Category: Rwanda

KIGALI, Rwanda, December 4, 2020, 

Scientists, researchers, delegates and key decision makers from Africa and around the globe will convene for the the first-ever virtual edition of the Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering (NEF-GG), Africa’s largest scientific gathering from 8-10 December 2020. this year’s event will take place through the  Airmeet video conferencing platform. 

With a focus on identifying ways to strengthen Africa’s scientific future, this year’s conference will address science leadership in combating pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, building resilient educational systems, the crucial role of the digital economy and youth employment among other issues.

On the topic of Finding the Next Einstein – Africa, leading the world in scientific discovery, AIMS Founder and Board ChairProf Neil Turok will be joined by other leading global voices in the innovation and policy ecosystem to discuss pathways to a scientifically self-sufficient Africa.This will be followed closely by IRCAD France President, Prof Jacques Marescaux’s session on Mathematics and the future of surgery, alongside the summit’s signature NEF Fellows Spotlight sessions.

NEF-GG 2020 will also feature plenary and breakout sessions like the contribution of Mathematical Sciences in supporting robust disease prevention, how to tap into the virtual workforce and COVID-19 innovations from Africa.

Meet some of the speakers

Hon Dr Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education, Rwanda, will be speaking on disruptive thinking for resilient educational systems.

Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali, will be speaking on innovative partnerships and economic resilience amid health crises.

Prof Caucher Birkar, a Fields Medalist, will be speaking on mathematics for a better world.

Prof Loyiso Nyongxa, Vice-President, International Mathematical Union, will equally be moderating the panel on mathematics for a better world.

Dr Dunstan Matekenya, Data Scientist, World Bank will be speaking on Big Data Innovations for COVID-19 in Africa.

Dr Kommy Weldemariam, Chief Scientist, IBM Research Africa Labs (NEF Fellow) will be sharing an overview on the state of Africa on digitization, skills development and infrastructure.

Hennie Bester, Insight 2 Impact Lead/CENFR, will be moderating the conversation on digitization, skills development and infrastructure.

Dr Eliane Ubalijoro, Deputy Executive Director, Global Open Data in Agriculture and Nutrition, will be speaking on digitization, as well as innovative partnerships and economic resilience amid health crises.

The biennial NEF Global Gatherings are the NEF’s marquee event. Far from an ordinary science forum, the NEF Global Gatherings position science at the centre of global development efforts. In the presence of scientists (Nobel Prize and Field Medal laureates), political and industry leaders, civil society and media, and with a strong focus on youth and women, the voices of global science leaders have the opportunity to be heard and to have a significant impact on Africa’s scientific future. 

About AIMS

Founded in 2003, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centres of excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, research and public engagement in STEM. With centres in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and Rwanda, AIMS is leading Africa’s socio-economic transformation through innovative scientific training, cutting-edge research, and public engagement. With expertly tailored academic and non-academic programs spanning through Centres of Excellence, Research Centres, the AIMS Industry Initiative and Gender-Responsive Teacher Training, AIMS equally created two critical initiatives: Quantum Leap Africa, which aspires to do leading-edge research in quantum science, and the Next Einstein Forum, which is positioning Africa to become an important player in global science. For more information, visit www.nexteinstein.org.

More at nef.org

Twitter: @NextEinsteinFor 

Facebook: NextEinsteinForum

Media Contact

Dr Layih Butake

Senior Outreach Manager & Acting Director of Communications, AIMS

Lbutake@nexteinstein.org

Kigali, November 23 2020 – Today, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), together with Portia Ltd, will host a virtual ceremony to kick off the 18^th Gender Summit (GS18). Organized on the side lines of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) and under the framework of the Gender Summit Africa series, GS18 will run from November 23 to December 02 under the theme of “Agriculture through the Gender Lens: From Surviving to Thriving in a Climate Changing World”.  “Our commitment to scientific excellence goes hand in hand with a deliberate approach to promote gender equity and inclusion, dovetailing with SDG 5 which sets out to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, said Lydie Hakizimana, AIMS CEO. “To apprehend issues affecting men and women unequally, we work to ensure that our programs are gender-sensitive, by making gender mainstream across all our initiatives. Ensuring fuller participation of African women in research, innovation and development is one of the objectives of the Gender Summit and the most efficient way to create the knowledge needed to build smart and fair innovation ecosystems in Africa, and for Africa,” she said. “The 18^th Gender Summit will demonstrate the importance of advancing gender knowledge into agricultural research and farming practices in Africa, as the best way to achieve food and nutrition security for all. The diverse collection of GS18 speakers: scientists, gender scholars and development specialists, from across Africa and beyond, will pave the way for effective science-society-stakeholder collaborations to ensure that the “zero hunger” mission of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 will “not leave women behind,” said Elizabeth Pollitzer, Director of Portia Ltd and Founder of the Gender Summit.

Since 2011, the Gender Summit has provided a forum for linking critical players such as scientists, gender scholars, policymakers, research institutes, funding organizations and civil society, to engage in joint transformative actions to advance understanding of gender issues towards sustainable and effective research and innovation.  The Gender Summit Africa platforms present and discuss research from a gender perspective towards a scientific understanding of issues that are important to Africa, to ensure that research outcomes and applications benefit women and men equally, and chart pathways for improvements.  Watch the GS18 teaser. Register.

About AIMS

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centres of excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, research and public engagement in STEM. With centres in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and Rwanda, AIMS is leading Africa’s socio-economic transformation through innovative scientific training, cutting-edge research, and public engagement. For more information, visit www.nexteinstein.org.

About Portia

Portia is a not-for-profit organization founded in London and established in 2001 by a group of women scientists at Imperial College London to advance understanding of gender issues in science, participation, organizational practices, and science knowledge. In 2018, Portia established an independent subsidiary in Germany, Portia gGmbH, which is also a not-for-profit. For more information, visit www.portiaweb.org.uk.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Media Contact                                                          

Dr Layih Butake, Senior Outreach Manager & Acting Director of Communications, AIMS  

Lbutake@nexteinstein.org, (+221) 773235609 

Kigali, November 04 2020 – The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) has announced the appointment of Ms Lydie Hakizimana as its Chief Executive Officer. The AIMS International Governing Board (IGB) made the announcement early today following a unanimous decision.

“As Interim CEO, Lydie has led AIMS impeccably through difficult times,” said Prof Neil Turok, AIMS Founder and IGB Chair. “Under her capable leadership, we foresee a very bright future for the organisation. Africa needs home-grown scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs and innovators. By providing outstanding scientific training, research and public engagement programs, AIMS is opening career pathways for these brilliant young people.”

“What an honour to be at the helm of Africa’s largest network of centres of excellence in mathematical sciences,” said Lydie Hakizimana. I am thankful for the confidence of the IGB, the unrelenting support of our partners and the commitment of our staff. We will continue to drive innovation through our unique model, charting a pathway for Africa’s brightest youth to become problem-solvers and impact their communities and the world”.

A certified Montessori teacher from the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) in Canada, Lydie Hakizimana is the holder of a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and proprietress of Happy Hearts, a chain of preschools providing quality early education to hundreds of children in Rwanda. Recipient of numerous awards, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2016 and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship in 2013, she is also the co-founder of Drakkar Ltd, a publishing house which serves more than 3,000 schools in Rwanda. Lydie Hakizimana had served on the AIMS Board since 2017, equally assuming the role of Interim CEO in March 2020.

About AIMS
Founded in 2003, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centres of excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, research and public engagement in STEM. With centres in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and Rwanda, AIMS is leading Africa’s socio-economic transformation through innovative scientific training, cutting-edge research, and public engagement. With expertly tailored academic and non-academic programs spanning through Centres of Excellence, Research Centres, the AIMS Industry Initiative and gender-responsive Teacher Training, AIMS equally created two critical initiatives: Quantum Leap Africa, which aspires to do leading-edge research in quantum science, and the Next Einstein Forum, which is positioning Africa to become an important player in global science. For more information, visit www.nexteinstein.org.

Media Contact
Dr Layih Butake, Senior Outreach Manager & Acting Director of Communications, AIMS
Lbutake@nexteinstein.org
(+221) 773235609