From December 2022 to January 2023, several in-house Mentoring sessions were held. The sessions provide a conducive platform for students to be equipped with added value enrichment skills. The intention is to prepare them to be well-rounded graduates equipped with essential soft skills that are highly valued in the academia and industry workplace, and promote gender inclusion and women empowerment. Invited speakers are usually AIMS Alumni or/and senior mathematical scientists working in different fields of STEM visiting AIMS.

The events in December featured Mr Mhlasakululeka Mvubu, a Senior Data Scientist at Explore AI, Cape Town; Dr Mary Bishai, an experimental particle physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY.; and Dr Angela Tabiri, a founder of Femafricmaths and currently a Research Associate (with an interest in Quantum Algebra and the Academic Manager for the Girls in Mathematical Sciences Programme) at AIMS Ghana. Dr Tabiri was in South Africa participating in the 2022 World Science Forum. Her visit to AIMS was also to learn about House of Science programmatic activities and good practices that she can implement in Ghana.

The events in January 2023 hosted Dr Hloniphile Sithole Mthethwa, a lecturer and researcher in Mathematics at the University of KwaZulu Natal; Prof Dephney Mathebula, an Associate Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at the University of South Africa; Mr Freeman Nyati, a lecturer at the University of South Africa; and Mr Mzwakhe Mthethwa, a Mathematics Lecturer at the University of Zululand. The four speakers were at AIMS to attend the 2023 Mathematics and Industry Study Group. The speakers’ shared their personal and career experiences, challenges they have encountered, tips/strategies for work-life balance, stress and time management, successful international scholarship opportunities and navigating life at and after AIMS training in academia and the scientific workforce.

“My anticipation was that it would only focus on work professions but it got interesting in the sense that we even got some overwhelming advise on how to handle stress and avoid being too much expectant.”

“My confidence in data science was refreshed, I am now confident and extremely sure that it’s my area. Their explanation about AIMS life changed the way I perceive life at AIMS.”

“I learnt a lot about the skills required in the industry from Mr Mvubu and how to get into the industry.”

“I was able to get more information about scholarship opportunities from Dr Angela. It drove me to make up my mind on what I want after AIMS.”