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CoRE-Math: Current Situation and Opportunities

Where are we now, and what opportunities can we see?

0. Overall Trends

Current Situation

CoRE-Math is evolving from a collaboration of existing programmes into a coordinated Africa–Europe platform for the mathematical sciences, with shared activities, governance, and strategic planning.

As CoRE-Math grows, there is an increasing need for common structures for planning, governance, communication, and coordination.

The cluster is expanding geographically, particularly through growing collaboration with South African institutions.

New funding opportunities are emerging through CoRE-Math and its partnerships.

CoRE-Math is creating additional opportunities for researchers and student mobility through new institutional partnerships.

Opportunities and Ideas

Use partnerships beyond East Africa for creating new opportunities for research, postgraduate education, and industry engagement.

Use mobility to strengthen research environments and collaboration rather than as an objective in itself.

Future growth will depend not only on securing funding but on making strategic choices about priorities, governance, and long-term sustainability.

Build thematic groups that integrate research, postgraduate education, networking, outreach, and external collaboration, building on existing groups such as AECC, EAALG, APREA, and PDEAPP while creating new groups in emerging areas.

Expand CoRE-Math beyond its original institutional base through partnerships with universities, research organisations, and mathematical societies across Africa and Europe.

Treat funding as a coordinated strategic activity by identifying priorities, coordinating applications, and supporting member institutions and thematic groups.

Use mobility strategically to strengthen research environments, postgraduate education, and long-term collaboration rather than treating mobility as an objective in itself.

1. Research and Scientific Collaboration

Current Situation

CoRE-Math promotes research collaboration through fellowships, mobility, workshops, conferences, joint supervision, and other collaborative activities across the network.

CoRE-Math builds on four established thematic groups developed through long-term collaboration: AECC (enumerative combinatorics), EAALG (algebra and algebraic geometry), APREA (applied probability), and PDEAPP (partial differential equations and applications). AECC and EAALG remain very active, while APREA and PDEAPP provide a foundation that could be further developed.

The UU and UKZN fellowship programmes are important instruments for strengthening scientific exchange and collaboration.

The inclusion of UKZN and Stellenbosch significantly broadens the scientific capacity of CoRE-Math, adding strengths in areas such as differential equations, symmetry analysis, mathematical modelling, topology, mathematical physics, algebra, number theory, geometry, and combinatorics.

Opportunities and Ideas

Develop CoRE-Math around a set of thematic groups that coordinate research, postgraduate education and scientific activities across institutions, strengthening active groups, revitalising APREA and PDEAPP, and establishing new groups in emerging areas such as biomathematics, computational mathematics, financial mathematics, mathematical modelling, and data science.

Use the expanded scientific base of CoRE-Math to strengthen existing research areas through joint research projects, workshops, mobility, and joint supervision.

Explore opportunities to develop new research areas through collaboration with UKZN and Stellenbosch.

Strengthen collaboration between existing CoRE-Math research groups and encourage new collaborations across institutions and research areas.

2. Postgraduate Education

Current Situation

CoRE-Math schools have become a central component of the cluster’s postgraduate training activities:

⁠

2026 School on Arithmetic, Geometry and Algorithms⁠

(Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia).

2027 School on Topological Data Analysis (Lusaka).

2028 School on Symmetries (proposed).

Additional schools organised by CoRE-Math researchers or hosted at CoRE-Math institutions include:

CIMPA School on Enumerative Combinatorics (Uganda, 2027).

CIMPA School on PDEs (Addis Ababa, 2027).

Mobility programmes are being developed as one instrument for strengthening collaboration and postgraduate education across the network.

Bergen has expertise in online teaching that could be relevant for future educational activities.

Opportunities and Ideas

Explore the possibility of a School on Industrial Mathematics in 2028, potentially in Addis Ababa or Nairobi and possibly with CIMPA support.

Online courses

Develop online courses that can be shared across the CoRE-Math network. Possible examples include: AI Methods for Mathematicians, Numerical Linear Algebra, Publication Strategies and other professional skills.

Apply for funding to develop online courses.

Ensure that future online courses are attractive to both African and European students.

Map Erasmus+ agreements across CoRE-Math institutions in Africa and Europe to identify mobility opportunities.

Explore opportunities for industry-funded doctoral students and other externally funded postgraduate training arrangements.

3. Institutional Development

Current Situation

Makerere is applying for the EMS–CDC ERCE label.

Opportunities and Ideas

Institutional development has become an increasingly important topic within CoRE-Math, particularly following discussions on the future role of the cluster.

4. Mathematics for Industry and Society

Current Situation

CoRE-Math has begun developing activities that link mathematics to industry and societal challenges. Current initiatives include the Makerere study group, plans for further ICMS-funded study-group activities, and a proposed Lake Victoria initiative that would bring together mathematicians and other researchers to address societal and environmental challenges in the Lake Victoria region through data analysis, mathematical modelling, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Applied and industrial mathematics is already a strength at several institutions within the broader CoRE-Math network, including UKZN, Stellenbosch, Wits, and CoE-MASS.

AI has emerged as an important area for future CoRE-Math activities.

Opportunities and Ideas

Consider developing Mathematics for Industry and Society into a major thematic area within CoRE-Math, integrating study groups, industrial mathematics education, interdisciplinary collaboration, AI, and engagement with external stakeholders.

Develop the Lake Victoria initiative as a platform for collaboration around societal and environmental challenges in the Lake Victoria region. Possible activities include mapping challenges and stakeholders, identifying available data sources, organising workshops, and developing interdisciplinary research projects involving mathematical modelling and data analysis.

Explore how AI can strengthen research, postgraduate education, and societal engagement within CoRE-Math.

Explore industry-funded doctoral students and doctoral students funded by government agencies.

Explore commissioned further education as a source of income for participating departments.

Explore the possibility of a School on Industrial Mathematics that would bring together postgraduate students and researchers to work on problems motivated by industry and societal challenges.

5. Partnerships and Network Development

Current Situation

CoRE-Math is expanding its collaboration with South African institutions, including UKZN, Stellenbosch, CoE-MASS, NGA-MASS, Wits, NITheCS, and STIAS.

Stellenbosch is in the process of becoming more integrated into CoRE-Math activities. Contact persons are being identified, and discussions on future collaboration are planned.

UEM has expressed interest in joining CoRE-Math.

CoRE-Math has a long-standing relationship with IUCEA.

Opportunities and Ideas

The emerging South African partnerships provide an opportunity to broaden CoRE-Math beyond its traditional East African base while strengthening research, postgraduate education, and links with industry and international organisations.

International organisations such as UNESCO IBSP, TWAS and AUC-ESTI could become valuable strategic partners for CoRE-Math, particularly through the UNESCO Chair at LUT.

Explore how the UNESCO Chair at LUT could support CoRE-Math partnerships and applications, particularly with organisations connected to UNESCO.

Strengthen collaboration with South African mathematical institutions and networks through joint activities, conferences, schools, industry outreach, and fundraising.

Consider expanding CoRE-Math membership to include institutions in Southern, Western, and Northern Africa. Potential candidates mentioned include UEM, UM6P, and a future West African member.

6. Gender and Inclusion

Current Situation

Current gender and inclusion activities within CoRE-Math are largely driven by member institutions and existing regional networks rather than by the cluster itself.

Several relevant networks and initiatives already exist within the CoRE-Math region, including EANWoBAS, Uganda Women in Mathematics, and Tanzania Women in Mathematics.

Cerene Rathilal at UKZN runs a STEM Mentor programme that may provide useful lessons and opportunities for collaboration.

Opportunities and Ideas

Strengthen links with EANWoBAS and other regional networks supporting women in mathematics.

Increase the visibility of existing gender and inclusion initiatives within the CoRE-Math network.

Use CoRE-Math communication channels to highlight successful initiatives, role models, and opportunities.

Explore collaboration with mentoring initiatives such as the STEM Mentor programme at UKZN.

7. Communication, Dissemination, and Visibility

Current Situation

CoRE-Math has established a website and LinkedIn presence, but communication is still largely activity-driven rather than strategic.

Information about activities, funding opportunities, achievements, and ongoing collaborations is not yet communicated consistently across the network.

CoRE-Math is still developing a common identity and a clear set of messages for different audiences (researchers, universities, funders, and partners).

Opportunities and Ideas

Develop regular communication channels (newsletter, LinkedIn, website).

Develop clear messages explaining CoRE-Math’s purpose and achievements.

Support communication activities organised by research groups and partner institutions.

8. Funding and Resource Mobilisation

Current Situation

CoRE-Math activities are supported through a variety of funding sources.

CoRE-Math is moving from opportunistic applications towards a coordinated funding strategy based on complementary funding sources.

The full funding landscape within CoRE-Math is not systematically mapped.

UKZN and Stellenbosch have committed to providing support for proposal development.

Opportunities and Ideas

ARUA Early Career Fellowships.

⁠

Nordforsk⁠

calls.

Make systematic use of the proposal development support available at UKZN and Stellenbosch.

More systematic sharing of funding opportunities across the cluster.

Commissioned further education and professional training as a potential source of income for participating departments.

9. Governance and Management

Current Situation

CoRE-Math is entering a phase where clearer structures for planning, coordination, and decision-making are becoming increasingly important.

The Annual Survey, Letters of Commitment, and the Baseline Study provide important information for monitoring and planning.

The Steering Committee is the primary governance body for CoRE-Math.

Opportunities and Ideas

Explore whether some cross-cutting activities (communication, education, funding, industry, gender) should be coordinated through thematic working groups.

Use the Baseline Study more actively as a strategic planning and monitoring tool.

Develop a clearer annual planning process linked to the strategy and Annual Survey.

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