Thierry Zomahoun

Thierry Zomahoun

Born in Benin, Thierry Zomahoun is a development strategist, management expert and a thought-leader for innovative education initiatives. [1] Since 2011, his work has focused on creating an enabling environment for the transformation of Africa through education.

Zomahoun is President and CEO of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Africa’s first and biggest pan-African network of centres of excellence in mathematical sciences. AIMS’ mission is to help the continent’s brightest students become innovators who propel scientific, education and economic self-sufficiency. [2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 15]

Under Zomahoun’s leadership, AIMS has and is reinventing the university model for the 21st century. With nearly 1,000 alumni, AIMS graduates are applying mathematical solutions to African development and global innovation, leading societal transformation. Zomahoun has been a public advocate, as a speaker and media commentator, for altering perceptions about the potential of African youth and changing attitudes about Africa’s role as a global hub for science. Key to this advocacy has been to encourage young women to pursue mathematical sciences. [6, 12, 13] In 2013, Zomahoun founded the Next Einstein Forum (NEF), a global forum for science and technology, the first ever to take place on African soil, with the aim of making Africa the next hub for global science. The first NEF Global Gathering will take place in Dakar (Senegal) in March 2016.

Zomahoun joined AIMS in 2011. The first AIMS centre had been founded in South Africa in 2003 by Professor Neil Turok, a world-renowned physicist, and the Director of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. The idea was simple: to take the brightest maths and science post-graduate students in Africa and give them the opportunity to study under the stewardship of professors from top international universities such as Cambridge and Harvard, in a 24-hour, tuition-free environment. The model proved effective in South Africa and when Zomahoun joined his mission was to replicate it across the continent. The expansion plan came to be known as the Next Einstein Initiative.2, 9 Determined to work with a team that is as passionate about Africa as he is, Zomahoun’s focus is to ensure AIMS offers research and training opportunities that match the highest international standards so that young African scientists no longer feel they have to leave Africa to get a quality education abroad. [5, 10, 11, 15]

Previously, he has also served as regional director and manager for Right to Play International (www.righttoplay.com), country director for Aide et Action International (www.aide-et-action.org), and country program adviser for ChildFund International (www.childfund.org).[1] Zomahoun believes that science must focus on impact and be useful to society. Given that Africa has already faced many of the challenges the rest of the world is tackling (environmental and economic issues, amongst others), he considers the curiosity displayed by many young Africans an asset- one that can be harnessed to offer relevant solutions for global problems.14 With AIMS’ successful pedagogical model, encompassing a student body of 42 African nationalities and attracting 150 to 200 teachers from 35 countries per year, Zomahoun is galvanizing a movement for the transformation of Africa based on science and scientific research.

Thierry Zomahoun holds a Master’s of Business Administration from McGill’s Faculty of Management, a Master’s Degree in development studies from the Graduate Institute of International Development Studies at the University of Geneva and a Master’s Degree from the National University of Benin.[1] He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in Political Science at the University of Guelph, Canada.

Links

www.nexteinstein.org

www.nef.org

References

1. Sophie Fluery “Alumni Portrait: Thierry Zomahoun.” Globe: The Graduate Institute Review #15, Spring 2015. Geneva, Switzerland, p. 37.

http://graduateinstitute.ch/home/about-us/globe.html

2. Oakland Ross. “Searching for Einstein,” Toronto Star. Feb. 8, 2014, p. WD6. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/02/10/the_search_for_africas_einstein.html

3. Thierry Hot. “Faire émerger les prochains Einstein en Afrique,” Notre Afrik, #40, Février 2014, p. 28.

4. Anasthasie Tudieshe, “L'enseignement des mathématiques en Afrique,” 7 Milliards de voisins, Radio France Internationale, Apr. 18, 2014. http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20140418-1-enseignement-mathematique-afrique/

5. Eleanor Whitehead. “Science in Africa on the rise: Scientific research in Africa is gathering momentum,” The Economist, August 9, 2014, p. 42. http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21611112-scientific-research-africa-gathering-momentum-rise

6. “L’Institut Africain des Sciences Mathématiques plaide pour l’éducation des femmes et de la jeunesse,” L’encre noir, Nov. 29, 2014. http://lencrenoir.com/linstitut-africain-des-sciences-mathematiques-plaide-pour-leducation-des-femmes-et-de-la-jeunesse/

7. Aliou Kande, “SOMMET DE L’OIF : L’Aims fera partie de la délégation du Premier ministre canadien,” Le soleil, Nov. 29, 2014. http://www.lesoleil.sn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43422:ouverture-du-xveme-sommet-de-loif-aujourdhui-forte-affluence-au-banquet-de-la-francophonie&catid=78:a-la-une&Itemid=255

8. Jacques Aristide, “Le prochain Einstein viendra de L’Afrique et c’est mathématiquement prouvé!” La voix de L’Amerique, Nov. 25, 2014. http://www.lavoixdelamerique.com/media/video/next-einstein-jacques-aristide/2534257.html

9. Catherine de Lange, “I’m making science in Africa a numbers game”. New Scientist, Issue 2998, Dec. 8, 2014.   http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429982.200-im-making-science-in-africa-a-numbers-game.html#.VMAiki47WVB

10. Jeffery Marlow, “Will Africa produce the ‘Next Einstein’?”, wired.com , Dec. 30, 2014. http://www.wired.com/2014/12/will-africa-produce-next-einstein/

11. Luca Tancredi Barone, “Thierry Zomahoun Podcast: Africa is Looking for its Einsteins,” EuroScientist. March 12, 2015. http://www.euroscientist.com/thierry-zomahoun-africa-is-looking-for-its-einsteins/

12. Makers Editorial Team, “Will the Next Einstein Be a Woman from Cameroon?,” Makers. March 13, 2015. http://www.makers.com/blog/will-next-einstein-be-woman-cameroon

13. Thierry Zomahoun, “Women and mathematical sciences should make an amicable pair in Africa,” The East African. March 14, 2015. http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Women-and-mathematical-sciences-an-amicable-pair-in-Africa-/-/434750/2653178/-/11e89wl/-/index.html

14. Thierry Zomahoun, “Africa’s transformation is directly tied to a radical boost in access to STEM education,” Ventures Africa. Jun. 4, 2015. http://venturesafrica.com/africas-transformation-is-directly-tied-to-a-radical-boost-in-access-to-stem-education/

15. Joan Tilouine, “L’Afrique à la recherche du prochain Einstein,” Le Monde. Jun. 6, 2015. http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/06/04/l-afrique-a-la-recherche-du-prochain-einstein_4647497_3212.html?xtmc=aims&xtcr=2