GTI

 

 

Background 

The Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, Niger, with support from the government of Niger, has requested that a program be established to provide doctoral training for fifty (50) mathematicians and twenty five (25) computer scientists over a five year period.  The participating students are expected to have obtained a first class Masters of Science Degree under the French program.  The project is expected to commence in January of 2011. 

In response to this request, and in recognition of the dire need for a program such as this for all of Africa, Dr Hamet Seydi, of the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal, Dr. Tepper L. Gill, of Howard University, USA and Dr. Gaetana Restuccia of the University of Messina, Italy have formed the USA-Europe-Africa Graduate Training Initiative in Mathematics and Computer Science (GTI).  The overall goal of the GTI is to plan, organize and establish programs that will allow for the effective and efficient provision of advanced graduate level training at strategic locations throughout the continent of Africa. 

Organization 

Professor Hamet Seydi, T. Gill and G. Restuccia will co-direct the project under the umbrella of the African Mathematical Union with coordination by the Benjamin Banneker Mathematical Research Institute of Université Polytechnique de l'Ouest Africain of Dakar, Senegal.  In

addition, the program will have the support of an International Advisory Board, consisting of members from the respective universities, the mathematics and computer science profession and, official representatives from, American and European Mathematics and Computer Science Organizations.  The purpose of the Board is to review plans, suggest improvements and assist in securing post-doctoral positions for program graduates.   (Identification of Board Members is under way.) 

Approach 

The first year of the program for each location (center) will consist of ten students in mathematics and  five  in  computer  science.      In  the  second  and  third  year,  ten  additional  students  in mathematics and  five additional  students  in computer science will be added.   The program will require two years, including two summers for completion. The  first summer will consist of four courses, meeting six days a week for one and one-half hours.  Each class will have four days for lectures and two days for problems and discussion.  The purpose of each course is to provide the post-masters training required for doctoral research. Student course plans will reflect their particular doctoral research interest.  At  the end of  the summer,  the  first group of students will be assigned a series of papers and  special  topics  that  will  prepare  them  for  their  doctoral  examination.  This  exam  will  be administered  at  the  beginning  of  the  following  summer  and will  be  both  oral  and written.  Its purpose  is  to  assure  that  the  student  has  acquired  a  sufficient  depth  of  understanding  of  the relevant theory and literature in order to successfully write a first class thesis.   During  the second summer,  the students will participate  in a series of  research seminars led by a  research supervisor.    In addition  to active participation  in  the seminar of  their  research interest, students will be required to participate in at least two other seminars. Students will read selected  research papers  in preparation  for  identifying a  research  topic and preparing a  research proposal by the end of the summer.   The next nine months will be devoted to the writing of their doctoral thesis.  

The students from the first year will also be required to lead the problem and discussion section  (in  their  area  of  research  interest)  for  the  second  group  of  program  participants.   Upon completion  of  the  doctorate,  each  student will  be  assisted  in  obtaining  a  postdoctoral  position abroad.    The  purpose  is  to  help  them  deepen  their  knowledge,  strengthen  their  research competence and confidence and, broaden their contacts with the international community. Each year, the students will attend a special workshop at the Université Polytechnique de l'Ouest  Africain  de  Dakar,  Senegal.    (We  expect  that  this workshop will  be  supported  by  the Ecole  Normale  Supérieure  de Paris  (France),  the  French  Government  and  the  Third  World Academy of Sciences.) 

Center Locations 

 2011

The  first  training  center will  open  at  the University Abdou Moumouni  of Niamey  (NIGER)  in January  2011.   The  center will  be  open  to  students  from BENIN, COTE D'IVOIRE, GUINEE CONAKRY and NIGER. 

2012

The following centers will commence in 2012: The University of Bamako (MALI): The center will be open to students from BURKINA FASO, CAP VERT, GUINEE-BISSAU, MALI and SENEGAL. The University of Kumasi (GHANA): The center will be open to students from GAMBIA, GHANA, LIBERIA and SIERRA LEONE. 

 The University of Yaoundé (CAMEROUN): The center will be open to students from CAMEROUN, GABON, GUINEE EQUATORIALE, REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE and TCHAD.

 2013

The following centers will commence in 2013: The University of Alexandria (EGYPT): The center will be open to students from EGYPT, LIBYA, SOMALIA and SUDAN. The Universities of Kano, Ife, Jos and Nsukka (NIGERIA): The centers will be open to students from NIGERIA. The University of Tunis (TUNISIA): The center will be open to students from ALGERIA, MAROC, MAURITANIA and TUNISIA. 

2014

The following centers will commence in 2014: The University of Antanarivo (MADAGASCAR): The center will be open to students from COMORES, MADAGASCAR, MAURITIUS and SEYCHELLES.  The University of Brazzaville (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE): The center will be open to students from ANGOLA, BURUNDI, CONGO BRAZZAVILLE, REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO and RWANDA. The University of Gaberone (BOTSWANA): The center will be open to students from BOTSWANA, LESOTHO, MOZAMBIQUE, NAMIBIA and SOUTH AFRICA. The University of Makerere (UGANDA): The center will be open to students from ETHIOPIA, ERYTHREA, KENYA, MALAWI and UGANDA. 

 Other centers will be open between 2015 and 2020, because the ultimate goal of this project is to provide every African country with at least one center at the horizon 2020. 

Board of Directors 

Professor Hamet Seydi: Program Director & Professor, Mathematics, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, SENEGAL.

 Dr. Gaetana Restuccia: Program Director; & Professor, Mathematics, University of Messina,ITALY. 

Dr. Tepper L Gill: Program Director; Professor Mathematics and Electrical & Computer Engineering, Howard University, USA.  

Dr. Issoufou Kouada: Director Niamey Center; Professor & Director of Graduate Studies,

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University, Abdou Moumouni of Niamey, NIGER. 

Advisory Board 

Dr. Saliou Touré, Chair, President of African Mathematical Union. 

Dr. Joshua Leslie, Vice-Chair: Professor, Mathematics, Howard University, USA.  

Dr. Paolo Valabrega, Vice-Chair and Professor of Mathematics, Politecnico di Torino ITALY.  

Dr. Donald Coleman: Former Provost and Retired Professor, Computer Science, Howard University, USA. 

Dr. Wayne Patterson: Professor, Computer Science, Howard University and former Program Officer, International Programs, National Science Foundation, USA. 

Dr. Abou Traoré: Professor, Mathematics, University, Abdou Moumouni of Niamey, NIGER.  

Dr. David Eisenberg: Professor, Mathematics, University California, Berkeley, USA. 

Abderrahman Boukricha, Professor of Mathematics, University of Tunis. TUNISIA. 

Dr. Aderemi Kuku: Professor Mathematics, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA, USA.

Dr. Juma Shabani, UNESCO.  

Dr. Rosanna Utano, Professor of Mathemics, University of Messina ITALY 

Daniel Makinde, Professor of Mathematics, University of the North, SOUTH AFRICA. 

Dr. Norbert Hounkonnou, Professor, Mathematical Physics, University of Abomey-Calavi,Cotonou, BENIN.  

Dr. Maurice Tchuente, Professor, Computer Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, CAMEROUN. 

Dr. George Edward Njock, Professor, Mathematics at University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, CAMEROUN. 

Dr. Hinda Hamraoui, Professor of Mathematics, University Hassan II, Casablanca, MOROCCO. 

Dr. Mustapha Lahyane, Professor of Mathematics, University of Michoacana, MEXICO. 

Dr. Akry Koulibaly, Professor of Mathematics, University of Ouagadougou, BURKINA FASO. 

Dr.Hyman Bass, Distinguished University Prof - Samuel Eilenberg, Mathematics, University of Michigan, USA.  

Dr. Jacek Banasiak, Professor of Mathematics, University of KwaZulu-Natal SOUTH AFRICA and, Editor in Chief of the journal AFRIKA MATEMATIKA. 

Dr. Lê Dùng Tràng, Former Chair of the Mathematical Group, Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics, Trieste ITALY. 

Dr. Jean-Michel Couvreur, Professor of Computer Science, Université d'Orléans FRANCE. 

Dr. Billy Wandera Ogana, Professor of Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Nairobi KENYA. 

Proposed Course Areas and Faculty 

The following course areas are currently anticipated: 

Mathematics  (Dr Woodford W Zachary, coordinator) 

Commutative Algebra    Algebraic Geometry    Algebraic Coding

Cryptography      Analytic Geometry    Differential Geometry

Functional Analysis    Operator Theory    Optimization Theory 

Partial Diff. Eqns.    Evolution Equations    Mathematical Physics

Probability Theory    Mathematical Statistics    Stochastic Processes

Stochastic Diff. Eqns.    Number Theory      Stochastic Control Theory      

Faculty

Kossivi Adjamagbo     Commutative Algebra and Geometry 

Augustin Banyaga     Differential Geometry

Paul Bezandry      Statistics & Stochastic Diff. Eqns. 

Toka Diagana      Partial Diff. Eqns. & Operator Theory

Tepper L. Gill       Analysis, Math. Phys. & Stochastic Processes

Issoufou Kouada     Optimization Theory

Joshua Leslie      Diff. Geometry, Lie Algebras & Lie Groups

Hamet Seydi      Commutative Algebra, Geometry, Coding

Léonard Todjihounde     Diff. Geometry and Calculus of Variations

Hinda Hamraoui     Algebraic K-Theory  

Jacek Banasiak      Func-Analysis, Dynamical Systems & PDEs,  

Abou Traoré      Complex Analysis  

Woodford W. Zachary    Func-Analysis & Evolution Eqns.

Norbert Hounkonnou     Mathematical Physics

Gioia Failla         Algebraic Geometry

Mustapha Lahyane    Algebraic Geometry 

Computer Science (Dr Donald Coleman, coordinator) 

Computer systems       Computer Security 

Data Communications       Software Engineering

Computer Vision       Algorithms and Machine Learning   

Mobile Computing      Wireless Communications

 

Faculty  

Legand L. Burge    Wireless Systems & Mobile Computing

Donald Coleman    Software Eng. & Computer Systems 

Mohamed Chouikha    Machine Learning & Computer Vision

Moses Garuba      Computer & Network Security

Jiang Li        Data Communications & Algorithms

Wayne Patterson    Cryptography & Network Security

Alicia N. Washington    Software Eng. & Data Communications 

Maurice Tchuente     Parallel & Distr. Comp. Automata Networks 

Project Tasks 

1.  Select Advisory Board            May-10 

2.  Select faculty-supervisors            June-10 

3.  Refine program plan              July-10 

4.  Prepare funding proposals            September-10 

5.  Select Students              December-10 

6.  Begin first year program            January-11  

7.  Evaluate program              October-11 

8.  Conduct program review            November-11 

9.  Plan second year program            December-11