AIMS and Ishango partner to connect data science graduates to international opportunities

Ishango, a social enterprise creating highly skilled jobs in Africa and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Africa’s first and largest network of centres for innovative post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, have announced a partnership to connect top African data scientists with international work experience opportunities.

The partnership will boost African data science graduates' employment prospects through a fully funded, three-month fellowship program.

The fellows will be equipped with technical and soft skills to prepare them for the international job market.

Hosted at the AIMS Rwanda Centre of Excellence in Kigali, fellows will also get real-world experience, working remotely on projects and adding value to international organisations.

Eunice Baguma Ball, Co-Founder of Ishango said, “Leveraging data has become increasingly crucial for the growth of businesses and organisations across the globe. Thanks to the work of institutions like AIMS, Africa now has a growing pool of bright and talented data scientists who have the potential to compete at a global level. At Ishango, our goal is to be the bridge between Africa’s top talent and global businesses. Through this partnership with AIMS, we now have access to the very best that Africa has to offer. We look forward to working together to develop the data leaders of tomorrow.”

Dr. Charles Lebon Mberi Kimpolo, Director of the AIMS Industry Initiative added that, “With the growing technological advancements, things are becoming more and more connected. In today’s smarter communities, traditional data processing software and techniques cannot deal with the analysis required to understand human behaviour. Specialised technical skills and tools are needed to deal with such large data and information. This is why we need to build capacity and create a critical mass of data scientists equipped with the required skills to understand how to perform complex data tasks across various businesses. AIMS is proud to partner with Ishango to leverage its partnerships and networks to provide AIMS alumni with opportunities to learn new skills and contribute to the human capital development needed by partner companies. We believe this data science and AI fellowship program will boost AIMS alumni’s employability skills and enhance their transition to relevant employment.”