Cameroon would be the third centre of excellence after Senegal and Ghana opened by the South African based Foundation, African Institute of Mathematical Science, AIMS, to train the next generation of Mathematics scientists to tackle Africa’s development problems.
A convention for the effective start of the Cameroon centre was signed in Yaoundé by the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, for the Cameroon government, and the Director of AIMS-NEI, Thierry Zomahoun and Barry Green, Director of AIMS South Africaon, Monday, January 28.
The Cameroon campus would train talented young Africans in five different domains: Health and Biosciences, Business and Governance, Natural Resources, TIC and Food Security.
The centre is expected to go operational in September, but avenues are explored to get a temporary site at the National School of Engineering, Polytechnic, while awaiting the construction of a permanent site.
Meanwhile, President Biya has ordered the disbursement of 1 million dollars (some FCFA 500 million) for the acquisition of two hectares of land for the construction of a permanent campus.
Speaking to the press after signing the convention, Prof. Barry Green said Africa has to endeavor to solve its development problems by itself. For him, it would be difficult for Cameroon to meet its development needs without the necessary experts.
He maintained that Mathematical Science is central in training the next generation of Africans to solve Africa’s problems.
The centre would offer scholarships to the students who would be studyin an enabling environment with a computer lab, lecture and dining halls.
He said only the best would be selected by a panel of experts. The students, while submitting their applications, would choose a centre and, at the moment, about 1000 applicants are expected.
“We would like to ensure gender balance for excellent students to cover many areas of Mathematical Science, not pure Mathematics but a variety of areas, Physics included”.
A panel of 8-10 experts would examine each application and make a selection of 50 or 30 for each centre. Students would send their applications through the AIMS central network which are scrutinized for the best. “There is no interference from government or the institute,” Green stressed.
Our mission is to encourage Mathematical Science in Africa, and Cameroon should play a big part as Senegal, South Africa and Ghana. “We have great talented young people who can actually solve Africans problems and we are passionate about giving them the chance to do this”.
To him, Cameroon has been a big player (through their performance) in the South African centre and we want to help build the same model in Cameroon.
“AIMS is out to contribute to the next generation of scientists, businessmen and leaders in Africa that can help solve African problems, and we believe young people can and we should give them the tools to do this,” he declared.
The teaching model in AIMS has been proven to be innovative because it does not follow the traditional model we find in the university. AIMS model provides for strong interaction between teachers and students from discussions, where one learns from mistakes.
It is not by hearing and learning that one becomes an expert but doing, Green stated. Leading experts from all over the world, and Noble Prize winners would be brought to teach in Cameroon.
In partnership with the government of Canada, South Africa, Germany, Britain and international organisations, AIMS launched the “Next Einstein Initiative”, NEI to detect and incubate a network of centres of excellence for young talented scientists in Africa.
AIMS-NEI is a pan African network of centres with innovative training model in research and the promotion of Mathematical Sciences.
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