African Institute of Mathematical Sciences

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is Africa’s first and biggest network of centres of excellence for postgraduate training and research. AIMS’ vision is to lead the transformation of Africa through scientific training, technical advances, breakthrough discoveries and public engagement in mathematical sciences.

Its mission is to enable Africa’s brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling Africa’s future scientific, educational and economic self sufficiency.

There are currently six AIMS centres of excellence across Africa – in South Africa, Sénégal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania and Rwanda. The AIMS Next Einstein Initiative is working to operate fifteen centres of excellence across Africa by 2023.

LML-Roth Scholarship

Recognising the talent and drive of AIMS graduates, the London Mathematical Laboratory (LML) is partnering with Imperial College to offer a PhD studentship to AIMS graduate Gcina Maziya, beginning in Autumn 2017.

The studentship will provide Gcina the opportunity to develop his physics career within world-class research environments and network with international graduate students and academics.

Gcina will be supervised by LML Fellow Nicholas Moloney and Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Physics Gunnar Pruessner from Imperial College. He has been awarded an LML-Roth scholarship by Imperial College, which will cover tuition fees. LML has committed to raising Gcina’s stipend, which will cover relocation, visa, living and research expenses.

Growing up in rural Swaziland, Gcina graduated from the National University where he finished 2nd in his year with a double major in maths and physics. After graduating from AIMS’ intense masters course, Gcina won a prestigious National Research Foundation scholarship at Stellenbosch University to work on phase transitions with Professor Michael Kastner.

Nicholas is a statistical physicist. His research interests include the theory of extreme values, stochastic processes, point vortices, and critical phenomena observed in phase transitions. He also collaborates with artists and philosophers. In 2012 Nicholas cofounded LML and is one of its Resident Fellows.