| | | | 2023 National Science Week Launch: AIMS Highlights Mathematics’ Contributions to the Modern World & Communication |
| | On 22 July, AIMS, through the House of Science, joined over 70 science, technology and innovation (STI) exhibitors at the 2023 National Science Week (NSW) Launch held at the University of Venda in Limpopo Province. NSW is an annual week-long celebration of STI and is being celebrated from 31 July to 5 August throughout the country. The theme for NSW 2023 was Transforming lives through evidence-based science. |
| | The AIMS exhibition stand featured hands-on activities, posters and presentations to showcase its research, science communication projects, and the importance of mathematical sciences and their application in our daily lives. The AIMS exhibitors were Dr Joel Lontsi (Postdoctoral Researcher) and Mr Rockefeller (PhD Student in Applied Maths) who engaged with learners, teachers and members of the general public on mind-teasing games, conversations, questions and answers sessions all centred around the use of mathematical sciences. Dr Lontsi and Mr Rockerfeller also had the opportunity to speak to students in the Mathematical Department about the Structured Master's programme at AIMS. |
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| | | | | The kick off meeting for heiAIMS which is a three-year-project to develop cooperation between Heidelberg University and AIMS into a sustainable partnership was held at IWR, Heidelberg from 10 to 12 July 2023. Attendees from AIMS were Dr Ulrich Paquet, Dr Emmanuel Dufourq, Dr Sabine Chebbi, Dr Mafoya Landry Dassoundo, Ms Lorene Jeantet and Ms Lynne Teixeira. |
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The meeting included formal presentations by the two partners (the Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Computing (IWR) and AIMS), scientific presentations, and planning for the three-year programme of workshops, student exchanges and outreach activities. |
| | The partnership activities are funded by the Baden Württemberg Stiftung. |
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| | | Snap shot during MCL closing ceremony |
| | | | Snap shot during the MT4 closing ceremony |
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AIMSSEC Celebrates Course Completions |
| | The sweet smell of success is in the air! AIMSSEC is once again celebrating the completion of two courses enhancing the professional development of South African mathematics teachers in terms of subject content knowledge and pedagogical skills. The two courses, Mathematical Communication and Language (MCL), and Mathematical Thinking (MT4) which started at the beginning of this year ended with the closing ceremony for both held on Saturday 17 July 2023. |
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| Machine Learning for Ecology Research Group Updates |
| | | | Dr Emmanuel Dufourq attended the Automatic Detection for Bioacoustics Workshop at Girton College, University of Cambridge from 3 to 6 July. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the state of machine learning for bioacoustics and establish new research collaborations. There were 22 participants, including world leading experts, from across the globe (UK, USA, India, Spain, Czech Republic, Netherlands, France) and participants spent their time writing a position paper. |
| | | | Lorène Jeantet presented a practical coding workshop titled ‘Deep Learning for Bioacoustics’ at the Emerging Bioacousticians Day held from 28 to 30 June in Saint-Etienne, France. |
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| | | | Milanto Ferdinand Rasolofohery and Matthew van den Berg, Research Master’s students, attended the Deep Learning Indaba X in Cape Town from 12 to 15 July. They both presented posters. Milanto's was ‘Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Animal Populations with Compressed Sensing’ and Matthew's was ‘Posture Estimation for the Endangered African Penguin’. |
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| | | On 13 July. Joseph Muthui Wacira, a Research Master’s student in the AIMS Research Centre gave a talk at the Deep Learning IndabaX in Cape Town. His talk was titled: ‘Advances of ML in the Renewable energy sector’. Specifically he spoke of how he is applying ML to solar charge controllers to make solar panels more efficient. |
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| Science Communication in South Africa: Progress, Challenges and Transformative Scenarios for Engagement |
| | Dr Rejoyce Gavhi-Molefe, House of Science Manager, co-authored the book chapter on Building Capacity for Science Communication in South Africa: Afrocentric Perspectives From Mathematical Scientists in a newly published book on Race and Sociocultural Inclusion in Science Communication, edited by Dr Elizabeth Rasekoala (affiliation - African Gong). |
| | The book is part of the Bristol University Press Contemporary Issues in Science Communication series. |
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| | The series aims to provide multi-disciplinary knowledge and practical suggestions for transforming practice in the field. The book featured 30 authors (science communicators, academics, practitioners, researchers and social scientists) from the global North and South. |
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| | | On 21 July 2023, Toni Beardon, the Chief Founder of NRICH and AIMSSEC, had a well-attended Zoom presentation organized by Education authorities in Uganda. The event attracted a good audience from Ugandan Schools. The presentation was titled ‘Mathematics Education for the 21st Century’. |
| | On 29 July 2023, Toni Beardon, Caroline Ainslie, and Merilyn Buchanan, all UK based, were presenters on AIMSSEC’s outreach platform, The Global Teacher Network (GTEN). |
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| | | | | Ms Fameno Rakotoniaina, from Madagascar, who is currently supervised by Dr Naina Ralaivaosaona (Stellenbosch University) visited AIMS South Africa in June 2023. She gave us a brief update of what she has been doing since she graduated in 2020. |
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“After AIMS, I had about a one year gap in academia since the scholarships I applied for were postponed due to Covid-19, and since our border was closed until late 2020. However, I learned a lot online while staying at AIMS. Thanks to AIMS for supporting courses on Coursera. I had the chance to learn more about OOP, Data Science, and Android development. I also had the opportunity to learn academic writing. I also thank the MasterCard Foundation for the diverse volunteering activities and workshops during and after AIMS that helped me build a network and acquire more leadership skills. Coming home, I provided private tutoring for high school students as schools were still closed. At my home university, I delivered a Python course as a teaching assistant. In May 2021, I was awarded the DAAD Scholarship to support my Master's research in Combinatorics at Stellenbosch University. My project focuses on proving the asymptotic normality of the domination number and the number of a fixed subtree in Galton-Watson trees.” |
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| Upgrading of AIMS facilities |
| | The renovations of 14 and 16 Watson Street have been completed. |
| | Work on the Main AIMS building has commenced and plans include: 4 lecture facilities; enlarged laundry room; decentralised hot water system; new cloakroom for kitchen staff; new drystore for catering purposes; new boardroom and ground floor partitions will almost entirely be constructed out of glass. |
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| | | | AIMS is turning 20, and the German Research Chairs in Africa are turning 10! We invite you to a week-long festival aimed at strengthening the mathematical sciences across Africa. We will celebrate Africa’s rich mathematical heritage and promote growth in scientific endeavours on home soil. Let’s make our roots strong and let’s grow! |
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| | Applications for the January 2024 intake of the AIMS Structured Master’s in Mathematical Sciences are now open to students following the South African academic calendar (January to December). Preference will be given to South African nationals. Applicants should hold, or anticipate completing by the start date of the AIMS course, a 4-year university degree in mathematics, or any science or engineering subject with a significant mathematics component. |
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| | | Resident Researcher in Machine Learning |
| | AIMS South Africa is looking to hire a resident researcher to join its vibrant research centre. As a Resident Researcher, you will develop innovative machine learning techniques and advance scientific research. You will have the chance to collaborate with peers within AIMS and foster your own national and international network. |
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Facilities Team Vacancies |
| | The AIMS South Africa Facilities Team has two positions available: a Food Assistant and a Cleaner with a start date of 1 September 2023 for both positions. |
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