AIMS Ghana Collaborates with Google to Strengthen Research in Africa
The African Institute of Mathematical Sciences – Ghana (AIMS Ghana) and Google Research have signed a Masters Sponsored Research Agreement (MSRA) to push the boundaries of scientific research in areas of specialty such as artificial intelligence.
The agreement will strengthen AIMS and Google’s existing partnership as part of their continued commitment to collaborate and improve computing and technology in Africa.
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a Pan-African network of Centers of Excellence for postgraduate training, research, and public engagement in mathematical sciences. Founded in 2003 in South Africa and later replicated in Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, and Rwanda under the framework of the Next Einstein Initiative, AIMS is supplying the STEM pipeline by training African students for a Master’s in Mathematical Sciences, including a co-operative option with a direct link to industry.
Commenting on the partnership, Lydie Hakizimana, Chief Executive Officer at AIMS, said “We are excited about this partnership as it will afford researchers and students at AIMS a great opportunity to deepen their collaboration with scientists at Google research. AIMS is Africa’s largest network of centers for postgraduate training in mathematical sciences and their applications.”
“We take pride in our mission to empower talented young Africans to be creative leaders in science and technology. We ensure that our students and alumni are in touch with reality and are hungry to pursue excellence through collaboration in addressing Africa’s mega challenges,” Hakizimana added.
In 2018, AIMS was named as one of the founding partners of the African Masters in Machine Intelligence (AMMI) Program, which has successfully trained over 100 students in AI and data science.
The AMMI program, which is widely regarded as Africa’s best Artificial Intelligence (AI) education, has been implemented successfully in three AIMS Centers: Rwanda, Senegal, and Ghana.
Prof Yossi Matias, Vice President of Engineering & Research at Google, said “Our partnership with AIMS started in 2018, with the launch of the African Master’s in Machine Intelligence, which we are happy to continue our funding support. On my visit to AIMS Ghana Campus last week I was reminded of the great potential in Africa, and we’re excited to deepen our collaboration with AIMS by signing the Master Sponsored Research Agreement, to enable research and leadership sponsored programs developing young tech-talent in Africa.”
“AI is a breathtaking tool that gives us the power to change our world and which will help us build in Africa, for Africa, and the world,” Matias added.
Several AIMS researchers, including several alumni of the AMMI program, have visited Google Research’s AI Lab in Accra over the last three years, helping to shape the usage of machine learning technology in Africa.
Abigail Annkah, a member of the AMMI Program’s first cohort, joined Google Research in Accra as a Research Software Engineer, and her contributions to improving GoogleMaps have resulted in the mapping of millions of structures and sq. km of previously unmapped roads.