AfMS aims at a weekly seminar for the whole of Africa, alternating through the different countries while giving different regions their chance to host the seminar. The main goal of AfMS is building mathematical networks across Africa and showcasing African mathematical talent. In practice, this means speakers will mostly hail from Africa, or have a strong relationship with African mathematics. But not necessarily always. The organizing team will include distinguished speakers every now and then for networking and research exchange with the rest of the world.
After the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 ISP used extra money to purchase Zoom-licenses to all nodes in the network, and Dr. Jared Ongaro from UoN initiated the African Mathematics Seminar (AfMS) 15 using these licenses. The seminar has by now more than 2000 registered members, and about 50 participants at each event, and it is a unique forum for African mathematicians to disseminate their research.
The list of speakers at the AfMS is very impressive with mathematicians not only from Africa, but from all over the world including Fields Medalists. The talks are recorded and available on Youtube. No doubt such seminars would be very difficult for any department to present if the seminars were to be held ``in real life”. It is an ambition that the online seminars will continue even after the travel restriction due of the pandemic are lifted.
The organizers and hosts of the seminars are:
- Jared Ongaro, University of Nairobi;
- Bruce Bartlett, Stellenbosch University;
- Juma Kasozi, Makerere University;
- Layla Sorkatti, University of Khartoum;
- David Ssevviiri, Makerere University;
- Praise Adeyemo, University of Ibadan;
- Eunice Mureithi, University of Dar es Salaam;
- Mubanga Lombe, University of Zambia;
- Tilahun Abebaw, Addis Ababa University;
- Celestin Kurujyibwami, University of Rwanda;
- Iara Gonçalves, Eduardo Mondlane University;
- Hamidou Toure, University of Ouagadougou;
- James Makungu, University of Dar es Salaam;
- Othow O. Giel, University of Juba;
- Zouhaïr Mouayn, Sultan Moulay Slimane University.