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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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Science will unlock Africa’s potential — if it is funded
July 18, 2018 | Blog
Any good leader knows that scientific discovery and innovation fuel progress, facilitates development and can tackle issues such as food insecurity, water shortages and climate change. But most African governments are failing to fund research and development (R&D) adequately. According to the Unesco Institute for Statistics, countries in sub-Saharan Africa spend, on average, just 0.5% [...]
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Introducing the African Master’s of Machine Intelligence at AIMS
| Blog
Over the past decade, thanks to large public and private investments, MI has progressed rapidly in both basic research and the development of a vast array of applications. However, the talent pool currently advancing MI is modest and unrepresentative of the diversity of our world, leaving us less capable of facing global challenges. The African [...]
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“Bio economy of the world regions – Africa”
July 17, 2018 | Blog
The Bio economy summit which was open by the Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister of Education and Research, attracted participants from different parts of the world hailing from diverse walks of life such as science, civil society, policy and the business sector to Berlin under the theme “Innovation, Green growth and sustainable development”. The gathering created [...]
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To attract and retain women in tech, bias education is prerequisite
July 13, 2018 | Blog
Western Washington University writes that the push for more women in tech has been a focus of many corporations, universities and even childhood programs for the past decade, yet the professional landscape of computer science shows it continues to be a man’s world. This trend isn’t just due to a lack of programs or resources for [...]
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African scientists call for more control of their continent’s genomic data
June 27, 2018 | Blog
As the genomics revolution finally turns its attention to Africa and northern researchers flock there to collect data, scientists from the continent are demanding a larger role in projects. In recent years, researchers have begun sequencing the genomes of Africans in large numbers. The data offer insights into humanity’s past as well as predisposition to [...]
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Des formations en intelligence artificielle émergent en Afrique, mais ce n’est pas suffisant
| Blog
“Il faut une volonté étatique, une implication majeure des Etats, une compréhension que la recherche fait partie de l’investissement des pays et qu’une partie doit être consacrée à faire décoller les universités et permettre à plusieurs chercheurs en sciences des données et en IA, qui sont basés un peu partout dans le monde, de revenir sur le continent pour faire de la recherche [...]
How scientists proved Einstein right on a galactic scale and what it means for dark energy and dark matter
June 25, 2018 | Blog
Gravity may be the weakest of the fundamental forces in nature, but it is ultimately what enabled life on Earth to evolve. Thanks to its weak attractiveness over long distances, mass in the early universe could clump together and form galaxies, stars and planets such as our own. A new study, published in Science magazine shows that general [...]
AfriLabs admits 40 new tech hubs on the African continent
June 19, 2018 | Blog
AfriLabs, an African network of technology and innovation hubs has just admitted 40 new hubs to their network. The new tech hubs take their number of labs in their network to 100. These tech hubs can be found in countries like Algeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco and Angola and new to the list, google announced [...]
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Intelligence artificielle en Afrique : « Le risque de captation de valeur existe », décrypte Cédric Villani
June 18, 2018 | Blog
Cédric Villani C’est tout d’abord une très bonne nouvelle de voir émergerdes acteurs entrepreneuriaux sur un continent où, traditionnellement, le fonctionnariat a été longtemps vécu comme la carrière la plus recherchée. Cette émergence de l’intelligence artificielle est rendue possible car la barrière d’entrée en termes d’étude, sur ce sujet, est moins importante que dans d’autres domaines scientifiques. Si [...]
Ghanaian makes Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation finals with mini science kit
June 16, 2018 | Blog
Ghanaian mechanical engineer Michael Asante-Afrifa developed a mini science lab that contains developed materials needed for science activities and experiments. Kit contains 45 different parts, ranging from circuit boards and wires to an electromagnet and mini lightbox. The kit is affordable, easy to use, quick to set up and designed to integrate seamlessly into the [...]
Rwanda launches research and innovation fund
| Blog
The National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) was officially launched on Wednesday during the Rwanda National Research and Innovation Symposium.The fund will be financed by government as a seed facility that will mainly focus on the youth. The launch was officiated by the Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente, Minister of Education Dr Eugene Mutimura and [...]
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Innovative e-commerce approaches can help small businesses in Africa
June 4, 2018 | Blog
Several elements are needed for an innovation ecosystem to be successful. Innovation centres, universities, industry bodies, complementary resources and capabilities are also vital. These include knowledge resources, technology related skills and funding to support the creation and commercialization of products and services. This helps to ensure that each member of an innovation ecosystem derives value that’s [...]
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Did You Know the next Einstein will be an African?
| Blog
When you finish university, where do you go? If you haven’t already had to travel oversees to get the best education, you may have to now travel oversees to get an internship with the best firm. This paints a very negative view on education in Africa, this is certainly a generalisation, with a huge population, [...]
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Why Africa Should Embrace Artificial Intelligence
May 28, 2018 | Africa, Blog, Highlight, News, Technology
Machines might scare policymakers from Brussels to Washington, but artificial intelligence could yield a significant developmental dividend in the developing world. In African markets, the technology behind Alexa and Siri can be harnessed to diagnose illness or address traffic gridlock. With better predictive models tapping into the alternative data that does exist, AI is helping small [...]
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African Innovators Break New Ground With Scientific Research
| Blog
The Next Einstein Forum is setting up a U.S.$1 million fund to encourage scientific breakthroughs in Africa. This comes after the winners of the NEF Challenge of Invention to Innovation (Ci2i). The winners include; cameroonian medical doctor Conrad Tankou who won the organisation’s top health award for his invention of a portable digital microscope that [...]
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South Africa’s National Research Foundation joins the Next Einstein Forum as a member
May 25, 2018 | Blog
Delhi, India, 25 May 2016 The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), Africa’s global forum for science, is pleased to announce that South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) has joined the Next Einstein Forum as member. The NRF, with the generous support of South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology, joins the NEF’s scientific community of practice, [...]
Pruitt’s RFS Decision Defies Science, Undercuts Development of New Fuels
December 1, 2017 | Blog, News, Policy, Science
According to a Statement by Jeremy Martin, Union of Concerned Scientists, Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has finalized a change to biofuels policy, lowering the amount of cellulosic biofuel required under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). While political pressure from agricultural interests partly checked Pruitt’s effort to roll back the RFS [...]
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Ethiopia’s waste-to-energy plant is a first in Africa
November 30, 2017 | Blog, News
For half a century, the Koshe dump site has been the only landfill in Addis Ababa. As the city has expanded, the landfill – which used to lie on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital – has become part of the urban landscape, sprawling over an area the size of 36 football pitches and attracting [...]
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Call For Papers; Beyond the Debate: Climate Change as an Economic Opportunity for Africa
November 24, 2017 | Blog, News
This workshop will be co-located with the second edition of the EAI International Conference on Innovations and Interdisciplinary Solutions for Underserved Areas (InterSol2018) (http://interdisciplinarysolutions.org/) to be held as a pre-event of the Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering (NEF GG) on March 24-25, 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. All Authors of accepted papers (one author per paper) [...]
Africa must keep its rich, valuable data safe from exploitation
Data is being driven by major international research collaborations like the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. This and similar initiatives are producing volumes of data the continent has never witnessed before. All of that data then needs to be carefully managed throughout every stage of the research project. That’s why data stewardship – a job that didn’t exist in academia [...]
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Meet Africa’s best young scientists and technologists
September 14, 2017 | Blog, News
Earlier Last week, the Next Einstein Forum announced its second batch of fellows, class of 2017-2019, who among the 16, six are women best young scientists and technologists from the African soil. These are young innovators and emerging leaders engaged in research and technological development under the age of 42 years. Read more [...]
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Announcing 2017-2019 Next Einstein Forum Fellows, Africa’s top scientists solving global challenges
September 11, 2017 | Blog, Multimedia, News
Kigali, 12 September 2017 – The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) today announces its second Fellows Class, 16 scientists, all under 42 years of age, who are solving Africa’s and the world’s challenges. An initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the NEF will hold its second [...]
Next Einstein Forum announces 2015/2016 NEF Fellows Class Solving African and Global Challenges Through Science and Technology
November 20, 2015 | Blog, News
The Next Einstein Forum (NEF), an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with Robert Bosch Stiftung, today announced the 2015/2016 NEF Fellows Class – twelve of Africa’s top scientists and technologists under 42 years old, working in Africa and around the world. Central to the NEF’s vision of propelling Africa [...]
UNESCO endorses Africa’s global forum for science and technology: the Next Einstein Forum
By 2050, the UN projects that 40% of the world’s young people will be African. To keep up with this growing youth population and to transition into knowledge based economies, Africa will need to produce a daunting 18 million jobs a year, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Yet today, less than 25% of [...]
NEF on Flickr
NEF Community of Scientists Annual Meeting- Day3
