By Ben Oduor
In a bid to create the right skill-set for the future, Rwanda has partnered with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) to launch a campus that will ensure capacity built reflects realities on the continent.
AIMS is a network of the continent’s centres of excellence in mathematics and sciences -whose aim is to develop skilled mathematicians and scientists, and the Kigali campus will serve as the institution’s headquarter.
Speaking during the launch at Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame acknowledged the initiative, saying its efforts were aimed at developing skilled, creative and problem-solving young Africans.
“There can be no more effective or better investment in Africa’s future than in educating and empowering talented young people. We have to move beyond potential and create a workforce that will lead this real transformation for Africa,” he said, clarifying that this could only be achieved through ‘innovative scientific training, technical advances and breakthrough discoveries.’
He added that for Africa to participate meaningfully in the global economy, the continent must build homegrown scientific and technological capacity, a role that the new centre is poised to assume.
AIMS seeks to promote mathematics and sciences in Africa by recruiting and training talented students and teachers to build capacity for African initiatives in education, research and technology.
Beyond training, research and public engagement, President Kagame said AIMS is also focused on increasing the number of mathematics students through innovative teacher training techniques by partnering with industry.
He revealed that the institution has partnered with his government and invests in the creation of professionals and researchers who will bring change to the country. Through this partnership, he said, they aim to develop an ecosystem of Pan African institutions with a transformative agenda.
“As part of the ecosystem of transformation, the next Einstein Forum continues to catalyse action, to translate these scientific advances into human benefit, and to showcase the progress that Africa is making in science,” he said.
Other than Kigali campus, which is the institution headquarter, AIMS has campuses in Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana and Cameroon.
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