A two-week Summer School Analysis and Numerics of Partial Differential Equations has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) under the auspices of Centre International De Mathématiques Pures Et Appliquées (CIMPA).
A total of 27 participants from 10 African countries participated in the two weeks programme aimed at enhancing their capacity, knowledge and understanding on Partial Differential Equations (PDE), which is a mathematical equation to solve societal problems.
The summer school was partially funded by the CIMPA- a UNESCO Category 2 Centre of Excellence based in France with the objective of promoting research in Mathematics in developing countries.
Director of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) of UCC Prof. David Doku (R) and the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, UCC, Prof. Sarah Darkwa
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the school, the Director of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) of UCC Prof. David Doku said the University of Cape Coast was opened for collaborations with both academic and corporate organisations locally and internationally to address challenges confronting society.
“No single entity has all the answers, but we know that through collaboration, we can pool our complementary strengths to develop impactful and holistic solutions to address our challenges” he noted.
Prof. Doku expressed gratitude to CIMPA for sponsoring the summer school and called for more of such support to make a real and lasting impact in Africa.
On her part, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, UCC, Prof. Sarah Darkwa advised the participants to continue with the networks they had established whilst they leave for their respective countries. She urged them to share best practices and knowledge in their areas of specialisation adding that “You should continue to strengthen the network and write for grants as well as publishing joint research works”.
Dr. Stephen Moore
The Organiser of CIMPA Summer School, Dr. Stephen Moore said participants had been equipped with new knowledge to upgrade performance at their various workplaces.
He explained that knowledge in PDE was highly relevant in a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines due to its ability to mathematically model complex, real-world phenomena. “As scientific and technological challenges become ever more complex, the importance of PDEs in driving innovation and discovery will only continue to grow” he stressed.
Dr. Moore announced that a home-grown summer school was in the offing, and it would be held in Ghana to build the capacities of mathematicians in the country. “The participants were eager to learn more and they’re ready to pay for another opportunity to participate in another training programme
He stated that in the future, the summer school would be organised on an annual rotational basis in different African countries.
Dr. Moore thanked CIMPA for funding the school and the facilitators for doing a yeoman’s job. He expressed gratitude to the Provost, College of Agriculture and Natural Science, Dean, School of Physical Sciences, Head of Mathematics and faculty members and staff of the Office or International Relations for the support they provided to ensure the success of the summer school.
He commended the participants for their interest and active involvement in all the activities including assignments and developing of research publications.
Source: Documentation and Information Section