Presented by Magdalena Eriksson during the African Open Science Platform Side Event for Science Forum South Africa, on 7 Dec. 2016

1. African Open Science
What are the data skills requirements and how
initiatives scale to meet the need?
2016-12-07
Magdalena Eriksson, PhD
Director, Academic Development
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences-Next Einstein Initiative
University of Cape Coast, Ghana
www.nexteinstein.org

2. Data – basic perspective
15%
Datum (pl. data) – a record of a raw, untreated fact
Information – set of data, which is at least partially related by
subject or nature of the data. Implies some level of real or
conceptual homogeneity
Knowledge – body of information that has been evaluated with
reference to a particular circumstance, e.g. level of education in
a country
Source: Prof. FKA Allotey

3. Data – Education perspective
15%
Information – basis for research -> knowledge
Knowledge – necessary/desirable for
• Decision making (knowledge is evaluated)
• Teaching (knowledge is shared)
• Learning (knowledge is acquired)
• Common understanding (culture)

4. Data today
15%
Growing capacity to generate, store and process data ->
we can more easily go back to the ‘basics’ (access large data
sets)
This puts requirements on data training/usage:
• Scientific and technical skills for handling and using data
• Versatility in applications of data usage, e.g.
– Modelling of disease spread
– Modelling of migration
– Modelling of climate effects

5. Data today, ctd
15%
Requirements on data training:
• Responsibility
– Use data correctly
– Use data for valid purposes
– Report conclusions responsibly

6. AIMS Vision
15%
To lead the transformation of Africa through
innovative scientific training, technical
advances and breakthrough discoveries,
that benefit the whole of society.

7. Data Education and Skills –
AIMS as an example
15%
AIMS (African Institute for Mathematical
Sciences):
• Training at Master’s and PhD levels
• Research
• Community engagement
• Teacher training
• Next Einstein Forum (NEF)
• Partnerships – local international

8. AIMS
2003
2016
2014
2013
2012
2011

9. AIMS Master’s Programmes ~ 300 students/yr
Pan-African student body
- at least 1/3 women (men)
World class faculty
Resident tutors
24/7
environment

10. The academic year at AIMS
Skills Review Research
• Skills, review and research phases
• Each block 3 weeks
• Computing
• Problem solving
• Spread of topics
• Theoretical
• Applied
• Individually
supervised projects
• Thesis defense
Grad.

11. AIMS Curriculum
15%
• Skills emphasis
– computer use (primarily open source
environments and software!)
– problem solving, versatility
– learning by doing
• Blend of courses in theoretical and applied subjects
offered
• Current – develops from one year to the next
• Accredited programs

12. Soliton experiment
15%

13. Big Data specialization
15%
• In partnership with The MasterCard Foundation,
AIMS Senegal offers a pilot track of its MSc that includes
Work Integrated Learning (Coop version)
• 18 months in total, including two industry periods
• Research project done at industry
• Two focus areas: Big Data and Computer Security
• Courses and seminars in focus areas
• Selected students do internships with local partner
industries as part of training
• 12 students enrolled in first batch
• 20 in the second batch
• Program will be ‘cloned’ at other AIMS sites

14. Big Data training
15%
Intro course learning objectives include:
• Understand the techniques and challenges in
loading and cleaning large datasets
• Understand how algorithms for analytics interface
to databases
• Load, clean and interrogate large data sets
Further, important learning from
• Seminars on Big Data (at AIMS)
• Internships at companies

15. Big Data internships
15%
Host of student interns include:
• Multinational company in digital services
• Startup company in advertising services
• Ministry of Higher Education and Research
Feedback from pilot at several stages
• Course work
• Internships at companies
• Student readiness

16. Research
15%
• Each AIMS centre has a research facility
• Chairs - senior and junior – increasing number
• Funded (e.g. by Humboldt Foundation, IDRC)
• Researchers visit – short or long term
• Some work in open data fields (astronomy, genome
analysis, immunology, finance...)
• Publish >100 papers/year together

17. Research supervision
15%
• PhD students at AIMS centres, 25-30 in progress
• ~40 research Master’s students

18. Focused research
15%
• Quantum science research centre, QLA,
in Kigali (2017)
• Climate change research (Canadian IDRC support)
with 2-year Master’s training programme planned

19. Conclusions
15%
• AIMS has a multi-faceted approach to Open Science
– Training – general
– Training – specialization (e.g. Big Data)
– Research – advancing science
– Research training – PhD, Master’s programmes
– Research with special focus (Climate Change)
• Graduates well trained in data science ready to
participate in Open Science at various levels
• AIMS as a network keen to contribute to Open
Science in Africa

20. Conclusions
15%
Skills Requirements?
• Technical skills? Yes
• Versatility? Yes, by various contexts
• Responsible use of open resources? Yes, inculcate
values, adopting standards etc by examples and
discussions
Scale?
• Today’s initiatives probably not enough
• Much can happen in a few years
• A common platform can facilitate the process

21. OUR PARTNERS
African Government Partners
Funding partners
Academic partners
Policy partners
Industry partners

22. Thank you!