FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT on the Proposal of the Government Of

FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT

On the proposal of the Government of Ghana to establish the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-GHANA) As a category 2 institute under the auspices of UNESCO

Ghana, 19-23 May 2017

By: Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga SC/PCB

CONSIDERATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED CENTRE

ESTABLISHMENT IN BIRIWA, GHANA, OF THE AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES (AIMS-GHANA) AS A CATEGORY 2 CENTRE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF UNESCO

SUMMARY

In response to the request of the Government of Ghana to establish the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-Ghana) as a Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO, a feasibility study mission was undertaken in Ghana from 19 to 23 May 2017 by Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga (SC/PCB) to evaluate the feasibility and relevance of the proposed Category 2 Institute.

Before the feasibility mission, a desk audit based on the Annual report of AIMS, the Strategy Document agreed upon between the Government of Ghana and AIMS, and the website of AIMS, together with the findings of the feasibility study missions provided the main purpose of the centre, which is to be a Pan-African centre of excellence in education and research for talented students from all over Africa. Specifically, it aims to:

1. prepare young African scientists for careers in mathematical sciences;

2. build capacity for African initiatives in education, research, and technology;

3. equip Africans with knowledge and skills needed to solve key issues of development in Africa;

4. provide an innovative and relevant curriculum within a unique 24-hour learning environment.

5. increase, through teachers’ training programmes, the pipeline of students progressing into secondary and tertiary mathematical education, and to address the drop-out rate of mathematics students at all levels.

The scope of the Institute is mainly regional and will contribute to the achievement of the Africa Global Priority of UNESCO. Additional specificities of the proposed Institute will be its dedication to stimulate innovation by providing a favorable environment for scientific cre- ativity, ICTs development, and entrepreneurship skill-building.

The present document details the findings of the feasibility study and provides the scientific and institutional rationale behind the proposal of the Government of Ghana. The feasibility study was undertaken in accordance with the Integrated Comprehensive Strategy (37 C/18) approved by the General Conference at its 37th session.

CONSIDERATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED INSTITUTE

Introduction and Background

1. The Government of Ghana has proposed the establishment, in Biriwa, Ghana, of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-Ghana) as a Cate- gory 2 Institute, under the auspices of UNESCO, to promote excellence in the mathematical sciences and applications among brilliant African students, through innovative teaching and learning methodologies while using an interdisciplinary approach.

2. It is within this context that a feasibility study mission was undertaken in Ghana by Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga (SC/PCB) to provide findings on the scientific and institutional rationale behind this proposal. The feasibility study mission has also allowed the evaluation of the existing infrastructures of the centre, the programmes implemented by the centre, as well as permitted discussion with the current staff and students of the centre. Several meetings were held with officials of the Ministry of Education, the National Commission for UNESCO, the Univeristy of Legon, and of the AIMS-Ghana ; in particular with:

• H.E. Mr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister of Education • Edward Ayensu, Former Senior Advisor to the President of the Afri- can Development Bank • Thierry Zomahoun, CEO of AIMS • Francis Allotey, President of AIMs-Ghana • Moulaye Camara, Global Group Director of Operations of AIMS • Emmanuel Kessel, Director of AIMS-Ghana • Riche-Mike Wellington, Secretary-General of the Ghanaian National Commission for UNESCO.

3. Based on the feasibility study mission, it was clear that the vision of AIMS- Ghana is based on the following pillars:

a) Science and technology are powerful forces for progress in global society and the global economy. For Africa to benefit fully from these forces it must build a strong indigenous capacity in both.

b) Basic sciences, especially mathematical sciences, underpin most of modern life - information and communication technology, genetics, medicine, finance, demographics and planning. Without mathematical training, Africans will be un- able to access the full power of new technologies to solve their countries' concerns.

c) Through its graduate programme and public outreach activities, AIMS- Ghana influences students' choices at the basic school and university level, drawing bright young Africans into mathematical and scientific careers.

d) Africa’s greatest resource is its people. Education empowers talented young people to contribute to their countries’ development, and is therefore the most effective investment in Africa’s future.

The main objective of the proposed Category 2 Institute is to provide a high-standard of scientific and educational platforms for the development of the basic sciences and STEM education and research, intellectual and creative development, and support to the scientific potential of African youth, in view of the sustainable growth and development of the continent.

4. The Institute cooperates with higher education institutions, scientific establish- ments, and public entities; private structures - such as the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Herriot Watt University, Durham University, Nanyang Technological University and Kalstadt Univer- sity - contribute to the successful realization of its mission. The proposed Institute is also keen on extending its collaboration with the huge network of UNESCO Category 2 Centres and Institutes, ICTP, TWAS, UNESCO Chairs and the different affiliated centres in the domain of the basic sciences and STEM education, especially the ones located in Africa.

5. In response to this very timely and well defined proposal of establishment of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-Ghana) as a Category 2 Institute, under the auspices of UNESCO, the Director-General gave her ap- proval for the feasibility study mission to assess the relevance, scope, objectives, strategies and governance of the proposed Institute, and its intended collaborative relationship with UNESCO.

6. The feasibility study was undertaken on 19-23 May 2017 in Ghana and was car- ried out in coordination with the Ghanaian National Commission for UNESCO. The feasibility study arrived to the conclusion that AIMS-Ghana meets all the criteria to become a Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO.

Objectives of the Institute

7. The purpose of the proposed Institute is to train talented, young African scientists in mathematical science and its application within society. The Institute in- tends to cover a broad spectrum of activities in STEM education and research, with a gender- and environment-responsive design. The Institute will also promote innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and learning methodologies, while improving the quality of science teaching and learning processes in all schools. As a result, AIMS-Ghana will contribute to the development of innovative and communication skills in science, preparing African youth to enter the challenging world of entrepreneurship.

More specifically, the objectives of the proposed Institute are as follows: • prepare young African scientists for careers in mathematical sciences, with an emphasis on the societal concerns of the African continent;

• build capacity for African initiatives in science education, research, and technology;

• equip Africans with the knowledge and skills needed to solve key issues of development in Africa;

• provide the region with a favorable environment for capacity development in the basic sciences;

• promote scientific excellence and innovation by developing new methodologies and practical tools for experimentation, and to bolster STEM education and research on national and regional levels;

• implement the necessary structures for self-sufficiency of scientific knowledge, experimental equipment, and other science teaching materials to make science teaching more practical;

• establish a platform for innovation, knowledge-building, information and experiences exchange in the mathematical sciences, in collaboration with associated training and research institutions;

• encourage learners, particularly girls and boys, to enter STEM fields;

• foster the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge and skills in Africa.

8. The functions of the proposed Institute shall be mainly to train students in mathematical sciences and provide innovative curriculum adapted to the needs of Ghana and Africa. Provide opportunities for regional capacity development, with a focus on STEM education and research for talented African women and men.

Name of the Institute, location and infrastructure

9. The name of the Category 2 Institute should read as follows: African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-Ghana) - Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO.

10. The proposed Institute will use the existing and future infrastructures of AIMS-Ghana, which is currently located in the scenic coastal town of Biriwa in the Central Region at approximately 140km west of Accra, Ghana. The campus of AIMS-Ghana includes a building and the necessary scientific and communication facilities. All complementary infrastructural costs will be cov- ered by the Government of Ghana.

Legal status and mode of operating

11. AIMS-Ghana detains an independent legal status. The financial resources needed for the establishment, functioning and activities of the proposed In- stitute are provided by the Government of Ghana.

Governance

12. The Institute shall be managed by a Governing Board, whose term will be renewed every six years. The Governing Board should include representatives of the Government of Ghana, the AIMS network, UNESCO’s Interna- tional Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP), and any Member States of UNESCO willing to be part of the Institute that have sent to the Institute a notification for membership. The Governing Board should be composed of:

(i) one representatives of the Government of Ghana;

(ii) one representative of the AIMS network;

(iii) five representatives of AIMS-Ghana;

(iv) one representative of UNESCO’s International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP), appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO;

(v) One representative per Member State that has sent the Institute notification for membership, in accordance with the stipulations of Article 10, paragraph 2 of the draft model agreement, and that has expressed the wish to be represented on the Governing Board.

13. The Governing Board shall: (i) Approve the long-term and medium-term strategy and programmes of the Institute.

(ii) Approve the budget and the annual work plan of the Institute, including the staffing table.

(iii) Examine the annual reports submitted by the President of the Institute, including a biennial self-assessment of the Institute’s contribution to UNESCO’s programme objectives, in particular those of the IBSP.

(iv) Examine the periodic independent audit reports of the financial statements of the Institute and monitor the provision of the accounting records necessary for the preparation of financial statements.

(v) Adopt the rules and regulations and determine the financial, administrative and personnel management procedures of the Institute in accordance with the laws of the country.

(vi) Decide on the participation of regional intergovernmental organizations and international organizations in the work of the Institute.

(vii) Adopt its own rules of procedure. For its first meeting the procedure shall be established by the Government of Ghana, UNESCO and AIMS Next Einstein Initiative.

14. The Governing Board shall meet in ordinary session at regular intervals, at least once every calendar year. It shall meet in extraordinary session if convened by its Chairperson, either on his or her own initiative, at the request of the Director-General of UNESCO or at the request of two-thirds of its members. The Category 2 Institute shall bear the cost of organizing the meetings of the Governing Board.

Financial matters and sustainability

15. Contribution of the Government

The Government shall:

(i) Provide all the resources, either financial or in kind, needed for the admin- istration and proper operation of the Institute. These financial resources

shall be in the form of an annual budget allocated by the Government of Ghana.

(ii) Make available to the Institute the operating subsidies and staff salary cost subsidies granted each year by the Government.

(iii) Bear the full cost of providing adequate educational infrastructure and equipment for the Institute.

Other sources of funding may however also be forthcoming from financial contribu- tions, especially from other Member States or private entities.

Financial and administrative implications for UNESCO

16. UNESCO has no financial obligations or accountability for the operation and management of the Institute and shall not provide financial support for administrative costs. However, UNESCO may provide assistance, as and when needed, in the form of technical assistance for the programme activities of the Institute, in accordance with the strategic goals and objectives of UNESCO by: (i) Providing the assistance of its experts in the specialized fields, namely mathematical sciences, to the Institute.

(ii) Engaging in temporary staff exchanges when appropriate, whereby the staff concerned will remain on the payroll of the dispatching organizations.

(iii) Seconding members of its staff temporarily, as may be decided by the Di- rector-General on an exceptional basis if justified by the implementation of a joint activity/project within a strategic programme priority area.

In all the cases listed above, such assistance shall not be undertaken except within the provisions of UNESCO’s programme and budget, and UNESCO will provide Mem- ber States with accounts relating to the use of its staff and associated costs.

Links and areas of cooperation with UNESCO

17. AIMS-Ghana will be embedded in the UNESCO’s network of Category 2 Centres and Institutes and will enjoy taking part of UNESCO activities in the basic sciences and STEM education and research. AIMS-Ghana will also closely cooperate with UNESCO, especially the International Basic Sciences Programme, in developing mathematical sciences and STEM education and research resources and activities and teacher training, contributing to UNESCO’s actions towards building national, regional and international capacities in science, in line with the UNESCP priority for Af- rica. The Institute will certainly contribute to the achievement of SDG 9 (Innovation and Scientific Infrastructure), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 3 (Gender Equality) and SDG 1 (Ending Poverty) set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable De- velopment.

18. AIMS-Ghana will seek to build partnerships and collaborations with relevant UNESCO partners, among these the networks of UNESCO Chairs and Category 2 Centers and Institutes in the basic and engineering sciences and science education, and other specialized institutions and networks of excellence.

19. AIMS-Ghana will cooperate with UNESCO in developing activities in the STEM education and research areas, including science teaching materials and in contributing to the work of the Organization in promoting science learning and teaching at national,

sub-regional and regional levels. All these in order to reduce the deficit in schooling in the mathematical sciences and to foster the blossoming of talented young African scientists.

20. The work of the AIMS-Ghana in the region and sub-region will make a substantial contribution to the strategic objectives of the Major Programme II (MPII): Natural Sci- ences, and Main Line of Action (MLA) 2: Building institutional capacities in sciences and engineering. AIMS-Ghana’s activities will encompass an interdisciplinary approach in research and the teaching of mathematics that has increasingly become the basis for programmes’ action within the context of the International Basic Sciences Programme.

21. The Organization also will facilitate AIMS-Ghana students to get into masters programmes of its partners, such as the one proposed by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) based in Dubna, Russian Federation, or by any other UNESCO Cat- egory 2 Centres or Chairs in the basic sciences.

Results expected from UNESCO’s contribution

22. Where appropriate, UNESCO will provide technical assistance in the form of its experts and policy advice in the specialized fields of AIMS-Ghana. UNESCO will also make available its networks in the sciences, as well as the Scientific Board of IBSP in the development of collaborative projects in mathematical sciences and STEM education and research. UNESCO will, where appropriate, promote the activities of AIMS- Ghana and facilitate partnerships and cooperation with other countries in the region and beyond. The Organization finally will assist AIMS-Ghana in achieving its objectives through fostering collaboration with its partners, UNESCO Category 2 Centres and Institutes and other centres of excellence worldwide.

Conclusion:

The feasibility study concludes that the AIMS-Ghana meets all the criteria to become a category 2 Institute, under the auspices of UNESCO.