Unfortunately, your trial period has expired! Please buy a license if you want to continue using it.

Combined short courses-LI post

#SSACAB | #Scienceforafricafoundation | #Wellcometrust | #AI | #MachineLearning | #DataScience | #HigherEducation | #Research | #CapacityBuilding | #DigitalTransformation | #Africa | #Innovation

The future of research and education is being rewritten — and it’s happening now.

Over the past weeks, a series of impactful capacity-building initiatives across African institutions — all pointing in one direction: a shift toward data-driven, digitally empowered research and teaching.

At Worabe University, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), academic staff participated in an intensive four-day training covering Python Programming, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural networks, and advanced deep learning. Facilitated by Dr Awol Seid Ebrie (SSACAB postdoctoral fellow), the sessions provided hands-on experience with tools that are rapidly shaping global research and innovation.

Edson Mwebesa (SSACB PhD fellow) engaged final-year students at Muni University, delivering a practical, highly interactive session on SPSS for data analysis — equipping students to move beyond theory and confidently interpret real-world data for decision-making. A total of 155 students participated in the training (109 males and 46 females), reflecting strong interest in strengthening analytical competencies for academic and professional success.

And in another important initiative, the Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières (LABEF), supported by the International Mathematical Union, hosted a seminar on Bayesian methods, led by Professor Kandala Ngianga-Bakwin (SSACAB Co-PI). The session highlighted how combining prior knowledge with new data can strengthen analysis, particularly in biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health research across African contexts.

Why this matters: As AI and data-driven approaches continue to transform science and education, institutions that fail to build these capabilities risk falling behind.

But this is bigger than just learning tools; its about:

  1. Enabling stronger, evidence-based research.
  2. Bridging the gap between theory and real-world application
  3. Strengthening decision-making in critical sectors like health, agriculture, and engineering
  4. Positioning institutions to be globally competitive and innovation-driven

The training is being led by Prof. Romain Glèlè Kakaï (SSACAB Co-PI), alongside Dr. (MC) Charlemagne GBEMAVO (UNSTIM, LABEF UAC) and Dr. (MA) Valère SALAKO (LABEF UAC), whose expertise will guide participants through interactive sessions combining theory and hands-on practice.

What stands out most is the growing momentum — from foundational tools like SPSS to advanced methods like deep learning and Bayesian inference.
This is what digital transformation in higher education actually looks like.

And it’s a step in the right direction.