Sida-supported collaboration
Long-term Sida-supported bilateral research collaboration has played an important role in strengthening mathematics research and postgraduate education in Eastern Africa. Collaboration in mathematics has involved universities in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania together with Swedish university partners. The programmes have supported PhD training in both national and sandwich modes, MSc training in Rwanda, development of postgraduate programmes and curricula, research collaboration, conferences and regional networking.
Rwanda
The Sida-supported collaboration in mathematics with Rwanda began in 2007 at the National University of Rwanda (NUR). Following the restructuring of Rwanda’s public higher education system in 2013, the collaboration continued at the University of Rwanda. The wider bilateral research collaboration is now in its fourth programme phase, of which three phases have included mathematics.
Postgraduate education has been central to the collaboration. Eleven sandwich PhD students have graduated, and to date three students have graduated from the national PhD programme. The collaboration has also supported MSc education, development of postgraduate programmes and curricula, research collaboration, conferences and regional activities.
Uganda
Sida-supported collaboration in mathematics with Uganda began in 2015 and continued until 2022. The mathematics collaboration was centred at Makerere University and involved five Ugandan public universities: Makerere University, Busitema University, Gulu University, Kyambogo University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
The programme supported PhD training in Uganda and through sandwich arrangements with Swedish universities, as well as postdoctoral training, research collaboration, development of PhD curricula, conferences, schools and workshops. An important part of the work was strengthening collaboration among Ugandan universities and connecting researchers and postgraduate education with wider regional activities.
Tanzania
Sida-supported collaboration in mathematics with Tanzania began in 2015 at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and is still ongoing. Mathematics was included in the 2015–2024 programme and continues in the programme phase beginning in 2024.
The collaboration has supported PhD training in both national and sandwich modes, research collaboration, development of postgraduate programmes and curricula, conferences, schools and workshops. It has also contributed to regional collaboration in research and postgraduate education.
From bilateral to regional collaboration
Although the Sida-supported programmes were organised as bilateral collaborations, regional collaboration in mathematics became increasingly important. Universities and mathematicians from the different country programmes worked together through regional teaching and supervision, joint curriculum development and review, conferences, workshops and network meetings. The collaboration contributed to the formation of regional research groups and to stronger connections among mathematicians and postgraduate students across Eastern Africa.
This regional dimension is particularly important for CoRE-Math. The long-term bilateral programmes helped develop research environments and postgraduate education at individual universities, while the growing regional collaboration created relationships, research networks and experience of shared activities across institutions and countries. CoRE-Math builds on this foundation while extending the collaboration more broadly across Africa and Europe.