Women in SAGE-Burundi

Motivation: Women in Sage is an initiative of the African Women in Mathematics Association (AWMA) in collaboration with other women associations in the host countries. The African Women in Mathematics Association (AWMA) is an academic association for women that was established in July 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa (http://www.africanwomeninmath.org). Its sole purpose is to promote Mathematics and the networking for mathematicians women in Africa. Women sage-Burundi, is a part of the long tradition of conferences (https://wiki.sagemath.org/Workshops). Since 2007, more than 100 Sage Days have been organized around the world. During these days, participants discover the SageMath software, develop their programming skills and contribute to the development of the software. SageMath is a free mathematics software developed by the research community, students, and research engineers. It relies heavily on voluntary contributions as well as on the one-off funding of research projects. Women in Sage days have already been organized in seven different countries (United States, South Korea, France, Canada, Greece, Senegal and Nigeria). All have been successful(example:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2L7BZh0qegGMrF6jSpZH0X7g0HQcGQhN1PKVtCPqQNtkR5A/viewform?usp=sf_link organized by Lorenzo García, M.-F. Ouedraogo and Dr. Bernadette Fall;http://africanwomeninmath.org/activities/conference/women-in-sage-nigeria organized by E. Lorenzo García, M.-F. Ouedraogo and A. Ini in September 2022, http://africanwomeninmath.org/activities/conference/women-in-sage-uganda organized by E. Lorenzo García, M.-F. Ouedraogo and Olivia Nabawanda in Septembre 2023). 

Not only did the participants improve their programming skills, contributed to the software, but they also created research collaborations and gained confidence in their own skills. We believe that Women in Sage days organized at Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA", Burundi University with the support of the African Women in Mathematics Association (AWMA), Burundi University and OWSD-Burundi National Chapter is an opportunity for the whole academic community.

1. Objectives

• To bring together African mathematicians to work together, share their motivations, and discover women from different countries to different career levels, who can be considered as role models.
• To launch new research projects and collaborations between mathematicians from different African countries.
• Create new contacts and mentoring networks for young women embarking on mathematical research.
• To teach to African women mathematicians the new programming skills and contribute to the SageMath software and train new users and contributors.

2. Conference Planning and organization

Organizing and Scientific Committees:

• Prof.Elisa Lorenzo Garcia (Université de Rennes 1, France; and Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
• Prof.Marie Françoise Ouedraogo (Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkina Faso).

• Dr.Ménédore Karimumuryango (Burundi University, Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA")

   

  Local Organizing Committee 

• Pr.Juma Shabani (Doctoral School of the University of Burundi, Burundi University)
• Dr.Menedore Karimumuryango (Burundi University, Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA ")
• Msc.Aurore Mugisha (Doctoral School of the University of Burundi, Burundi University, 
• Dr.Amin Shaka Aunali (Burundi University, Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA ")
• Msc.Irène Irakoze (Burundi University, Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA ")
• Msc.Ancille Bagorizamba (Burundi University, Applied Statistic Institute "ISTA ")
• Prof.François Ndayiragije (Burundi University, Department of Mathematics) 
• Girukwishaka Donatienne (Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender)

3.Main Lecturers (Project leaders): The main project leaders include:

• Applied Maths: Ini Adinya (Nigeria)
• Number Theory: Bernadette Faye (Senegal)
• Statistics: Valérie Garès (France)
• Cryptography: Elisa Lorenzo García (Switzerland)
• Combinatorics: Olivia Nabawanda (Uganda)
• Algebra: Sarah Nakato (Uganda)

4. Programme

This event is a collaborative conference addressed to young African researchers and graduate students. Particularly, but not exclusively, to young female researchers. There will be at least 6 research projects. All the main project leaders have confirmed their participation. The program will also include discussions on gender balance and women in mathematics.

Tentative schedule:

- 1 months before the conference: online event on introduction to Sage and opening of a workshop chat via the Zulip platform to encourage the contact between the participants and the group leaders before the in-person part of the workshop.

- During the workshop (09-13 September, 2024): working in groups from Monday to Thursday and some talks and panels on Women in Mathematics (AWMA, EAUMP, UGAWOM, OWSD and CIMPA) presenting opportunities. On Friday participants will present projects that will have been given to them during the week. More explicitly:

- Monday: registration, Sage installation on laptops of participants, Introduction to SageMaths and panel discussion.

- Tuesday: Working on groups and Projects presentation

- Wednesday: working on groups, panel discussion and excursion.

- Thursday: working on groups and dinner.

- Friday: Presentation of results, talk Research opportunities in Africa and Europe, future plans.