IMSA – Summary and Strategic Relevance for CoRE-Math

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Key Message

IMSA represents a highly relevant national anchor in South Africa and should be regarded as a strategic partner for CoRE-Math. A strong partnership can be built around joint programmes in doctoral training, research networks, and early-career development, provided that roles remain clearly differentiated:

IMSA as a national system; CoRE-Math as an Africa–Europe network.

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Overview

The Institute for Mathematical Sciences and Applications (IMSA) is a planned national institute in South Africa (target: 2029), building on the Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CoE-MaSS) and the National Graduate Academy for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (NGA(MaSS)). Its purpose is to establish a coherent national system for postgraduate training, research, and innovation in the mathematical sciences.

Rationale

The initiative responds to long-standing structural challenges, including fragmentation across institutions, limited national coordination, and multiple forms of isolation—geographical, institutional, and disciplinary. These challenges are reflected in a persistent Global North–South gap in research capacity, funding, infrastructure, and international recognition.

Strategic Focus

IMSA’s priorities include strengthening doctoral training and postgraduate education, advancing high-quality and interdisciplinary research, promoting capacity-building and transformation across institutions (particularly historically disadvantaged ones), and enhancing the contribution of mathematical sciences to innovation and societal challenges. A key element is the development of stronger linkages between academia, industry, and government through structured knowledge exchange.

Internationalisation

Internationalisation is a central pillar. Evidence highlights the decisive role of international exposure, mobility, and research networks in achieving scientific excellence. IMSA therefore aims to expand global partnerships, support researcher mobility, and position South Africa more centrally within international mathematical sciences. Overall, IMSA represents a shift from distributed and loosely coordinated national activities to an integrated, outward-looking system.

Strategic Relevance for CoRE-Math

IMSA should be regarded as a key strategic partner for CoRE-Math. The two initiatives are strongly aligned in their emphasis on doctoral training, research networks, early-career development, and internationalisation. At the same time, their roles are distinct and complementary: IMSA operates at the level of a national system, while CoRE-Math functions as an Africa–Europe network.

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Implications for Collaboration

Joint Doctoral Training

Joint doctoral training represents a major opportunity, provided it is developed as coordinated thematic programmes or research training networks rather than parallel degree structures. IMSA would strengthen the national doctoral pipeline, while CoRE-Math would contribute internationalisation, networked supervision, and access to European partners.

Research Networks

Research networks constitute the most straightforward and robust area of collaboration. IMSA can provide national coordination within South Africa, while CoRE-Math connects these networks to a broader Africa–Europe research landscape.

Early-Career Development

This is an area of near-complete alignment. Joint programmes—mobility schemes, workshops, and mentoring structures—would be more effective than separate initiatives.

Applications and Innovation

Collaboration on applications offers potential, particularly through linking IMSA’s national engagement with industry and government to CoRE-Math’s access to European industrial mathematics and thematic programmes. This area requires clear scope and prioritisation.

Funding Strategies

Alignment in funding strategies may strengthen both initiatives, but should not extend to merged funding streams or governance structures, given their different institutional and funding logics.

SASUF (Sweden–South Africa University Forum)

An additional opportunity arises through SASUF, coordinated by Uppsala University, which has entered its third funding cycle and is expected to expand to additional African countries, including several CoRE-Math partners. This could support:

early-stage collaboration and pilot activities

mobility, workshops, and thematic exchanges

flexible funding aligned with internationalisation

SASUF may thus serve as a lightweight enabling mechanism alongside larger funding instruments.

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Conclusion

IMSA represents a highly relevant and promising strategic partner for CoRE-Math, particularly in strengthening engagement in Southern Africa. The partnership has significant potential, provided that it is built on complementarity, clear role definition, and a focus on jointly delivered programmes rather than shared institutional structures.

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Talking Points (for meetings)

IMSA is best understood as a national anchor, complementing CoRE-Math as an Africa–Europe network

The partnership should focus on joint programmes, not joint structures

Doctoral training and research networks are the most natural entry points

Early-career development offers quick wins and visible impact

Clear role separation is essential to avoid duplication and institutional tension

Funding strategies should align, but remain separate

SASUF provides a flexible platform to initiate collaboration and support mobility

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Funding strategy

Make CBHE and IAAMS the core joint priority, with IMSA as a South Africa system anchor, strengthening proposals on doctoral training, QA, scale, and long-term institutional impact.

Use IMSA to unlock African/system funding (NRF, Science for Africa), where national anchoring and African leadership are decisive — this is your second strategic pillar.

Activate SASUF immediately as a pilot layer for mobility, workshops, and early-career programmes, enabling quick, low-risk collaboration.

Focus on joint programmes (doctoral training, research networks, early-career development) — not joint structures.

Maintain clear role separation: IMSA = national system; CoRE-Math = Africa–Europe network.

Engage selectively with philanthropy (e.g. Mastercard, Oppenheimer) to support scaling and visibility, but treat this as an opportunistic layer, not core strategy.

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