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Second edition of Next Einstein Forum Africa Science Week begins in 35 countries
KIGALI, Rwanda, 10 September 2018 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announced the beginning of NEF Africa Science Week in 35 African countries throughout the months of September, October and December 2018. NEF Africa Science Week are led [...]
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Cities must lead the clean energy drive, says report
Did you know, that poor households in cities spend 14-22% of their income on energy? As urban growth intensifies energy use, cities must lead with efficient fuels and renewables. Cities can implement practical solutions to meet the need of the urban under-served through development models that slow carbon emissions & shift to cleaner cooking fuels [...]
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Cities must lead the clean energy drive, says report
May 17, 2019 | Blog
Did you know, that poor households in cities spend 14-22% of their income on energy? As urban growth intensifies energy use, cities must lead with efficient fuels and renewables. Cities can implement practical solutions to meet the need of the urban under-served through development models that slow carbon emissions & shift to cleaner cooking fuels [...]
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Scientists have created a silicon beating heart
May 7, 2019 | Blog
Researchers have created an artificial, silicone heart to help combat the shortage of donor hearts. The silicone heart has been developed by Nicholas Cohrs, a doctoral student in the group led by Wendelin Stark, Professor of Functional Materials Engineering at ETH Zurich. It looks like a real heart. And this is the goal of the first [...]
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Young African Robotics Designers Sparking at Pan African Robotic competition in Senegal (PARC 2018)
May 6, 2019 | Blog
Technology is taking part everywhere in this modern era of time, specially to face the challenges that require a sustainable development and help less fortune communities to have the privilege of standard living conditions. Africa by its high potential and promising future should be in the front line for implementing the technology that help local [...]
Black Holes, Africa and the Future of Astrophysics
| Blog
In a major scientific breakthrough, astronomers on 10 April 2019 unveiled the globally anticipated image, which reveals a halo of hot gas and plasma around the event horizon of a black hole. This discovery confirms, yet again, the predictions from Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity and includes the contributions of scientists from Africa. The involvement [...]
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Africa Must Produce Technology
April 30, 2019 | Blog
Maths and science key to future, writes Neil Turok. Angelina Lutambi was born into a peasant family in Tanzania’s Dodoma region, where HIV and Aids has decimated much of the population. Her future could easily have been bleak – but Lutambi had a keen aptitude for maths. Today she is a senior research scientist at [...]
African Higher Education Summit in Dakar, Senegal
March 10, 2019 | Blog
Live Event: The African Higher Education Summit Dakar, Senegal Join global policy makers, entrepreneurs, academics and international development partners as they develop a common vision geared towards transforming Africa’s higher education system. Dr. Khumbah: “Technical mastery differentiates the developed world from the underdeveloped.” Dr. Green: “Africa has no time to waste. We need to look at initiatives [...]
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At Davos 2019, NEF Experts Examine How to Accelerate Innovation in Africa
March 1, 2019 | Blog, Multimedia
By building a home-grown scientific and technology capacity, added to a pan-African ecosystem of knowledge and innovation, Africa can get past most of the stumbling blocks hindering its development, said experts from the Next Einstein Forum at Davos 2019. The experts took part in ‘Conversations in coLaboratory’, a space for world leaders to engage in [...]
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I have no doubt the next great scientific minds will be from Africa
February 5, 2019 | Blog
Low levels of investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education have the potential to gravely affect Africa’s growth, impeding the competitiveness of many of its nations on a global scale. It is time for a wake-up call. There are signs the continent is thriving economically. But is it sustainable without a workforce that will build [...]
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The Next Einstein Forum publishes first issue multidisciplinary journal Scientific African and accompanying Scientific African Magazine
December 20, 2018 | Blog, News
Kigali, Rwanda – 20 December 2018 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) – Africa’s global forum for science in Africa – is pleased to announce the launch of the first issue of Scientific African, and its sister publication Scientific African Magazine. Published quarterly, Scientific African is a peer-reviewed, open access, inter- and multidisciplinary scientific journal that is dedicated to [...]
The Next Einstein Forum launches search for Africa’s top scientific talent for prestigious Fellows Class
November 13, 2018 | Blog
We’re thrilled to launch the search for the third Class of NEF Fellows, 2019 – 2021. Application to the NEF Fellows programme is open to Africans from around the world – including those who currently reside in the Diaspora – in all fields of science, including the social sciences and technology fields. Applicants must be [...]
IBM Files Patent for Blockchain-Based AR Helper System
November 7, 2018 | Blog
IBM has filed a patent for a blockchain-based system which will prevent players of augmented reality games entering physical spaces that are undesirable. Augmented reality is a technology which adds layers to physical reality. An example is Zombie GO, an AR game which places zombie in real life or perhaps the most famous example, Pokemon Go. AR can have [...]
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L’Afrique prend sa place dans l’avancée de l’intelligence artificielle
| Blog
La grande majorité des experts en IA se trouvent en Amérique du Nord, en Europe et en Asie. L’Afrique, en particulier, est à peine représentée. Ce manque de diversité peut non intentionnellement enraciner les biais algorithmiques et construire une discrimination pour les produits dérivés de l’IA. Ce n’est pas le seul défi : moins de [...]
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Africa’s future needs a better research culture and not just for scientists
November 5, 2018 | Blog
Of the many developmental challenges facing Africa, scientific research doesn’t often rise to the top of the discussion agenda, though thankfully that has been changing with high profile initiatives like the Next Einstein Forum. And yet research and development will be key to the kinds of improvements that African citizens need and expect. The priorities, or [...]
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Look to Africa to advance artificial intelligence
October 25, 2018 | Blog
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing society as profoundly as the steam engine and electricity have done. But unlike past technological revolutions, the AI revolution offers a unique chance to improve lives without opening up and exacerbating global inequalities. That will require widening of the locations where AI is done. The vast majority of experts are in [...]
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Gov’t pledges 1% GDP to support STEM education
October 9, 2018 | Blog
Government has pledged a minimum of one per cent of GDP towards the promotion of research and development expenditure of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country. Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has said in many advanced countries, conservative estimates have it that the direct and indirect contribution of [...]
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Second edition of Next Einstein Forum Africa Science Week begins in 35 countries
September 10, 2018 | Blog, News
KIGALI, Rwanda, 10 September 2018 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announced the beginning of NEF Africa Science Week in 35 African countries throughout the months of September, October and December 2018. NEF Africa Science Week are led [...]
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Microsoft Aims To Stimulate Nigeria’s Job Market
June 2, 2015 | Blog
Microsoft has recently partnered with job search website and Jobberman to create an employability platform. Olayinka Oni, national technology officer for Microsoft Nigeria, told CNBC Africa that they have the opportunity to access 1.5 million users on the Jobberman portal. “We target a lot of digital literacy, we have something called the Microsoft Virtual Academy… [...]
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Ghana’s First Digital Library Hosted At The Back Of A Van
| Blog
Mobile network operator Tigo Ghana, in partnership with social enterprise Street Library Ghana, has established a mobile digital library to boost digital inclusion for children in rural Ghana. But the library is actually the interior of a van fitted with tables, chairs and laptops. It also holds a mobile extension that can be set up outside the [...]
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What if African Nations Operated As One Big Innovation Ecosystem?
June 1, 2015 | Blog
With the fourth edition of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) around the corner, I am eagerly waiting to meet the creators of the latest innovations that were shortlisted for the Award. I find myself preoccupied with a subject that both excites me and exasperates me in equal measures… building African innovation ecosystems. As an [...]
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Senegal to get $120m Smart City in Diamniadio
| Blog
The Senegalese government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) is going ahead with plans to build a mega-digital park in the city of Diamniadio. The project feasibility study – estimated US$120 million – of which $ 100 million will be financed by the Africa Development Bank (AFDB) in order to begin the construction process. Dubbed [...]
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NEF Monthly Newsletters – May 2015
May 30, 2015 | Blog
NEF Weekly Newsletter – The NEF in Asia and Africa-Asia Cooperation in Science and Technology – 29 May 2015 Sent Thursday, May 28, 2015 Welcome to the weekly NEF Newsletter on The NEF in Asia and Africa-Asia Cooperation in Science and Technology. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The Next Einstein Forum Attended the [...]
NEF Monthly Newsletters – April 2015
April 30, 2015 | Blog
NEF Weekly Newsletter – Thierry Zomahoun at Columbia University and World Malaria Day – 24 April 2015 Sent Thursday, April 23, 2015 Welcome to the weekly NEF Newsletter on Thierry Zomahoun at Columbia University, World Malaria Day, and AIMS Alumnus Dr. Martial Mbah on Malaria Research. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The Next [...]
UN Unveils Permanent Memorial to Victims of Transatlantic Slave Trade
April 1, 2015 | Blog
On March 25, United Nations officials unveiled a memorial commemorating the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who is a trained physician and anthropologist, made remarks about the unveiling: “I hope descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will feel empowered as they remember those who overcame this brutal system and passed their rich cultural heritage [...]
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Genetics in the Caribbean Show Marks of Atlantic Slave Trade
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The NEF believes in the power of genetics to reveal important parts of history. A prime example is in the scientific research on the Atlantic slave trade. Researchers from all over the Americas studied the genes of 330 people living in south Florida and the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and then compared this data with the genomes of more [...]
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A History of Slavery and Genocide is Hidden in Modern DNA
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Isn’t it incredible that you can trace your own DNA and as a result of the DNA sequencing, you can find out exactly which geographic regions your ancestors originated? Using science and DNA analysis, researchers are pinpointing exactly when and where Africans were enslaved and brought to the Caribbean islands. Genetic analysis can also tell us about the history of marriage [...]
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s Message
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon emphasized the role of women slaves in “maintaining the dignity of their communities.” He also urged people around the world to bring an end to modern slavery. [...]
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How to Use DNA to Trace African Roots
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This is a beautifully written story of Ted Johnson’s search for his roots. He writes, “I first visited the African continent a few years ago on a trip to Dakar, Senegal. Though I was there on business, stepping on Africa soil felt intensely personal. In every interaction, I searched for familiarity and connection.” [...]
DNA Reveals History of Buried Slaves
DNA has helped scientists reconstruct the life histories and ancestry of enslaved individuals. Two men and one woman were dug up in 2010 in the Caribbean island of St. Martin, their skeletons dating back to the 17th century. What they found was that one of the men likely belonged to a Bantu-speaking group in northern Cameroon and the others [...]
Women Named in ‘Black Inventors: Crafting Over 200 Year of Success’
March 31, 2015 | Blog
Did you know that Ivory Coast’s Cecile Kouassi (pictured above) invented the process for stabilizing and reconstituting fresh attieke, a staple in the country? Did you know that Christine Nare from Burkina Faso invented the process of producing wines from local cereals? A new book documents black inventors from around the world and highlights the women inventors recognized by [...]
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NEF Monthly Newsletters – March 2015
March 30, 2015 | Blog
http://archive.aweber.com/awlist3756233/EsP2P/h/NEF_Weekly_Newsletter_.htm Sent Thursday, March 26, 2015 Welcome to the weekly NEF Newsletter on Science and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. NEF FACT OF THE WEEK Source: This map is from the website of PBS and New York Life for the, “Slavery in America” series. The original site for this [...]
NEF Monthly Newsletters – March 2015
| Blog
NEF Weekly Newsletter – Science and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Sent Thursday, March 26, 2015 Welcome to the weekly NEF Newsletter on Science and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. NEF FACT OF THE WEEK Source: This map is from the website of PBS and New York Life for the, [...]
NEF Monthly Newsletters – February 2015
March 26, 2015 | Blog
http://archive.aweber.com/awlist3756233/MUuJ5/h/NEF_Weekly_Newsletter_27.htm ent Thursday, February 26, 2015 Welcome to the weekly NEF Newsletter on Science Meets Traditional Medicine. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. NEF FACT OF THE WEEK Physicians per 1,000 people. Data includes generalist and specialist medical practitioners. Data is collected from the World Health Organization, Global Atlas of the Health Workforce. Image [...]
NEF on Flickr
NEF Community of Scientists Annual Meeting- Day3
