The Science by Women programme, by the Women for Africa Foundation, celebrates its tenth anniversary
Commemorative event of the programme at the headquarters of the Women for Africa Foundation. Image: Women for Africa Foundation
Laura M. Iraola (ICMAT-CSIC)
The Women for Africa Foundation is celebrating the tenth edition of its scientific cooperation programme Science by Women this year. This initiative, in which the ICMAT has participated since its first edition, enables women scientists from the continent to undertake six-month research stays at Spanish institutions.
To mark the first decade of the programme, an event was held last Wednesday, 18 June, at the foundation’s headquarters. It was attended by Javier Aramayona, Director of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT). During the event, a report was presented that “traces a decade of commitment, growth and empowerment of African women scientists”, according to the news article published by the foundation. The round table “10 years of Science by Women” also took place, featuring, in addition to Aramayona, Pamela Köster, the programme’s coordinator; María Almelá, project officer; and Sabra Ahyaten, beneficiary of the 10th edition of the programme at the POLYMAT institute of the University of the Basque Country.
“The ability to understand the world, model it and transform it through mathematics is independent of one’s birthplace or circumstances,” Aramayona remarked during his speech. “As a public institution, we have a duty to actively contribute to the development of the scientific careers of people from less advantaged backgrounds or from groups traditionally underrepresented in science,” he added.
The event featured the participation of Javier Aramayona, Director of ICMAT. The Institute has taken part in nine editions of Science by Women. Image: Women for Africa Foundation
ICMAT has participated in nine of the ten editions of the programme. Women mathematicians from countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa have joined its research groups. Currently, Babel Raïssa Guemdjo Kamdem (University of Douala, Cameroon) is undertaking her research stay at the Institute. She will be working until October in the statistics, data science and machine learning group, led by David Ríos (ICMAT-CSIC).
Science by Women Programme
The Science by Women programme, by the Women for Africa Foundation, was launched in 2014 with the main goal of “broadening African women’s access to science, research and innovation, supporting their careers, highlighting their achievements and promoting new leadership.”
This initiative enables women from the continent to undertake research stays of up to six months in Spanish research institutions and centres, in fields such as health, energy, climate change, food security and mathematics.
The following researchers have carried out their stays at ICMAT:
- 1st edition (2015): Coumba Niang (Higher Polytechnic School of Cheick Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal)
- 2nd edition (2016): Atinuke Adebanji (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)
- 3rd edition (2017): Latifa Debbi (National Polytechnic School of Algiers, Algeria)
- 5th edition (2019): Sara Abdelsalam (British University, Egypt)
- 6th edition (2020): Fagueye Ndiaye (Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal)
- 7th edition (2021): Narjisse Amahjour (Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco)
- 8th edition (2022): Yuliya Zelenyuk (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa)
- 9th edition (2023): Zamurat Ayobami Adegboye (Institute of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Republic of Benin)
- 10th edition (2024): Babel Raïssa Guemdjo Kamdem (University of Douala, Cameroon)