Teach
Teaching at AIMS South Africa offers a uniquely rewarding academic experience at the heart of a diverse, pan-African learning community. Lecturers work closely with highly motivated postgraduate students from across the continent in an immersive, residential environment that encourages constant interaction, collaboration, and mutual learning. Teaching is delivered through intensive, self-contained courses offered in three-week blocks, with two-hour interactive lectures each day, totalling 30 contact hours per course. This format prioritises understanding, inquiry, and discussion over rote learning, and gives lecturers the flexibility to adapt content to students’ needs and backgrounds. With small classes, an informal atmosphere, and a strong emphasis on critical thinking and communication, teaching at AIMS is as much about the shared journey of discovery as it is about the subject matter itself. All lectures at AIMS South Africa are presented in English.
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Supervise
The AIMS Master’s in Mathematical Sciences includes a substantial research project that makes up one third of the programme and is designed to prepare students for further research or professional careers in academia, industry, or government. During the three-month project phase, students work closely with an expert supervisor—based in South Africa or fully remote—on a focused topic at the forefront of the mathematical sciences. Projects follow a clear timeline, with project collection running until early February, selection in mid-February, a full-time research period beginning in early May, and dissertation submission in the first half of June. Each project is also assigned a Teaching Assistant to provide on-site academic support. The project emphasises literature review, independent problem-solving, optional computational or experimental work, and the clear communication of results through a written dissertation and an oral presentation, with weekly supervisor interactions forming a core part of the experience.
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Teaching Assistants
Teaching assistants are a core part of the AIMS South Africa academic model, supporting both students and lecturers in a highly interactive learning environment. Each year, AIMS appoints eight to ten advanced postgraduate teaching assistants who work closely with the Academic Director and course lecturers to support teaching, assessment, and student learning. Their role includes attending courses, running tutorials and problem-solving sessions, assisting with marking, supporting computing and research writing, and contributing to continuous assessment and student development. Teaching assistants also play an important role in the broader academic community by helping to inform student references and adapting support to the diverse needs of the cohort. Appointments are typically for a full academic year, from mid-August to the end of June, and normally require a PhD (or near completion) in a mathematical science, along with strong communication skills and the ability to thrive in the distinctive AIMS teaching environment.
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