Partnering with Africa Through Applied Mathematics

In May 2015, a team of researchers from Georgia tech led by Prof. Evans Harrell traveled to two countries in West Africa to engage in mathematical modeling projects of practical importance and educational value in partnership with African researchers. The first destination was M’bour, Senegal, where colleagues at the  African Institute of Mathematical Science (AIMS) arranged for a four-day workshop, “Mathematical sciences for understanding real world problems in Africa: Georgia Tech meets Senegal.” At the workshop, in addition to formal seminars, there were group discussions to identify some specific projects where Senegalese and American researchers could work together. The team also went to the Ministry of Higher Education in Dakar to discuss educational innovations in Senegal and at Georgia Tech. The second destination was Cotonou, Benin, where the team met first with the Environmental Ministry in Cotonou with African officials and specialists in hydrology, meteorology, and air pollution. Following that were a workshop and informal discussions at Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques (IMSP) in Dangbo and Porto Novo. In the presentation, we will discuss the preparation, outcomes, and consequences of the trip, as well as the challenges involved in creating and maintaining partnerships with colleagues in West Africa.