass themselves. Seeing them making such tremendous progress in just a few days is truly remarkable and inspirational. As any of the AIMS lecturers, one feels compelled to offer support, advice and encouragement in whatever way seems relevant, during a given course and afterwards, and sometimes still a number of years later. One rejoices in witnessing them pursue further their scientific path, through publications their progress in achieving their MSc and PhD degrees at different research centres and universities in the world. The first time I lectured at the first AIMS centre, what impressed me most and still stays with me is that, on arriving on a Saturday morning, even though only a few people were then present in the entrance hall, I immediately experienced, almost physically, a very special atmosphere, that of a genuine family – the AIMS family - and into which I was welcomed. Of course, throughout the years I have experienced many other best memories and unique people at AIMS, but certainly the AIMS family spirit is one of AIMS’ precious ‘secrets’. As an example, in October 2013, then as dean of my faculty of science, I was part of a Belgian economic mission to South Africa, and managed to convince the authorities of my university and some other members of that mission to visit AIMS. They were all truly moved and greatly impressed by the genuine enthusiasm of the AIMS spirit. I would like to mention the first AIMS director, Professor Fritz Hahne. Without his contributions to building the first AIMS centre and launching AIMS onto the African continent, AIMS would not be what it is today. I am convinced that we owe this precious ‘secret’ of the AIMS family spirit to Fritz Hahne, who always, in a most natural way, showed genuine attention and concern for each and every one of the AIMS students. The trend has been, little by little as it proves possible, to establish attached to each AIMS centre, also an AIMS research centre, since to achieve high-quality higher education such as that offered at AIMS needs to be organised in parallel to the pursuit of original scientific research of similarly high quality. Indeed, this is the raison d’être of modern research universities. Of course, given the local circumstances of universities in most sub-Saharan countries, in wanting to combine research and teaching within the context of AIMS centres, the road to take is that of such AIMS research centres, which are interwoven into the local university network. But in the longer term, in keeping true to AIMS’ founding spirit, in pursuing and building on the success and momentum of the growing network of AIMS centres and in securing AIMS relevance in the future of Africa, I believe that, little by little in the future, this research capacity parallel to AIMS centres should become interwoven more directly in each of the local university networks. This could be done by drawing on the capacity for research of excellence having been built up by then in the then already existing AIMS research centres, thereby building up capacity for research directly within the local university networks interwoven also within the network of AIMS centres throughout the African continent. As has already been initiated in South Africa, Senegal and now Cameroon through AIMS centres, the impact on local entrepreneurship and secondary education, for instance, will, thereby, only be the greater. FACES OF TRANSFORMATION
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Jan Groenewald IT Manager and Lecturer AIMS South Africa
What makes AIMS unique is the intimacy and laughter of the classes. The diverse group of people at AIMS rallies behind a common goal of learning. Our tagline changed from ‘Building science in Africa’ to ‘Connecting science with humanity’. The first is not abandoned, but maturing, while we explore a generalised vision for Africa’s place in, and contribution to, the world. We can now focus more on the direction of growth. Having great alumni come back as lecturers is very inspiring, showing that AIMS can sustain itself and grow to greater heights. Working on free and open source software for science and having support for that from the founder of AIMS, Prof. Neil Turok, has been an amazing opportunity to do what I believe in while teaching young, talented students. The most memorable moments occur each year when I welcome new students. AIMS is becoming a much larger family of scientists, and I anticipate the growing alumni body becoming more involved and influencing the direction of AIMS.
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MY EXPERIENCE AT AIMS
Prof. Nicola Mulder University of Cape Town Member of the AIMS South Africa Executive Team, an AIMS Associate Research Fellow and AIMS Master’s student research project supervisor.
AIMS is more like a family than just an academic institution. It brings together bright minds and opens new opportunities for them, at the same time forging lifetime friendships. The main evolution I have seen from a distance is the increasingly academic nature of AIMS South Africa, through which the diploma became a Master’s degree and more PhDs and postdocs have been encouraged to undertake their research at AIMS. Of course, key growth is reflected in the number of new AIMS centres across Africa. The interaction I have with two notable students who came from AIMS to do a PhD, then postdoc, then lectureship with me demonstrates this. I saw these students, Dr Gaston Mazandu and Dr Emile Chimusa, grow into exceptional academics and am constantly inspired by their hard-working attitude, enthusiasm and innovative ideas. I imagine AIMS growing and expanding further in Africa and becoming a prestigious institution at which to do cutting-edge research.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Patrick Dorey Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University Lecturer at AIMS centres in South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon. On the Academic Advisory Board for AIMS Ghana and an Associate Faculty Member of AIMS South Africa.
What makes AIMS unique is the enthusiasm and spirit of the students, who are always a pleasure not only to teach, but to learn from. I think AIMS has evolved quite a lot over the years. The initial ‘pioneering spirit’ I was so struck by when I first went to AIMS South Africa (when indeed it was the only AIMS centre) has changed as the centre has matured, with a larger cohort of students and an active research centre - it is definitely a largerscale operation than it was, and this has both pluses and minuses for a visiting lecturer. On the other hand, one gets the same feel of the early days of AIMS South Africa when visiting one of the newer centres, such as AIMS Ghana, Cameroon or Tanzania - not everything works immediately, but the positive attitude of the staff and students to getting round these local difficulties is wonderful to see, and the focus on learning, study and exploring ideas is just as intense as it ever was. I can mention one student, Frank, from my early years teaching at AIMS South Africa. After a rather tricky piece of the course (on the theory of solitons) describing an elegant though technical result called the Gardner transform, I was concerned that the point might have been missed - and was, therefore, particularly happy when Frank smiled broadly and said, in French: “Ah, he deserved the Field’s medal for that!”. The enthusiasm for mathematics seen in the students has not changed as the network has grown. Apart from the teaching, which is always a pleasure, going hiking with students and tutors at the weekends has always been memorable and enjoyable - for some, it is the first time to try such a thing and the sense of achievement on making it from AIMS to the Elephant Eye Cave, or the top of Table Mountain, is obvious - even if the suggestion on one occasion from one of the students after we saw a snake that we should burn the mountainside to flush out its friends had to be discouraged... There are many challenges, but I think it has now been established that AIMS centres can function all over Africa, and I anticipate that the number of countries involved will continue to grow. I hope that AIMS graduates will have a growing role in the new (and established) centres, and that the research centres will help to demonstrate that top-quality work in the mathematical sciences can be done all over the continent.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Dr Paul Taylor Staff Scientist, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), US Lecturer and Researcher at AIMS South Africa
The education at AIMS is centred around problem solving. This creates an environment to encourage curiosity and exploration rather than focusing on grades. Importantly, this mindset can carry on outside the classroom and continue to be used by students in their further work and lives. I suspect that this emphasis has been a large part of AIMS’ growth as well, attracting problem solvers to manage, lecture and be involved with AIMS. These people have been able to overcome the many challenges that have arisen over time and to help the network grow and thrive. The physical structure of AIMS used to be a single building where a group of students came together to learn. Now, there are six institutes across the continent, with growing research centres and teacher training programmes, and offices on several continents - the numbers of physical structures and people involved have increased tremendously. Throughout all of this growth, the style of education and interaction have remained nearly constant. That is why the network has continued to thrive, why so many people have stayed involved for so long, and why so many students have returned to tutor and lecture. Each centre is unique, but remains a consistently special environment. There are simply too many highlights to choose from. I enjoy being able to run into AIMS alums around Cape Town, or to catch up with them when they return to visit AIMS. I’ve travelled to conferences and met up with former students, met their spouses and their children. I’ve had former students take me out to lunch where they now work. It’s nice to get reference letter requests as they continue studies and jobs, as well as general update emails out of the blue. The ‘real world’ outside of AIMS is challenging, and it is encouraging to see the many varied paths that graduates have made (and are making) for themselves. I am glad that so many of the conversations that start at AIMS continue. When I was tutoring at AIMS, there was a particular student who struggled quite a lot in the first couple of months during the skills courses. He worked hard, but the material and perhaps style of coursework were all very new. I was quite worried about him being able to finish the year. Sometime during the review courses, he dropped by my office and I asked him about the latest assignment problems. He described how the problem would be approached using methods from
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
the lectures, but then described how he viewed it and how he managed to solve it - he had really understood the question and material deeply on a number of levels. I probably showed my surprise more than I should have, but I commented on how well he seemed to understand the problem. He chuckled a bit, and said that lately the courses were just starting to make more sense and he felt more comfortable in them. This is really the best aspect of AIMS - it challenges students and allows them come to terms with a new way of approaching problems. Seeing a large number of students embrace that and develop themselves, particularly after struggling for a while, is quite special. It is a full educational experience for all involved. AIMS is a long-term project. One goal is to enrich the students’ lives in ways that carry on after that very full year and into any aspect of their lives: studies, work or family. Another goal is that they pass on those skills and their ‘problem-solving curiosity’ to others around them. In the next five to ten years, I picture more and more alumni coming back to AIMS to lecture. I see alumni sending their own students to attend AIMS - some will even be sending their own children. Some will be offering graduate positions and internships to the next generation of AIMS alumni. This is already starting to happen, and these are all signs that AIMS is succeeding and will continue to flourish. As the numbers grow, it points to the broader impact of AIMS, and that is truly exciting.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Rafael Nepomechie University of Miami Lecturer at AIMS South Africa
What makes AIMS so special for me is the students’ diversity and incredible motivation, and the strong sense of community and acceptance that is shared by students, tutors, staff and lecturers alike. Coming to AIMS is like coming home to a welcoming family, where everyone is working hard to achieve a common goal. Some of the best things about AIMS have not changed, such as some of the amazing and dedicated staff (Jan, Igsan, Lynne and A’eeda, among others, who have been there since my first time in 2008), and the quality and character of the students. There have been some improvements, such as the food and the laundry arrangements. Many students now have their own computers - the downside is that they sometimes don’t work in the computer lab, which makes them hard for lecturers to find! The genuine appreciation expressed by my students (for example, in their end-of-block speeches and personal notes) has invariably been incredibly moving and emotional for me. It takes considerable effort to carve out time to teach at AIMS, but knowing that I am making a difference makes this effort worthwhile, and is what keeps me coming back. I have had so many different and wonderful experiences at AIMS that it is impossible to choose one as ‘best’. But highlights include seeing my students Talin (2009/10) and Audace (2015/16) solve really challenging problems even before I lectured on the subjects; being asked incisive questions by Paul (2009/10); listening to Mirette (2012-13) make a brilliant class presentation, and to Valisoa (2012/13) give a sophisticated math seminar in Malagasy at the research centre on a Saturday morning; my exceptional tutor Paul (2008/09), and going with him and Frances (the dedicated and much-loved English teacher for many years) to concerts in Cape Town; a trip with students to Robben Island (2009/10); hiking with students, tutors and other lecturers around Muizenberg and Table Mountain; and a mountaineering adventure with my tutors near Stellensbosch (2012/13), where I ended up with a few stitches! I hope that the many other activities of AIMS (the research centre, the industry initiative, AIMSSEC etc) will continue to grow and become better integrated with the Master’s programme; and that AIMS South Africa will become better integrated with the other AIMS centres and with neighbouring academic institutions. However, I hope that the master’s programme does not grow much more, so that it does not lose its unique character.
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MY EXPERIENCE LECTURING AT AIMS
Prof. Stéphane Ouvry University of Paris-Sud-XI Member of the AIMS South Africa Council Lecturer at AIMS South Africa
AIMS is an African melting pot in the international scientific league. It has developed immensely in scope and outreach, but the basic foundations remain unchanged, i.e education by science in a panAfrican setting with high-level scientists. My fondest memory is from my first year at AIMS South Africa in January 2010. A Sudanese student following my course was somewhat unprepared, shy and visibly struggling to catch up scientifically. He suggested that I join them for a visit to Robben Island. I discovered during the tour that he had already been to see the island, but he wanted to go again to have the opportunity to express how happy, proud and utterly thankful he was to be at AIMS and to follow my course.
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REMEMBERING AIMS IN THE EARLY DAYS
irene Tamajong Director of AIMS-NEI UK and Student & Alumni Relations
AIMS to me is infectious! And I mean this in a positive sense. I caught the AIMS bug, some call it passion, when I joined AIMS back in May 2012. I moved to Cape Town only because I resonated with the mission. I did not know what to expect, but was certain that knowledge is power and too many underprivileged Africans lack(ed) the opportunity to get a good education. Although other organisations have tried to do similar work, AIMS has succeeded in breaking the shackles of bureaucracy and hierarchy that distract from a vision - for me, this is a unique quality and achievement. AIMS has evolved since 2012 at the speed of Usain Bolt! So much has changed - growth in the number of major funders, new centres (from two to six over four years), a growing staff body, and an evolving secretariat, from its modest residence in Muizenberg through serviced offices in Cape Town to flagship headquarters in Kigali, just to name a few. Despite these lightning-speed changes, the vision and mission of AIMS have not been compromised. AIMS is still about leading the transformation of Africa through innovative science, and enabling Africa’s brightest youths to flourish as independent thinkers and problem solvers. The Global Alumni Reunion (GAR) in 2013 in Cape Town presented many interactions, the most compelling for me being the story of a young Rwandese who had lost family members to the genocide. I first saw her at AIMS Senegal, where she graduated, and then at the GAR. In spite of her background and the genocide, she had transformed into a brilliant and cheerful individual. Not only did she excel in her studies, but she was eloquent in her participation on discussion panels and in talking about her future in physics and cosmology. She is also a brilliant composer, musician and singer – she wowed the audience at GAR with a rendition of one of her pieces. She made a huge impact on me and I felt truly humbled that she had been able to ‘keep her chin up’ and get on with life so remarkably! In difficult times, I usually think of her and then ‘get on with it’. Again, GAR was a fantastically successful event that made me appreciate first-hand how AIMS is transforming the lives of many young Africans and instilling in them a sense of purpose and confidence. The event attracted AIMS students, alumni from around the world, AIMS staff and board members, but, more importantly, existing and new funders. Every alumnus who attended, including those from the pioneer batch of 2003/04 told a positive story. They contributed enormously to the many science panels and ended the reunion with the creation of the AIMS alumnus Association.
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REMEMBERING AIMS IN THE EARLY DAYS
In the next five to ten years, I expect the current number of centres of excellence to have doubled - training at some 3000 students a year; the growth of research centres alongside every AIMS centre in the network; the recognition of the NEF as the African representation of science on the continent; the development and establishment of other AIMS initiatives, including the AIMS industry initiative, the Quantum Leap Africa Research Institute, to name only a few. AIMS would be the ‘go to’ institution for international organisations and funders looking for science partners in Africa or to extend their scientific activity and support on the continent – this is already happening.
PARTNERS
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
FUNDING PARTNERS
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INDEX
Surname
Name
Page
Surname
Name
Abass
Sara
28
Mbah
Martial Loth Ndeffo
Agyingi
Collins Amburo
73
Misere
Anne Akoth
Ahlin
Ekoutiame Ahlonkor
69
Misere
Grace Omollo
Page 45 51 51,76
Ahmed
Hind
26
Muchatibaya
Gift
20
Akinlotan
Morenikeji Deborah
46
Mugwagwa
Tendai
48
Ali Alhassan
Amel Shamseldeen
19
Mulder
Nicola
91
Amare
Gizat Derebe
75
Mundia
Tabitha Gathoni
33
Andriamaro
Gaelle
60
Nasejje
Justine
70
Azalekor
Abla Mawussi
55
Nepomechie
Rafael
95
Beardon
Alan
83
Ngabonziza
Prosper
65
Bekele
Bewketu Teshale
36
Ngakeu
Ferdinand
87
Bruce-Ah Shene
Faikah
42
Nuwagaba
Savannah
47
Chinyere
Ihechukwu
77
Nyirenda
Darlison
57
Crimi
Alessandro
84
Olaoye
Olufemi Opeyemi
63
Degaga
Eleni Kinfe
39
Osaye
Fadekemi Janet
81
Diagne
Mbouye Khady
62
Osman
Faris Mohammed
58
Doku
Jonathan Kwame
61
Ouvry
Stéphane
96
Dorey
Patrick
92
Rabarison
Fabien
Dushime
Olive
14
Rugamika
Emile Chimusa
El Ghandour
Laila
27
Schroers
Bernd
86
Elbushra
Ahmed Eltayeb
18
Solana
Wole
67
El-Sakout
Doaa
25
Takane
Mpeli Alice
21
Govaerts
Jan
88
Tall
Amadou
85
Groenewald
Jan
90
Tamajong
Irene
97
Ikuzwe
Alice
23
Tambue
Antoine
24
Kateregga
Michael
32
Taylor
Paul
93
Kimpolo
Charles Lebon Mberi
56
Torgbor
Francis Feehi
16
Kouevi
Assionvi Hove
72
Tsinampoizina
Sophie
15
Lougue
Siaka
66
Ujeneza
Eva Liliane
41
Lutambi
Angelina
35
Utazirubanda
Jean Claude
44
Malm
James
31
Uwizeye
Clarisse
38
Marijani
Theresia
49
Yinka-Banjo
Chika
53
Mazandu
Gaston
43,91
Zongo
Sidiki
78
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MILESTONES
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We are excited about what’s in store for Africa in the next decade and beyond. We are confident that Africa’s youth will not only be catalysts of change for the continent but for the world. They are changing Africa’s narrative for the better, contributing ideas and unique solutions to the continent’s challenges. We look forward to continuing to invest in Africa’s youth through a unique and impactful education model that ensures they go beyond mere “potential”.
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AIMS thanks its partners for their support in ensuring Africa's youth fulfill their potential as the continent's biggest assets through mathematical sciences. Our heartfelt thanks to the AIMS International Board of Directors for their exceptional guidance and support. Many thanks to AIMS' dedicated team of staff, consultants, lecturers, tutors, volunteers and friends for their contribution to achieving the organisation's vision. Most of all, thanks to all AIMS students and alumni, for their enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge and dedication to the transformation of Africa through mathematical sciences.
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angent lines: inmplicity defi ) +PROFILES fy(x0,y0) (y−y ) = 0 2 0 E=mc relativity
