The Trustees of the African Institute
for Mathematical Sciences Ghana (AIMS-Ghana) are pleased to announce the
appointment of Professor Magdalena Eriksson as the first director of
AIMS-Ghana. Prof. Eriksson took up
her position on January 1st, 2012.
AIMS-Ghana will be the newest node in the network of AIMS centres, which currently includes centres in South Africa and Senegal. AIMS centres in South Africa and Senegal each deliver a taught postgraduate programme to about 50 top students from across Africa, about one third of whom are women. Local and international lecturers present courses in various classical and modern areas in the mathematical sciences that aim to develop problem solving and computational skills. To date, AIMS centres have graduated 360 students from 32 countries, over 95% of whom have successfully gone onto further studies and careers in employment and teaching. Prof. Eriksson has been involved in the development of AIMS-Ghana since 2010.
Prof. Eriksson joins AIMS-Ghana from the School of Medical Sciences of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, where she headed the Department of Biochemistry. She was raised and educated in Sweden, and holds a PhD in biophysical chemistry from Chalmers University of Technology. She spent several years as a visiting scientist in New York City, at Columbia University and Sloan Kettering Institute, focusing her research on structural biology of nucleic acids. Prof. Eriksson also held faculty positions at Umeå University in Sweden and the University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Biomolecular Recognition in Denmark.
“AIMS-Ghana’s Masters programme will respond to African needs for knowledge and skills. In coming years, I look forward to AIMS-Ghana adding research programmes towards MPhil and PhD degrees,” Prof. Eriksson says.
Prof. Eriksson has extensive experience in partnership building and outreach programmes. In 2003, she earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is executive vice president of Molecular Frontiers Foundation, an organization she helped to launch in 2006 with the aim of making a greater presence for molecular science in public knowledge. Also in 2006 she was installed as queen mother of young women, nketesiahemaa, in Ekumfi-Edumafa, a traditional fishing community on the coast of Ghana’s Central Region. She plans to continue this community engagement in her work with AIMS-Ghana, saying, “AIMS-Ghana will cultivate strong ties with Ghanaian and international partner universities and also build relationships with organizations outside the academic sector. We will look to develop outreach programmes for the local community in collaboration with international partner institutions.”
Professor Francis Allotey, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Founder of AIMS-Ghana says, “Professor Eriksson is a talented and highly capable scientist who we believe will lead the development of AIMS-Ghana into a highly respected Ghanaian institution of high international standing.”
Additional information
AIMS-Ghana - http://www.aims-ghana.org/
AIMS-Ghana will be the third independent African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, part of the AIMS – Next Einstein Initiative (http://www.nexteinstein.org/). AIMS-Ghana will welcome students from across Africa and outstanding lecturers from around the world to offer a world-class postgraduate education in the mathematical sciences. The centre will be located in the historically significant region of Saltpond, a site of exceptional natural beauty. The institute will be being purpose-designed to offer an excellent academic environment in an attractive setting, which will merge local and international inspirations whilst being highly cost-effective.
Contact information for media enquiries
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AIMS-Ghana Ms. Nana E. Amponsah Project Manager neamponsah@nexteinstein.org +233 (0)27 837 2386 |
