AIMS NEI Newsletter FEB 2014 ENGLISH 2014-02-10 7:31 AM Page 1
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AIMS NEI Newsletter FEB 2014 ENGLISH 2014-02-10 7:31 AM Page 1 February 2014 Network News Note from the Executive Director AIMS Welcomes 2014! On behalf of the AIMS Global Secretariat, I want to thank you for an exceptional 2013. IMS celebrated its tenth anniversary with an AIMS network is foundational in developing the comprehensive approach the incredibly successful Global Alumni Reunion in network seeks to establish for its research portfolio and agenda. Both the Robert ACape Town, South Africa, and a special event in Bosch Foundation and IDRC funded programs are focused on global research Ottawa, Canada hosted by the International Development opportunities for Africans to start or develop research groups focused on Research Centre (IDRC) under the auspices of the Governor General His Excellency development. These major external funding partners, along with the very David Johnston. We also announced The Next Einstein Forum 2015 – Connecting important funding from our host governments, are essential in enabling the Science to Humanity, which will provide a global platform for scientists to share network to achieve its vision and mission. their work and encourage young African scientists by opening avenues for In 2013 the African Union (AU) adopted its 2014-2017 strategic plan and partnership both at the individual and institutional levels. We also launched the AIMS is proud to be in full alignment, specifically with Pillar #1 for human capacity AIMS Industry Initiative, a program that bridges the gap between academia and development focusing on health, education, science, research, technology and industry through the introduction of relevant curriculum, job and internship innovation. We begin 2014 with the announcement of the AU’s Agenda 2063, opportunities, and industrial research opportunities. Unity, Prosperity & Peace - a 50-year vision which calls for action from all segments We opened a new centre, AIMS-Cameroon, in October 2013, bringing the of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa. total number of AIMS centres of excellence to four, with a fifth centre in Tanzania Education in Mathematical Sciences is essential for its success. expected to open this year. We are swiftly on our way to establishing 15 centres of As we begin a new year, let us continue to celebrate the life of Nelson excellence spanning Africa by 2023. Mandela. His vision of an educated, peaceful and sustainable Africa is never far The President of Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, visited AIMS-Senegal, from our hearts and minds. We resolve to take his dynamism and enthusiasm for endorsing his government’s commitment to our work and demonstrating the Africa’s youth and honour his memory by building a generational wave of African growing trend of African governments’ recognition of the role of Science, scientific minds that will lead the continent towards a sustainable, peaceful and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for the transformation of Africa. just future. The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) joined Canada’s I want to take this opportunity to thank all AIMS staff, our board members, IDRC and came on board to support two additional centres and contribute to the lecturers, tutors, students, Alumni and our partners for making 2013 a resounding enhancement of the AIMS curriculum and learning environment, enabling us to success. strengthen our contribution for the youth in Africa to build strong, meaningful and With best wishes for 2014. sustainable careers through a smooth school-to-work transition. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)/Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship is funding a Research Chair in Mathematics and its Applications at AIMS-Senegal. The Sincerely, Robert Bosch Foundation in Germany, in addition to its support for the Global Thierry Zomahoun Alumni Reunion, will be providing resources to launch a new Junior Research Chair program geared towards facilitating the return to Africa of its research capacity in the diaspora. This is alongside IDRC whose commitment to research within the IN THIS ISSUE... AIMS-NEI VISION:Leading the transformation of Africa through innovative scientific training, technical advances and breakthrough discoveries which benefit the whole of society. 1 Note from the 2 Official Opening 3 Network News 9 New Staff Executive Director AIMS-Cameroon 8 Alumni 10 AIMS in the Media 9 Research www.nexteinstein.org EXCELLENCE • RESPECT • PAN-AFRICANISM • INTEGRITY AIMS NEI Newsletter FEB 2014 ENGLISH 2014-02-10 7:31 AM Page 2 Official Opening African Institute for AIMS-Cameroon Mathematical Sciences AIMS CAMEROON AIMS-Cameroon is celebrating its inception with official opening celebrations on February 18th, 2014 he event will be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon and will draw pre-eminent scholars, politicians and supporters from across the country and the globe. The proceedings Twill be presided over by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. AIMS-Cameroon would not have been possible without the cooperation and generosity of the Cameroonian government. This celebration falls one year after the President confirmed his commitment to host the AIMS Centre. At Youth Day, on February 10th, 2013, President Paul Biya stated: “It would be paradoxical that in Cameroon, teachers are not given their rightful place whereas the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences is planning to establish a Centre of Excellence in our country to build the capacity of our scientific community. This mark of trust by a prestigious knowledge institution should not only consolidate our own trust in ourselves, but also spur our youth to choose studies in the scientific and technical fields in which they are naturally gifted.” The following renowned academics will also be celebrating the creation of this new Centre: AIMS-Cameroon Cédric Villani (www.ted.com) and a “Most Innovative People” Cédric Villani is a French award at the 2008 World Summit on Innovation and welcomes guests mathematician working primarily Entrepreneurship (WSIE). of honour on partial differential equations and mathematical physics. He was Thierry Zomahoun AIMS-Cameroon is honoured to welcome awarded the Fields Medal in 2010. Thierry Zomahoun is a global Nobel Prize Laureates and Field Medallists development leader and the Paul Pavel Wiegman Executive Director Director of the as well as other distinguished academics to Paul B. Wiegmann (Павел African Institute for Mathematical the event. Борисович Вигман) is a Russian Sciences (AIMS) and a global physicist. He is the Robert W. development leader. He is leading the AIMS The following Nobel Laureates will be Reneker Distinguished Service groundbreaking initiative, called Next Einstein honouring Cameroon during the official launch: Professor in the Department of Initiative, for an innovative mathematical sciences Physics at the University of Chicago, James Franck education program across Africa. He is a graduate of Klaus von Kiltzing Institute and Enrico Fermi Institute. the National University of Benin, University of Klaus von Klitzing is a German Geneva in Switzerland and McGill University in Howard Alper physicist known for discovery of Canada. Howard Alper is the Chair of the the integer quantum Hall Effect, for Science, Technology, and Barry Green which he was awarded the 1985 Innovation Council in CANADA. Dr. Barry Green is the Director of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Alper is the recipient of a number of African Institute for Mathematical Davis Gross prestigious awards, such as the the Sciences (AIMS-South Africa) and David Jonathan Gross is an Alcan Award for Inorganic Chemistry (1986), the the Chief Academic Officer for the American particle physicist and Bader Award for Organic Chemistry (1990), and the African Institute for Mathematical string theorist. Along with Frank Steacie Award for Chemistry (1993), all from the Sciences Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS NEI). Prof. Wilczekand David Politzer, he was Canadian Society for Chemistry. Green was appointed the second Director of awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in AIMS-South Africa in April 2010. He is a member of Neil Turok Physics for their discovery of asymptotic freedom. the Board of the AIMS-Next Einstein Initiative and Dr. Neil Turok is the Founder of on the Advisory Board of the Pan African Centre for AIMS, and the Director of The Mathematics in Dar Es Salaam. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Dr. Turok was recently awarded a prestigious TED Prize 2 AIMS NEI Newsletter FEB 2014 ENGLISH 2014-02-10 7:31 AM Page 3 Network News Below: AIMS-Cameroon Students AIMS-Cameroon Cameroon’s Minister of Higher Education Visits latest AIMS centre Prof. Fame Ndongo at AIMS-Cameroon. ithin two weeks of AIMS’ latest centre opening, the Minister of Higher Education Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo visited the AIMS Wcentre in Limbe. The Minister was accompanied by the Vice-Chancellor of Buea University and an entourage of officials from South West Region on Oct. 23. The Executive Director of AIMS-Cameroon gave a tour to the delegation and thanked the government for its involvement in the project through financial support and the donation of land. Minister Ndongo emphasized how much progress has already been made, and confirmed the government’s commitment to AIMS-Cameroon’s success. He noted that both the President and Prime Minister of Cameroon are aware of this initiative and promised to honour all financial and material support. AIMS-Cameroon • And Then There AIMS-Senegal Presidential Were Four: visit to AIMS- AIMS-Cameroon Becomes Latest Centre Senegal of Excellence in Mathematical Sciences closes out The AIMS - Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) opened its fourth 2013 H.E. President Macky Sall centre, AIMS-Cameroon, on October 7, 2013. The training and Senegal’s academic and scientific luminaries were joined by the research centre is located in Limbe in the South West Region of leaders of government, diplomatic corps, students and AIMS staff to the Central African nation. greet His Excellency Mackey Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal. ameroon’s Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, presided over the opening ceremony with many other local officials.