The festival opened on 18 March 2024 with an inspiring keynote from Prof. Neil Turok, entitled “AIMS: Two Decades Growing Science in Africa.” Prof. Turok engaged the audience with AIMS’s story, highlighting its Cape Town centre as a hub for Africa’s brightest talents. This centre has become renowned for its intensive learning environment, transforming students into leaders in the global science and technology fields. Prof. Turok emphasised Africa’s significant contributions to mathematics and the importance of revitalising basic science and investing in the continent’s youth. His declaration, ‘AIMS is all about people, all about Africa,’ eloquently summarised AIMS’s dedication to unlocking Africa’s potential through education and unity.

The festival then explored the transformative power of natural language processing (NLP) in “Organising African Talent to Move Humanity Forward: Language Technology for Africa.” Jade Abbott and Pelonomi Moiloa from Lelapa AI led this session, discussing NLP’s role in overcoming communication barriers and increasing accessibility. They shared strategies for tackling linguistic diversity and infrastructure hurdles, highlighting African innovation’s crucial role in shaping the future of language technology. This session offered a compelling glimpse into leveraging local talent for technological advancements that promote inclusivity and accessibility.

Subsequent sessions, “Pan African AIMS Stories I & Pan African AIMS Stories II,” built upon Prof. Turok’s introduction, delving into the achievements and challenges of AIMS centres. These discussions showcased the centres’ contributions to AIMS’s mission, emphasising their innovative approaches to education and the nurturing of future scientists and innovators. The importance of expanding these models to further empower Africa’s youth in the mathematical sciences was a key theme.

The “Pan African AIMS Research Showcase” provided insights into the varied research projects within the AIMS network, from student-led initiatives to advanced postdoctoral studies. This showcase highlighted the AIMS community’s vibrant intellectual life and collaborative ethos, facilitating exchanges that enriched the festival with diverse ideas and discoveries.

Finally, the “Research across Africa” poster session allowed students and researchers from all AIMS centres to exhibit their work, promoting a dynamic exchange of ideas. This session demonstrated the wide-ranging research endeavours across the network, inspiring participants with the innovative spirit that defines the AIMS community.