25 May 2020

Several universities in Africa have started a new initiative with digital seminars. The aim is to promote research activities and create new collaborations between the universities.

 Logo for the seminar series in mathematics.
Several African universities are now organizing a digital seminar series in mathematics.

A new initiative has been launched recently: Africa Mathematics Seminar. This online platform is a meeting point for anyone interested in mathematics. LiU and its partners within the research collaboration in mathematics with Africa and Asia have recently been discussing how to use information-technology tools for joint activities, including joint seminars.

Creates collaboration

As part of the work to promote research activities and create new collaborations, several African universities are now organizing joint digital seminars in mathematics.

– Many of these universities have few researchers in mathematics and even fewer researchers in different mathematical specialties. This makes it difficult to keep normal scientific activities running. We hope that these seminars will help promote collaboration between researchers and universities, says Bengt-Ove Turesson.

Zoom licenses

Prior to the seminars, the International Science Programme (ISP) has arranged Zoom licenses for a number of the universities involved.

– Surely, our African doctoral students and their supervisors will be able to hold seminars in this series in the future, says Turesson.

The seminars are held online via Zoom and take place during late spring and summer. The first seminar was held on May 20.

For more information visit Africa Mathematics Seminar.

Latest news from LiU

Closeup of small pieces of liver in a petri dish.

A liver biopsy may predict spread of pancreatic cancer

Microscopic changes in the liver can be used to predict spread of pancreatic cancer. The discovery may provide new ways of predicting the course of the disease and preventing pancreatic cancer from spreading to other organs.

Woman with arms crossed.

She wants to make robots behave better

Researcher Hannah Pelikan believes that we will see increased conflicts between humans and robots in the future.  In her research, she films everyday encounters between humans and machines to see what happens.

Two men in a computer server hall.

International collaboration lays the foundation for AI for materials

AI is accelerating the development of new materials. Large-scale use and exchange of data on materials is facilitated by a broad international standard. A major international collaboration now presents an extended version of the OPTIMADE standard.