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AIMS, through the Next Einstein Forum announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week – 7th to 18th October 2024
“Youth-led innovations driving sustainable development in Africa.” Kigali, Rwanda, September 11th, 2024 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), is pleased to announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week, set to take place from October 7 to 18, 2024. This groundbreaking event will be hosted [...]
AIMS, through the Next Einstein Forum announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week – 7th to 18th October 2024
“Youth-led innovations driving sustainable development in Africa.” Kigali, Rwanda, September 11th, 2024 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), is pleased to announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week, set to take place from October 7 to 18, 2024. This groundbreaking event will be hosted [...]
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AIMS, through the Next Einstein Forum announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week – 7th to 18th October 2024
September 11, 2024 | Africa, Blog, News, News Articles, Press Releases, The NEF Blog
“Youth-led innovations driving sustainable development in Africa.” Kigali, Rwanda, September 11th, 2024 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), is pleased to announce the NEF Africa Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Week, set to take place from October 7 to 18, 2024. This groundbreaking event will be hosted [...]
Wired-up Interview with Charles LM Kimpolo
April 11, 2022 | Africa, Blog, Fellows, Highlight, News, News Articles, STEM
Education problems and a lack of access to technology have been widely recognized on the continent as major stumbling blocks to economic competitiveness and social equality.” Charles Lebon Mberi Kimpolo, Director of the AIMS Industry Initiative, launched the Young African Technologists (YAT) project to change this situation. How? Watch his inspiring interview on WiredUp Africa [...]
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The Heartbeat of Africa: Food, Culture, and Wellbeing
November 23, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Fellows, Innovation, Policy, Science
By Dr. Ebele Mogo and Grainne Hutton Food has served various cultural, economic, culinary, and even aesthetic purposes in African countries throughout history. In the 20th century, pyramid-like displays of groundnut sacks adorned cities in northern Nigeria. Known as the groundnut pyramids, these tourist attractions symbolized growing agricultural prosperity in the region. Once a famous [...]
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AIMS Enrolls 51 Alumni in MS4CR Internship Program
Compounding with a growing number of new challenges caused by the evolving COVID-19, climate change remains a global priority. The multidimensional negative impacts of climate science are more pronounced in the Global South and Africa in particular. These regions witnessed increased possibilities of severe droughts, floods, and storms threatening their social and economic future. Against [...]
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Bosun Tijani, the man behind Africa’s largest tech hub
June 7, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Innovation, Technology
Next Einstein Forum: Tell us in a few words what CcHUB is and the impact it has had on Africa? Bosun Tijani: CcHUB stands at the forefront of the fastest moving technology industry trends and is maintaining its focus on shaping the economy and the future of Africa. It is championing the growth of start-up communities whose [...]
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Dr. Sajjad Fazel, a rising figure in East Africa’s science communication field
May 24, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Healthcare, Policy, Science, Youth
Next Einstein Forum: Could you please tell us how and why you decided to embark upon a career in the science field? Sajjad Fazel: Ever since I was young, I loved science. I was a curious child, and science was my way of exploring the world and learning different things. I enjoyed conducting science experiments, [...]
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Temie Giwa-Tubosun, a leading figure in West Africa’s healthcare industry
May 17, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Healthcare, Science, Women in Science and Tech
Next Einstein Forum: West Africa’s healthcare system is faced with a couple of challenges. What are the main barriers that need to be overcome? Temie Giwa-Tubosun: One of the major challenges is limited access to critical medical supplies such as blood, oxygen, and vaccines. This is particularly due to the severely fragmented healthcare supply chain. [...]
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Dr. Fadji Maina, étoile montante dans le paysage scientifique africain
April 26, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Innovation, Science, The NEF Blog, Women in Science and Tech
Par Szymon Jagiello Next Einstein Forum: Quelles sont les raisons qui vous ont motivé à embrasser une carrière dans la filière scientifique? Fadji Maina: J’ai toujours été curieuse depuis mon enfance. Mon entourage me rappelle toujours toutes les questions que je posais quand j’étais petite. J’ai grandi avec le désir et la soif de comprendre [...]
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Dr. Chao Mbogo, the inspirational path of a computer scientist
April 16, 2021 | Africa, Blog, Person, Science, STEM, Technology, Women in Science and Tech, Youth
By Layih Butake and Szymon Jagiello Next Einstein Forum: Could you please tell us how and why you decided to embark upon a career in the science field? Chao Mbogo: I did not know that I wanted a career in computer science until I decided to pursue a degree in mathematics and computer science when [...]
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NEF Community of Scientists Review Digital Economy Strategy, Elects New Executive Committee
June 30, 2020 | Blog, Feat Articles, Fellows
17 March 2019 -NAIROBI — The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Community of Scientists (CoS) elected a new Executive Team for its 2019–2021 Session. New Chair Prof. Sanushka Naidoo, NEF Fellow from South Africa, replaces Dr. Yebebal Fantaye, NEF Fellow from Ethiopia, who led the group during the 2017–2019 Session. This Sunday afternoon, the Next Einstein [...]
Tapping into New and Formalized Ancient Economies: Who is ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
| Africa, Blog, Innovation, Technology
By Youssef TRAVALY, Vice-President of the Next Einstein Forum The African continent is at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a profoundly transformative global process, which will have impact throughout our societies, economies, and cultures. Two key features characterize industrial revolutions including successive energy transitions and successive technological transitions. Energy transitions – the [...]
L’Afrique est-elle prête à tirer profit de la transition énergétique à venir? La Dr. Sandrine Mubenga livre son point de vue
| Africa, Blog, Innovation, Science
Next Einstein Forum: Selon plusieurs experts, la 4ème révolution industrielle sera notamment alimentée par les énergies vertes. Êtes-vous d’accord avec cet avis? Sandrine Mubenga: Nous sommes en guerre pour le climat et les énergies fossiles ne constituent plus une solution durable. Il nous faut donc des énergies respectueuses de l’environnement. Nous sommes à l’aube d’une 4ème [...]
Comment impliquer davantage les femmes dans le domaine des sciences en Afrique? la Dr. Elsa Zekeng livre son analyse
June 28, 2020 | Africa, Blog, Gender Equality, Innovation, Science, STEM, Women in Science and Tech
Next Einstein Forum: En 2016, l’Union européenne (UE) vous a sélectionné comme Jeune Leader en reconnaissance de votre contribution dans le domaine de la science. Comment avez-vous réussi à briser le «plafond de verre»? Elsa Zekeng: Au moment de ma sélection, je faisais mon doctorat en maladies infectieuses et santé mondiale à l’Université de Liverpool [...]
Le rôle des médecins face au Covid-19 avec la Dr. Assia Mohamed Aden, une héroïne scientifique du Djibouti
June 25, 2020 | Africa, Blog, Healthcare, Science, Women in Science and Tech
Next Einstein Forum: Pourriez-vous nous expliquer brièvement pourquoi avez-vous choisi d’embrasser une carrière dans le domaine de la médecine? Une personne vous aurait-elle inspirée à suivre cette voie? Assia Mohamed Aden: Fille aînée d’un médecin, j’ai grandi à travers le prisme de la médecine. Depuis mon plus jeune âge, cette science pour laquelle je me [...]
La sensibilisation, une arme efficace contre le Covid-19? Le Dr. MBAYE, un héros scientifique du Maroc, livre son analyse
June 23, 2020 | Africa, Blog, Healthcare, Science, Youth
Next Einstein Forum: Pourriez-vous nous expliquer brièvement pourquoi avez-vous choisi d’embrasser une carrière dans le domaine de la science? M.M.M.: Plusieurs éléments ont contribué à mon choix d’embrasser une carrière dans le domaine scientifique, à l’instar de mes deux mentors, mon père et mon oncle, qui sont respectivement entrepreneur et biologiste. Ainsi, le métier de [...]
Carpe Diem: A Case for E-commerce as a Tool for Digital Disruption in Africa during Covid-19
| Africa, Ambassadors, Blog, Feat Articles, Highlight, Technology
by Kevin Muvunyi and Esther Kunda* World-renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once said that in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity. Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this statement becomes all the more relevant. The current pandemic has disrupted economies around the globe, with most countries expected to witness low percentage GDP growth. Africa [...]
Zimbabwe’s new government must commit to science
December 18, 2017 | Africa, Blog, Highlight, News, Science
In a piece written by Dexter Tagwireyi in international journal of science in Nature, Zimbabwe has been excluded from many international funding and grant opportunities because of its instability, both real and perceived. The only way to access these funds has been to collaborate with scientists from other African countries and around the world. Just three [...]
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The literary genius of Africa’s leading innovation scholar, Calestous Juma
| Blog, Highlight, Innovation, News
Calestous Juma, the towering Kenyan scholar of technology and development, died on Friday (Dec. 15) at the age of 64 in Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard’s Kennedy School professor, was known for his work on innovation, and how that intersected with sectors including agriculture, education, health, and economic prosperity. As a prolific and luminary academic, he combined rigorous evidence with [...]
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West Africa’s biggest solar farm launched in Burkina Faso
December 5, 2017 | Africa, Blog, Highlight, News
Burkina Faso is now home to West Africa’s biggest solar farm, a 33-megawatt plant located in the town of Zatubi, outside the capital Ouagadougou. Records indicate that only about 20% of Burkina Faso’s 17 million population have access to the national power system. The majority depend on other unsustainable power generation options. Built at a cost [...]
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Hopes for HIV vaccine buoyed by start of second big trial
| Blog, Healthcare, Highlight, News
Scientists announced the launch of another large HIV vaccine efficacy study, fueling hopes for a protective shot against the virus that causes AIDS, despite past disappointments. The start of the new trial involving 2,600 women in southern Africa means that for the first time in more than a decade there are now two big HIV [...]
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Open access publishing platform launched for African scientists
| Blog, Highlight, News, Science
African scientists are getting their own open access publication platform, which will use a system of transparent, post-publication peer review. The African Academy of Sciences, in partnership with F1000, is launching AAS Open Research, which will offer immediate online publication to AAS-funded and affiliated researchers. Peer review reports will be published alongside the articles, together [...]
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Nairobi Scientists discover technology to manage maize pest
| Africa, Blog, Highlight, News
Scientists at the Nairobi-based International Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) announced Thursday they have discovered a technology that will manage ravaging pest that has worsened food insecurity in Africa. In a statement released in Nairobi last week, the scientists said the technology, Push-Pull, is effective in controlling the Fall Armyworm, which mainly prefer maize plants [...]
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How a West African lab made a 3D printer from toxic e-waste
| Africa, Blog, Highlight, Innovation, News
An innovative lab in Lomé, the capital city of Togo in West Africa created the first “Made in Africa” 3D printer using e-waste. WoeLab, a community tech hub established by architect Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou, 37, made the machine using little more than scrap printers, computers and scanners. The idea was born after Agbodjinou purchased a 3D [...]
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BIO GIRLS DAY 2017: EXPOSING GIRLS TO OPPORTUNITIES IN BIO-SCIENCES
December 1, 2017 | Blog, Feat Articles, Highlight, Science, The NEF Blog, Youth
The African Woman in Science and The Work Place The under-representation of African women in science and its related fields is a cause for concern. The stereotypical African woman in times past was seen as a weak figure better suited to doing ‘menial’ jobs including raising children and taking care of the home. Today, paradigms [...]
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Africa must keep its rich, valuable data safe from exploitation
November 24, 2017 | Highlight, News
Data is being driven by major international research collaborations like the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. This and similar initiatives are producing volumes of data the continent has never witnessed before. All of that data then needs to be carefully managed throughout every stage of the research project. That’s why data stewardship – a job that didn’t exist in academia [...]
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Educator Challenges AAAS to Join the Search for Next Einstein
February 14, 2016 | Blog, Highlight
African education leader Thierry Zomahoun called on global scientific community to pick up chalk and help him uncover a new Einstein in Africa. President and CEO of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Zomahoun delivered a speech to a packed room at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in [...]
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New Next Einstein Forum Ambassadors to drive shift in perceptions about science and technology in Africa
December 2, 2019 | Africa, Ambassadors, News, Press Releases, STEM
KIGALI, Rwanda, December 2nd, 2019,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Today, the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) announces its new class of Ambassadors, the third cohort of young science and technology champions from across Africa. Ambassadors, one from each African country, will drive public engagement activities to promote science and technology education, research and innovation in their countries. Dr. [...]
Graves or people
September 24, 2019 | Africa, Fellows, Highlight, News, Policy, Science
While much recent discussion about the sustainability of death has focused on how ‘green’ methods like cremation are or can be, the fact remains that a significant portion of the land used by cemeteries remains a controversial topic in the scope of urban sprawl and liveability. NEF Fellow Zaheer Allam at Curtin University, Australia, examined [...]
Third edition of Next Einstein Forum Africa Science Week begins in 39 countries
| Ambassadors, Feat Articles, Healthcare, Highlight, News, News Articles, Press Releases
KIGALI, Rwanda, 23 September 2019 – The third edition of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Africa Science Week in 39 countries from October to December 2019 starts today in Cabo Verde. The NEF Africa Science Week is a weeklong event organized to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It is led by NEF Ambassadors [...]
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Le Next Einstein Forum annonce une nouvelle cohorte de 25 lauréats; les jeunes scientifiques les plus talentueux d’Afrique
August 5, 2019 | Feat Articles, Fellows, Highlight, News, News Articles, Press Releases
KIGALI, Rwanda, le 5 août 2019,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Le Next Einstein Forum (NEF) a présenté aujourd’hui sa troisième promotion de lauréats; 25 scientifiques d’envergure, tous âgés de moins de 42 ans, et dont les recherches et les innovations contribuent à relever les défis les plus urgents pour l’Afrique et le monde. « Je suis ravi [...]
Next Einstein Forum announces new cohort of 25 Fellows, Africa’s top young scientists
| Feat Articles, Fellows, Highlight, News, News Articles
Kigali, Rwanda, 5 August 2019 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) today announced its third Class of NEF Fellows Class, 25 strong scientists, all under 42 years, whose research and innovations are contributing to solve Africa’s and the world’s most pressing challenges. “I am excited to announce the 3rd class of NEF Fellows for two [...]
CALL FOR A CURATOR FOR THE NEXT EINSTEIN FORUM ARTS AND SCIENCE FESTIVAL (ASF) FOR THE GLOBAL GATHERING 2020
June 18, 2019 | Africa, Highlight, News, Person, Science
The Arts and Science Festival seeks to increase scientific and artistic awareness among the participants of the Global Gatherings; to promote widespread access to new knowledge and scientific experiences; to support and improve formal and informal science education; to encourage young people to study arts, science and technology subjects further and to consider careers in [...]
NEF Digital Economy Poll: Over half of all respondents believe infrastructure is the greatest need
June 12, 2019 | Africa, Highlight, News
In the days following the publication of Moving from goodwill to action: A call for a Coordinated Vision for Africa’s digital economy by the Next Einstein Forum, we conducted a poll on Twitter, inviting our online audience to tell us what the greatest challenges facing digital economy in Africa are. We listed four solutions: better [...]
Will Africa Take Full Advantage of its Biodiversity?
May 23, 2019 | Africa, Highlight, News, Science
On the UN International Day for Biodiversity 2019, NEF caught up with Dr. Jessica Thorn, an AIMS Climate Change Science Fellow, on her viewpoint as a scientist especially the opportunities & challenges in the conservation of Africa’s and the world’s biodiversity today. This year’s theme is “Our Biodiversity, Our Food and Our Health. This day is [...]
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Second edition of Next Einstein Forum Africa Science Week begins in 35 countries
April 29, 2019 | News
KIGALI, Rwanda, 10 September 2018 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announced the beginning of NEF Africa Science Week in 35 African countries throughout the months of September, October and December 2018. NEF Africa Science Week are led [...]
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The Next Einstein Forum publishes first issue multidisciplinary journal Scientific African and accompanying Scientific African Magazine
December 20, 2018 | Blog, News
Kigali, Rwanda – 20 December 2018 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) – Africa’s global forum for science in Africa – is pleased to announce the launch of the first issue of Scientific African, and its sister publication Scientific African Magazine. Published quarterly, Scientific African is a peer-reviewed, open access, inter- and multidisciplinary scientific journal that is dedicated to [...]
Second edition of Next Einstein Forum Africa Science Week begins in 35 countries
September 10, 2018 | Blog, News
KIGALI, Rwanda, 10 September 2018 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announced the beginning of NEF Africa Science Week in 35 African countries throughout the months of September, October and December 2018. NEF Africa Science Week are led [...]
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Why Africa Should Embrace Artificial Intelligence
May 28, 2018 | Africa, Blog, Highlight, News, Technology
Machines might scare policymakers from Brussels to Washington, but artificial intelligence could yield a significant developmental dividend in the developing world. In African markets, the technology behind Alexa and Siri can be harnessed to diagnose illness or address traffic gridlock. With better predictive models tapping into the alternative data that does exist, AI is helping small [...]
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Young Nigerian scientist Tolullah Oni shines at World Economic Forum 2018
January 25, 2018 | Africa, Blog, Fellows, Healthcare, Highlight, News
NEF Fellow Dr Tolullah Oni at the global stage at this year’s World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, where she will be speaking about her work on public health to the forum’s theme: “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World”, longside speakers like India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S.’s Donald Trump. As [...]
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Le Next Einstein Forum lance un sondage pour mesurer l’écart entre les genres dans l’enseignement des STIM et la recherche en Afrique
Kigali, le 24 janvier 2018 – Le Next Einstein Forum (NEF), une initiative de l’Institut Africain des Sciences Mathématiques (AIMS) en partenariat avec la Fondation Robert Bosch, annonce aujourd’hui le lancement d’un important sondage visant à mesurer l’écart existant entre les genres dans l’enseignement en science, technologie, ingénierie, mathématiques (STIM) et recherche en Afrique. Les [...]
Le Next Einstein Forum lance un sondage pour mesurer l’écart entre les genres dans l’enseignement des STIM et la recherche en Afrique
| Blog, News, News Articles, Newsroom, Policy, Press Releases, Science, STEM, Women in Science and Tech
Kigali, le 24 janvier 2018 – Le Next Einstein Forum (NEF), une initiative de l’Institut Africain des Sciences Mathématiques (AIMS) en partenariat avec la Fondation Robert Bosch, annonce aujourd’hui le lancement d’un important sondage visant à mesurer l’écart existant entre les genres dans l’enseignement en science, technologie, ingénierie, mathématiques (STIM) et recherche en Afrique. Les [...]
Next Einstein Forum launches survey to measure gender gap in STEM Education and Research in Africa
January 22, 2018 | Blog, Gender Equality, News, News Articles, Newsroom, Policy, Press Releases, STEM
Kigali, 23 January 2018 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the Africa Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announces the launch of an important survey that hopes to measure the existing gender gap in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) education and research in Africa. The survey [...]