Promoting mathematics in Africa through the African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI)

Abstract

The African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI) is a distributed network of mathematics research, training and promotion throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The main objectives of AMMSI include strengthening mathematics teaching, research and applications, and raising general awareness of the importance of mathematics for modern science and modern nations. Since its inception in 2005, AMMSI has made a number of accomplishments in fulfillment of its mandate, namely: awarded annual Research/ Visiting Fellowships to enable mathematicians to visit other universities in Africa; awarded annual partial scholarships; supported the organization of regional conferences and workshops in mathematics; and facilitated postgraduate students to attend mathematics conferences. In collaboration with other organizations, AMMSI is also involved in implementing a project called Mentoring African Research in Mathematics (MARM) whose main objective is to promote a mentoring relationship between mathematicians in countries with a strong mathematical infrastructure and their African colleagues, together with their students. To date nine universities in Africa are participating in the MARM project. In this paper we present the objectives, activities and impact of AMMSI, in the context of what sub-Saharan Africa needs to do in order to promote mathematics.