IBM Research-Africa and the Next Einstein
Forum have partnered on a new Visiting Scientist Program, where five of the 15 newly named NEF Fellows will have the opportunity to visit and lecture at one of
IBM’s 12 global research labs.
“The visiting scientists – full-time
scientists at prestigious institutions and universities across the world – will
spend a week at the IBM Research lab where they can directly engaging with our
scientists who work in their related field of study,” said Solomon Assefa, the
director of IBM Research-Africa’s lab in South Africa, at the NEF’s 2016 Global
Gathering in Senegal.
During their fellowship, each will have
the opportunity to lecture to the IBM scientific community, collaborate and
network with IBMers, work with local lab directors, and explore the potential
for future collaboration between their institutions and IBM Research.
The NEF is an initiative of the African
Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and seeks to mobilize the brightest minds
in Africa to address the continent’s most pressing issues, with an emphasis on
the STEM disciplines and the social sciences. The foundation showcases the
brilliant contributions of Africa’s young scientific community through its
Fellows, all of whom are under the age of 42. The Fellows hail from across the
continent, and are making enormous impacts in diverse fields at world-leading
institutions, including Harvard University, Max Planck Institute, University of
Cape Town, and IBM Research – Africa.
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IBM Research-Africa's Kommy Weldemariam
named a Next Einstein Forum Fellow |
The Forum tells their stories, highlighting
the innovation and scientific advancement they’ve made across the continent,
while also working to build an African scientific identity. IBM’s Kommy Weldemariam
was recognized as a Fellow in 2015 for his work creating cognitive systems for
education and healthcare in Kenya, and across the continent.
“What we are doing here is trying to
reverse the classic technology transfer where Africa inherits innovation from
the West,” Kommy told Forbes, last year.
In addition to bringing together Africa’s
top scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, civil representatives, and
entrepreneurs, the NEF also hosts the online NEF Platform. It serves as a hub
for information on science and innovation policy in Africa, and facilitates
information sharing among scientific leaders and young innovators about the
transformative potential of science. The Foundation is working to change the
narrative of science on the African continent from a landscape fraught with
challenges to one loaded with potential.
Each NEF Fellowship is for a period of two
years. The Fellows will have the opportunity to submit an application to IBM’s
Visiting Scientist Program in the first six months of the Fellowship – the
first of whom will begin the program this September.
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| The Next Einstein Forum's latest Fellows class. |
Labels: Africa, education, South Africa
