For Immediate Release
Two Nobel Laureates, a Fields Medallist, a former Governor General of Canada and Cameroonian Prime
Minister gather in Cameroon to search for Africa’s Einstein
Yaoundé, Cameroon (February 19) – Some of the most influential minds in physics and mathematics have joined the Chancellor of the University of Ottawa and previous Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean and Prime Minister Philémon Yang in Cameroon’s capital city, Yaoundé, to launch a unique training program that teaches the best and brightest students from across the continent in search for the next Einstein in Africa.
The launch event featured a special youth forum and speeches by Jean and Yang. The event detailed how the
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences - Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) is progressing toward its goal with a new class at the AIMS centre of excellence based in Limbé, on Cameroon’s Atlantic coast. The event was held at the Palais des Congres in the nation’s capital.
“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished,” says Neil Turok, AIMS founder and director of the Perimeter
Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada. “AIMS has graduated 560 Africans with advanced degrees in mathematical sciences and more than a third have been women.”
AIMS-Cameroon is the first AIMS institute in the Central Africa sub region and its first class has 36 students,
12 of which are women, from 15 African nations. The other centres are located in South Africa, Ghana and
Senegal. The network of AIMS centres has a total of 45 Cameroonian Alumni to date.
“We are pleased to bring our concept to Cameroon. We bring together top global scholars in math and science to teach and research with Africa’s brightest students,” says Thierry Zomahoun, executive director of the
AIMS Global Secretariat. “Our graduates then use these skills to tackle the problems of Africa, ranging from disease and famine, to environmental degradation, illiteracy and poverty. AIMS graduates have a broad-based training and are talented problem solvers and innovators.”
The below mathematicians and physicists, along with Neil and Thierry, participated in the launch event and panel discussion:
David Gross, Nobel Laureate 2004
Klaus von Klitzing, Nobel Laureate 1985
Cedric Villani, Fields Medal 2010
Paul Wiegmann, Physicist & Blaise Pascal Chair
Howard Alper, Chair of Science Technology &
Innovation Council of Canada
Barry Green, Interim Director, AIMS-Cameroon
The program is timely as economies in Africa have been experiencing phenomenal growth in the first decade of this century. Many countries have seen economic growth rates greater than four per cent and these high growth rates are predicted to continue until 2015. Cameroon has emerged as an economic leader in Central
Africa’s region. Its economy, at $27.9 billion (USD), grew 4.6 per cent in 2013 and is nearly a quarter (24.5%) of the total GDP of the region with $113.9 billion (USD). Cameroon’s economy is projected to grow by 4.9 per cent to $30.4 billion (USD) in 2014.
As a result, the demand is exploding for a generation of youth that can apply science and math to ensure rapid and stable social and political development.
Yet, only six per cent of post-secondary aged Africans are enrolled in apprenticeships, colleges or universities, compared to the global average of 26 per cent (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Montreal, 2010).
In Europe and North America the enrollment ratio is as high as 80 per cent. AIMS-NEI is playing a major part in closing this gap in Africa, by opening centres of excellence for training, research and outreach. The plan is

to create a network of 15 centres across Africa graduating thousands of mathematical sciences experts - half will be women - by the year 2023.
“We are grateful for the support of the Government of Cameroon for the Next Einstein Initiative,” says
Zomahoun. “This support confirms Cameroon is part of a growing group of African nations that want to raise Africa’s profile as a continent where science is ennobled and applied to solve global issues.” He also acknowledged the support from the Government of Canada, through the
International Development Research Centre, the
Government of the United Kingdom, through the
Department for International Development, and the
Government of Germany.
The government of Cameroon, through the Prime
Minister, has expressed a keen interest in taking a lead role in research around quantum science and technology, and has requested that Cameroon be considered as the ideal location for such a research centre in
Africa.
Turok, a South African-born physicist known for his work in cosmology in developing and testing theories of the big bang, founded AIMS in 2003. He believes that building capacity in mathematical science is one of the smartest ways to contribute to Africa’s development, by investing directly in talented young people, in an efficient, transparent and highly cost-effective way.
Why focus on mathematical sciences? Because mathematics underlies every modern technology from plumbing to electricity, smartphones to satellites. Its applications range from modelling and planning for economics, to communications, transport, energy and health. Yet, it is also completely cross-cultural and free to share. Mathematical science is the foundation for development. Many AIMS graduates have gone on to leading positions in civil institutions and NGOs, as well as in universities, research centres and companies across Africa.
About AIMS and the Next Einstein Initiative
The African Institute for Mathematical Scien ces (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centers of excellence for post graduate training, research and outreach in mathematical sciences. Its mission is to enable Africa's brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling
Africa's future scientific, educational and economic self-sufficiency. AIMS was founded in 2003 and has produced more than 560 graduates, about one third of whom are women. The goal of the Next Einstein
Initiative is to build 15 centres of excellence across Africa by 2023. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook .
To learn more: www.nexteinstein.org
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For more information contact:
Steven Williams | Email: swilliams@nexteinstein.org
(In Cameroon until Feb. 21 but access to e-mail or call Africa numbers)
In Africa:
Tima Haddison | Tel: +237 77868146, or +237 99126211 | Email: tima.haddison@aims-cameroon.org
Anita Cabirou | Tel: + 237 72771712, or +237 55924536 | Email: acabriou@nexteinstein.org
Mireille Massouka | Tel: +237 75289712, or 237 95057883 | Email: mmassouka@nexteinstein.org