ACIAM 2026 Conference Report
Mathematics for Resilient Futures in Africa
Université Thomas Sankara, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 5–9 October 2026
From 5 to 9 October 2026, Ouagadougou became a meeting place for mathematical research, technological innovation and discussion of Africa’s development priorities. The third African Conference for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ACIAM 2026), organised by the African Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ASIAM) in collaboration with Université Thomas Sankara, brought together participants from 25 countries: 15 African countries and 10 from outside the continent. Participation in person and online extended the reach of a programme that recorded 101 scientific presentations over five days.
Under the theme “Mathematics for Resilient Futures: Climate, Health and Industry”, the conference connected advances in mathematical theory and computation with questions of direct public importance. Its achievements included high-quality scientific exchanges, outstanding contributions from young researchers, recognition of a distinguished African mathematician, discussions with government ministers and outreach to secondary-school learners. The warmth of the welcome in Burkina Faso gave these exchanges a strong spirit of collegiality.
An opening ceremony connecting science and public institutions
The opening ceremony reflected the importance attached to mathematics beyond the university community. Three ministries were represented, and four media organisations covered the occasion. Professor Tibi Didier Zoungrana, President of Université Thomas Sankara, delivered the welcome address, followed by Professor Abdon Atangana, President of ASIAM, and the ministerial representative’s address.
The programme placed the conference within a broad institutional setting involving higher education, research and innovation, digital transition, and national development. The presence of public authorities alongside researchers offered an opportunity to strengthen dialogue about how mathematical knowledge can inform practical choices in education, health, industry and public services.
Scientific breadth and an impressive generation of young researchers
The scientific programme brought established international researchers into conversation with emerging scholars working on demanding problems. Presentations ranged across theoretical analysis, scientific computing, artificial intelligence and applications. Five connected areas illustrate the breadth of the contributions:
- Scientific machine learning and responsible AI: physics-informed and structure-preserving machine learning; graph and geometric deep learning for physical systems; reinforcement learning for control; explainable, fair and accountable AI in engineering; and inverse design using generative models for materials and structures.
- Uncertainty and risk: uncertainty quantification, probabilistic numerics, stochastic modelling, rare events and extreme-value analysis, together with computational finance and risk modelling using machine learning.
- Advanced simulation and computation: multiscale and multiphysics modelling, high-performance and heterogeneous computing, sparse and adaptive numerical methods, quantum-inspired algorithms and numerical linear algebra.
- Inference and decisions: scalable inverse problems and imaging for resource-limited settings, data-driven digital twins, real-time decision support, constrained optimisation, robust optimisation and distributionally robust optimisation.
- Complex systems and societal applications: fractional and nonlocal models, climate resilience and water security, mathematical epidemiology and agent-based models with data, network resilience and contagion, and applied topology and geometric methods for complex data.
The programme gave these themes concrete expression through studies of epidemic dynamics, flood and drought risks, medical imaging, industrial operations, fluid flows and environmental processes. It demonstrated how mathematical questions about stability, uncertainty, approximation and control can arise from very different practical settings.
Among the most encouraging features was the quality of the presentations by young researchers. Their results and engagement with scientific questions offered a compelling view of the talent developing across the continent. Presenting alongside senior scholars gave them an important setting in which to explain their work, receive questions and encounter methods beyond their own specialisations. Supporting this generation remains central to ASIAM’s mission.
Honouring Professor Khalil Ezzinbi
A major highlight was the presentation of the N’Guérékata Award for Excellence in Mathematics, named in honour of Professor Gaston Mandata N’Guérékata, to Professor Khalil Ezzinbi of the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
Announcing the distinction as President of the Award Jury, Professor Abdon Atangana highlighted Professor Ezzinbi’s significant contributions to applicable mathematics through original research, pioneering papers, books and book chapters. The recognition also honoured his sustained commitment to developing mathematical expertise through the supervision of master’s and doctoral students from across Africa and his participation in national and international conferences as a keynote and plenary speaker.
Professor Ezzinbi’s international distinctions include the second TWAS–Mohammad A. Hamdan Award, awarded for 2022, and election as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 2025. His work in differential equations and dynamical systems has been accompanied by extensive research collaboration and postgraduate mentorship.
The award therefore recognised a contribution extending beyond an individual publication record. It celebrated the combination of original scholarship and the patient work of training others, through which expertise grows across institutions and generations.
Artificial intelligence and the responsibility to think
A dedicated round table examined the opportunities and disadvantages associated with artificial intelligence, with particular attention to Africa, education and young people. This discussion complemented the technical presentations by considering how the growing availability of AI may affect learning, scientific practice and the development of local expertise.
For a mathematical society, these questions have special importance. The capacity to use an AI system does not remove the need to understand a problem, assess assumptions or judge whether a result is sound. Equally, the potential of AI deserves serious examination where it can support discovery and useful applications. The round table made room for this necessary discussion about both opportunity and responsibility.
Innovation directed towards community needs
One of the conference’s distinctive contributions came from ASIAM’s Commission for Innovation and Industry. Eng., MBA Rocky Tsane Zedong, Cloud DevOps Architect; Eng. Boubacar Sanou, Senior Data Project Manager; and fourteen-year-old Yann Harris Charbel Siry brought attention to the relationship between scientific capabilities and practical services.
The associated synthesis presented four complementary components: JAMAA, water treatment, YamCyber and MediCRM. Together, they describe a vision for connecting expertise, addressing essential needs and protecting the digital systems on which services increasingly depend.
JAMAA, the Global African Directory, aims to make talent, skills, organisations, initiatives and opportunities more visible across Africa and its diaspora. Its intended contribution is to help people identify and mobilise the expertise needed for scientific, economic and institutional projects. Rocky Tsane Zedong’s presentation also placed digital governance and community participation within this wider ambition.
The water-treatment component addresses purified-water production suited to its intended use, including household consumption and dialysis. These applications have distinct requirements, and the synthesis emphasises appropriate treatment processes, monitoring and quality controls for each. MediCRM complements this work in healthcare settings by organising patient information, appointments and treatment sessions.
YamCyber focuses on cybersecurity awareness and assistance, with features including interactive learning, threat simulations and an AI assistant. The programme presented it as a mobile initiative developed to help people protect themselves against digital risks. Yann Harris Charbel Siry’s contribution was particularly memorable: at fourteen, he participated in the conference as a young innovator addressing a concrete societal concern.
Boubacar Sanou’s presentation examined the convergence of mathematics, computing, industry and AI, including applications to predictive maintenance, intelligent automation, quality control and decision support. The accompanying ecosystem synthesis illustrated how the four components could work together in a dialysis-centre project: connecting expertise, supporting appropriate water production, coordinating care and improving digital protection. This was a useful illustration of potential collaboration, with each component retaining its own responsibilities.
The significance of this contribution lay in the connection it made between research and identifiable needs. Mathematical modelling, optimisation, data analysis and validated AI can help guide the development of such services. The presentations offered a basis for further work among researchers, engineers, institutions and industry partners.
Ministerial engagement and the proposed mathematics caravan
A delegation of ASIAM officials met with two ministers, including the Minister of Higher Education and the Minister of Health. During these discussions, Professor Abdon Atangana proposed collaboration between ASIAM and Burkina Faso, opening a dialogue about how the Society’s expertise could contribute to national priorities.
The Minister of Higher Education suggested a mathematics caravan across the country, an idea warmly welcomed by ASIAM. Such an initiative could take mathematical engagement beyond conference venues and university campuses, bringing researchers into closer contact with learners, teachers and communities. The proposal offers a promising direction for follow-up discussions on outreach and the place of mathematics in development
Television dialogue on mathematics and Africa’s development
The conference’s public engagement included an important televised discussion bringing together Professor Abdon Atangana, President of ASIAM; Professor Khalil Ezzinbi, recipient of the N’Guérékata Award for Excellence in Mathematics; and Associate Professor Ibrahim Nonkane of Université Thomas Sankara, ASIAM Vice-President for Burkina Faso. The discussion centred on the role of applicable mathematics in the development of the African continent.
This television appearance gave the conference a significant public dimension. It brought the perspectives of ASIAM’s leadership, an internationally recognised award recipient and the local academic community into a shared conversation accessible beyond the conference audience. Public discussion of this kind helps explain why mathematical research matters to society and why investment in scientific education deserves wider attention.
For ASIAM, communicating with the public is an important part of its scientific mission. The broadcast created a point of contact between the research community and viewers who may rarely encounter applied mathematics outside a classroom. It also provided a record of the discussion that can continue to support awareness and outreach after the conference.
Watch the television discussion: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EpSaLva6y/
The General Assembly and the development of ASIAM
The General Assembly provided an opportunity to review the Society’s activities, assess its progress and discuss the resources needed to sustain its ambitions. Professor Mamadou Abdoul Diop, ASIAM Executive Secretary and Vice-Rector of Université Gaston Berger, presented the activity report covering developments since 2025. His wider retrospective also recalled the Niger conference and the contribution of Professor Hassirou Mouhamadou of Abdou Moumouni University as Chair of its Local Organising Committee.
Professor Diop highlighted the participation of ten ASIAM members in the Joint ASEAN–Africa Workshop on Computational and Applied Mathematics, held at the Institute for Mathematical Sciences, National University of Singapore, from 13 to 17 April 2026. This engagement extended the Society’s international scientific connections. He also reviewed online events marking occasions such as Pi Day and International Women’s Day, illustrating how ASIAM maintains activity between major conferences.
An important institutional achievement was the establishment and development of the African Journal for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (AJIAM). The journal has published two volumes, alongside additional Online First articles, and provides a peer-reviewed platform for mathematical theory and applications relevant to industry, technology and society.
Professor O. Daniel Makinde serves as Editor-in-Chief, with Professor Abdon Atangana as Managing Editor. Professor Makinde, ASIAM Vice-President, Co-Chair of ACIAM 2026 and inaugural recipient of the N’Guérékata Award, called on African applied mathematicians to support the journal by submitting strong research papers and organising outstanding special issues. His appeal underlined the importance of active participation in building a journal that serves the community’s scientific ambitions.
The Assembly also addressed financial sustainability. ASIAM Treasurer Dr Hangwelani Magau explained that outstanding membership subscriptions were contributing to financial constraints and called on members to pay their dues. The discussion connected membership responsibility with the Society’s ability to support its scientific and continental objectives.
Professor Ezzinbi proposed extending the interval between editions of the N’Guérékata Award from two years to four, to allow more time to mobilise resources. Professor Makinde also offered perspectives on fundraising to support ASIAM’s vision. These contributions formed part of the discussion on sustainable financing; the suggested change to the award cycle was a proposal for consideration.
A closing lecture by Fields Medallist Alessio Figalli
The final day featured Professor Alessio Figalli of ETH Zurich, recipient of the 2018 Fields Medal. His lecture, “Optimal Transport: From A to B… and Beyond”, explored a subject that connects fundamental mathematical questions with applications in economics, data science and the natural sciences.
Following the presentation, Professor Abdon Atangana invited Professor Figalli to share his views on the influence of AI on mathematics and to advise young participants about its advantages and disadvantages. Professor Figalli addressed the issue from two perspectives: that of students and that of researchers. His central message was that human beings should remain in charge of AI, rather than allowing the relationship to be reversed.
This exchange brought an important educational dimension to the closing scientific session. Alongside the excitement surrounding new tools, it placed human understanding and judgment at the centre of mathematical work.
School outreach at Les Lauréats and confidence in Africa’s scientific future
The engagement with young people continued after the conference. At the invitation of the school’s proviseur, Professor Atangana visited the secondary-school division of Groupe Scolaire Les Lauréats in Ouaga 2000, Ouagadougou. He was accompanied by Eng., MBA Rocky Tsane Zedong and Dr Olawunmi Ige.
Professor Atangana encouraged learners to take science, technology, engineering and mathematics seriously as essential tools for Africa’s development. He shared his own scientific journey from Cameroon to South Africa, bringing a personal perspective to the choices facing young people. His experience offered a concrete example of a scientific career built on the continent and connected to an international research community.
By speaking about his own path, he connected the ambition to become a scientist with a life the learners could recognise: a young African developing his abilities through education and research. The value of this encounter lay in making a scientific future more tangible. It encouraged learners to see themselves as potential researchers, engineers and innovators whose work could matter both within Africa and internationally.
He also reminded students that Africa has a long history as a centre of scientific learning, particularly in mathematics. This historical perspective has substantial foundations. Ancient Egyptian texts such as the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus preserve mathematical problems involving calculation, measurement and practical needs, demonstrating a tradition of mathematical knowledge developed on African soil.
The history of scholars travelling to African centres of learning provides further examples. Leonardo of Pisa, known as Fibonacci, received mathematical instruction in Béjaïa, in present-day Algeria, an experience he described in his own account. Apollonius of Perga studied in Alexandria under followers of Euclid and later taught there. Ancient accounts also associate Thales and Pythagoras with learning in Egypt, although the details of those journeys remain debated. These examples help place Africa within the history of the creation and transmission of mathematical knowledge.
Professor Atangana urged learners to pursue their education and consider building their scientific careers within Africa. He challenged the assumption that those educated in the West are automatically better than those educated on the continent. Scientific ability is developed through serious study, sound training, original thinking and sustained work; it cannot be judged simply by where a person obtained a qualification. His encouragement asked young people to recognise the possibilities available to them in African institutions and to approach their studies with confidence.
He emphasised that Africa needs their abilities for development and innovation. The continent’s future depends in part on young people who can generate knowledge, design useful technologies, strengthen institutions and address the needs of their communities. In this context, choosing to study and work in Africa can be an ambitious commitment to building its scientific and technical capacity. The outreach message linked personal achievement with the wider contribution that an educated and inventive generation can make.
The discussion also addressed the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence. Professor Atangana encouraged learners to approach its growing influence with judgment. For students, AI can help explain concepts, suggest approaches and support exploration, but its answers can also be incorrect or misleading. Dependence on ready-made responses can weaken the effort through which understanding develops. Responsible use therefore requires learners to check information, work through reasoning for themselves and retain ownership of their learning. The educational priority is to develop minds capable of questioning and creating, with AI used to support that development.
Dr Olawunmi Ige gave particular encouragement to female learners, urging them to embrace STEM and help reduce gender disparities in scientific and technical fields. Her contribution affirmed that girls should see themselves as future mathematicians, engineers, researchers and technology leaders. Encouraging their participation is essential to ensuring that Africa’s scientific development draws on the abilities of its whole population.
The visit extended ASIAM’s engagement from research presentation to the formation of future scientists. It joined scientific heritage with present opportunity, and personal aspiration with responsibility to society. Its central educational purpose was to help young people believe that they can learn deeply, contribute original ideas and take an active part in Africa’s development.
Looking ahead to the 2027 conference
Interest in hosting the next edition provided an encouraging prospect for the Society’s continued activities. Four countries, Cameroon, Gabon, Namibia and South Africa, expressed interest in hosting the 2027 ASIAM conference. These expressions of interest point to the conference’s growing continental reach and provide a basis for discussions about the next host and the organisation of the 2027 gathering.
Carrying the work forward
ACIAM 2026 leaves ASIAM with clear opportunities for continued work: supporting promising researchers, strengthening AJIAM, developing the relationships opened through ministerial discussions, exploring the mathematics-caravan proposal and advancing collaboration around practical innovation. Sustaining these activities will require the continued involvement of members and partners, including reliable financial support.
The lasting value of the gathering will be seen in what follows: the young researcher who develops a result after a valuable discussion, the collaboration that continues across borders, the learner encouraged to pursue STEM, and the institution that finds a useful partner in the mathematical community. Burkina Faso provided a setting in which these possibilities could take shape.
Acknowledgements
ASIAM expresses its sincere appreciation to Professor Boureima Sangaré of the Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Appliquées (UFR SEA), Burkina Faso, President of ASIAM Burkina Faso and Chair of the Local Organising Committee, and to Associate Professor Ibrahim Nonkane of the Department of Economics, Université Thomas Sankara, Vice-President of ASIAM Burkina Faso.
Their hard work, tireless commitment and many sleepless nights were essential to the success of ACIAM 2026. The Society recognises the considerable time and personal effort they devoted to preparing and supporting the conference. Together with the entire Local Organising Committee, they helped create the conditions for productive scientific exchanges and the warm welcome that participants experienced in Burkina Faso.
Special thanks are extended to all speakers from outside Africa for generously giving their time and sharing their expertise with the conference community. Their contributions enriched the scientific programme and strengthened dialogue between African researchers and colleagues across the world. ASIAM deeply appreciates their engagement with the continent’s mathematical community and their contribution to an occasion of particular value for young researchers.
The Society also thanks Université Thomas Sankara, the authorities of Burkina Faso, all speakers and session chairs, participants joining in person and online, technical teams, media organisations and everyone whose efforts supported the gathering. ACIAM 2026 was made possible by this shared commitment to scientific exchange, education and cooperation.
