|
|
|
|
|
On 11 September, AIMS welcomed 35 students to the new 2023-2024 intakes. Nineteen of the students are on the AIMS Structured Master’s Programme and 16 students are on the new AI for Science stream made possible through a partnership with Google DeepMind. |
|
Students completed the following courses: Mathematical problem solving (Dimbinaina Ralaivaosaona, Stellenbosch University); Programming with Python (Jeff Sanders and Martha Kamuemah, AIMS South Africa and Introduction to Machine Learning (Claire David, York University). |
|
|
|
On 22 September students visited CERI (Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation) at Stellenbosch University. |
|
German Research Chairs Public Lectures |
| | On 27 September, a series of public lectures were held. The presenters were candidates applying for a German Research Chair to be hosted in the AIMS South Africa Research Centre. The programme which supports Chairs at AIMS Centres is managed by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. |
| | Dr Ignace Aristide Minlend (University of Douala, Department of Quantitative Techniques, Cameroon) gave a talk titled: ‘Overdetermined boundary value problems’. |
| | Prof. Dr Sergej Rjasanow (University of the Saarland, Institute of Applied Mathematics, Saarbrücken, Germany) gave a talk titled: ‘The world of particles’. |
| | Dr Bruce Bartlett (Stellenbosch University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch) gave a talk titled: ‘From quantum topology to topological quantum computing’. |
| | Dr Ryan Sweke (IBM Almaden, Research Centre San Jose, USA) gave a talk titled: ‘Quantum Machine Learning: An Overview of Potential and Limitations’. |
| | A representative from the Humboldt Foundation finished off the talks with an overview of the Programmes and Principles of the Humboldt foundation. |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AIMS welcomed Mr Ufuk Cakir, a Master’s student in Physics at the Heidelberg University and Ms Changjing Hu, a Master’s student in IWR at Heidelberg University who will be visiting AIMS from 11 September to 10 November 2023. They both join us as part of the co-operative agreement with Heidelberg University and will be working with the Machine Learning for Ecology Group at AIMS on a research project related to machine learning for wildlife monitoring. |
|
Dr Ian Durbach, an AIMS Associate Research Fellow visited AIMS from 5 September to 4 October 2023. |
|
|
| Machine Learning for Ecology Research Group Updates |
| | A research article, titled ‘Automatic detection and taxonomic identification of dolphin vocalisations using convolutional neural networks for passive acoustic monitoring’ was published in Ecological Informatics. The study contributes towards the development of an open-source tool to assist long-term studies of endangered species, living in highly diverse habitats, using passive acoustic monitoring. It is the first to investigate a machine learning tool for the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin in South African waters. The study was led by Dr Guilherme Frainer, and various researchers from Sea Search Research and Conservation, UCT, UKZN and Stellenbosch University. |
|
|
|
|
| | | Cosmology Group Updates Prof. Bruce Bassett is currently on a research visit in Europe. He spent September at SISSA in Trieste, Italy. His host was Prof. Roberto Trotta head of Data Science at SISSA. He was also a panellist at the Trieste Next Festival of Scientific Research. The panel discussed the topic “Chatgpt, do you love me?”. This cross disciplinary panel looked at the question of relationships, identity and love in the age of AI. |
| |
|
|
|
| | | Dorcas Asare, a Research Master’s student attended the Deep Learning Indaba conference in Accra, Ghana from 3 to 9 September. The conference aims to strengthen machine learning and AI in Africa by teaching, research, and interactions. She presented a poster on her current research titled ‘Predicting Chronic Hepatitis B Disease Progression and Outcomes in the Gambia using Machine Learning Algorithms’ which won an award for one of the best scientific writings. |
|
|
|
|
|
A N N O U N C E M E N T S |
|
| | The Siyakhula festival aims to celebrate Africa’s rich mathematical heritage and promote growth in scientific endeavours on home soil. |
| We invite you to play a part in the Siyakhula Festival and organise a workshop or thematic session. |
| Closing date for proposals: 31 October 2023 |
| |
|
| | Applications for the January 2024 intake of the AIMS Structured Master’s in Mathematical Sciences is 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. |
| |
|
|
|
