Our Centre’s Long-Term Engagement with the African Mathematical Community
Over the past years, our research centre has maintained strong and sustained collaborations with mathematicians and academic institutions across Africa. These activities reflect our collective commitment to supporting mathematical research, advanced training, and international cooperation, particularly in regions where access to high-quality supervision remains limited.
Our engagement began several years ago with visits to the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana, where members of our centre contributed to graduate-level teaching through lecture courses for MSc and PhD students. Further activities included intensive lecture courses in Burkina Faso, supported by the Volkswagen Stiftung (Germany), carried out under challenging circumstances. Despite such difficulties, our group has continued to visit and collaborate with multiple African countries, focusing on capacity building and student support.
Some of these early activities are documented in a research volume edited by members of our group together with international collaborators.
After our centre’s activities expanded to Ghent University, these collaborations continued and strengthened. Notable examples include:
In Ghana, our centre has developed lasting connections with the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast. Members of our group have visited both institutions multiple times, delivering advanced lectures and supporting MSc-level training.
Through a Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) grant, Linda Botchway began her PhD at the University of Ghana in 2020. She had previously completed her MSc at AIMS Ghana under supervision linked to our centre, and her PhD work has been supervised within our research network.