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Very rubin observatory, Credit: Rubin Obs/NSF/AURA

Perimeter Institute and Canada partner on growing science & technology capacity globally

During his visit to PI, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced $20 million to help PI's Global Outreach department in its work to establish AIMS centres of excellence in Ethiopia, Ghana and Senegal.

During a special visit to Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) tied to the centre’s Global Outreach activities, the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper announced new federal funding of $20 CDN million to speed the growth of science and technology capacity in Africa by developing the talent of its brightest young minds.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announcing new federal funding for Global Outreach in Africa at Perimeter Institute
Prime Minister Stephen Harper

This high impact investment leverages Perimeter Institute’s expertise to build upon the success of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Cape Town, South Africa. Canada’s lead investment will help support the establishment of a network of five AIMS centres across Africa by 2015. Year over year, the centres will graduate African scientists with the skills needed to tackle development challenges and seize opportunities for innovation and growth. In the longer term, The AIMS Next Einstein Initiative seeks to create a network of 15 AIMS centres by 2020, graduating 750 scientists and technologists per annum.

PI As Catalyst

Canada’s Perimeter Institute is a unique public-private partnership institution that supports both world-class research at the frontiers of science, and outreach initiatives of international scope. PI’s new Global Outreach program aims to promote emerging centres of excellence in math and science internationally, especially in the developing world. PI does not fund other organizations, but assists them by sharing best practices in developing, establishing and operating centres of excellence. In doing so, PI is pleased to work with the Canadian government and its agencies to ensure that Canada is best able to leverage its expertise as a knowledge nation, in the pursuit of its international development goals.

Audience at the announcement of the Global Outreach investment with Prime Minister Stephen Harper
The audience on-hand for Prime Minister Harper's announcement

High Impact, Lasting Value

In a special announcement involving Dr. Stephen Hawking, PI Distinguished Research Chair as well as patron of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, the Prime Minister of Canada announced the new federal funding as a central element of a partnership between Universities, the private sector and African governments focused on establishing the AIMS network, including new centres in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper commended AIMS’ revolutionary approach and said, “History shows that our world becomes safer, healthier and more stable through advances made in science and technology. Humanity’s ascent from ignorance and barbarism to enlightenment and equality has been a fitful and uneven process. If there is, however, a universal constant in human affairs, it is that the expansion of knowledge and technology has continuously made life better for more people. That’s why our government is supporting scientific and technological research, as well as development at home and abroad.”

Stephen Hawking at the global outreach Investment announcement with Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Prof. Stephen Hawking

PI Director Dr. Neil Turok, who is also the founder of AIMS and who won the prestigious TED Prize for his efforts, thanked the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada for accelerating the growth of scientific centres of excellence in Africa. He said, “We are honoured today to be working with the government of Canada in support of its efforts to build a better, safer world in which health, freedom, peace and solvency – rights which characterise life in Canada - are shared by all. With today’s announcement of major support for the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Canada is also pioneering the sharing of knowledge and expertise as a route to development. Just as ideas and innovation are the foundation of Canada’s new economy, they will be the basis of Africa’s future economic, educational, scientific and governance self-sufficiency.”

Neil Tuork posing with two AIMS alumni at the Global Outreach announcement with Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Neil Turok with two AIMS alumni

Professor Hawking visited South Africa in May 2008 to help announce the Next Einstein Initiative that would see the growth of AIMS into a pan-African network of centres. Upon meeting Prime Minister Harper and learning of this new, federal support, Prof. Hawking said, “I was lucky to visit AIMS in South Africa, in 2008, to enjoy the remarkable atmosphere, filled with the students' enthusiasm for math, science and the future of Africa. Science is a powerful unifier of people from all countries and cultures. I believe that connecting Africans to each other and to the world through science is one of the best investments one can make in Africa’s future.”

In commenting on these announcements, Mike Lazaridis, Perimeter Institute’s founder and Board Chair said, “I am very gratified that Perimeter Institute is not only advancing scientific research, training and outreach here in Canada, but is now viewed as a model of excellence throughout the world. We will do all we can to share our expertise with other centres and we welcome all partners who believe in our vision to harness the process and power of science for peace, progress and prosperity.” 

Mike Lazaridis speaking at the Global Outreach Investment announcement with Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Mike Lazaridis

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

For more information, contact:
Mike Brown
Manager, Communications & Media
519-569-7600 x5131