Building the Capacity of Africa's Mathematical Sciences Communicators
The Africa Scientifique: Leadership, Knowledge & Skills for Science Communication is a 3-phased Afrocentric Capacity-building programme designed to support young and emerging African scientists and researchers (Hons’, Masters’ and PhD’s students) to advance research expertise and capacity on the continent. Most importantly, it aims to develop advanced skills, expertise, and practice in science communication and research dissemination with the public in South Africa and across the continent, in accordance with the DSTI Science Engagement Strategy, the STI Decadal Plan, and continental STI frameworks.
Since 2020, Africa Scientifique has been delivered to students, tutors, and researchers at AIMS South Africa. In 2024, the programme expanded to include postgraduate students in the mathematical sciences, including Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Computer Science and Lecturers from Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs), supporting the South African government’s national transformation agenda.
The first beneficiaries of this expanded rollout were:
- University of Venda (UNIVEN)
- Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
- University of Zululand (UNIZULU)
In 2026, the Africa Scientifique Programme will further expand to benefit AIMS students and postgraduate students and Lectures from Sol Plaatje University (SPU), the University of Fort Hare (UFH), and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
The programme is delivered in three phases jointly by AIMS House of Science in partnership with African Gong.
