The African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications�a.k.a. the African School of Physics (ASP)�Assessment of impact

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan

on behalf of the ASP-IOC , IAC and LOC

​

ketevi@bnl.gov

Physicist at

Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA)

https://www.africanschoolofphysics.org/

• Also known as “The African School of Physics”
• Acronym: ASP; Logo: as above
• https://www.africanschoolofphysics.org
• Organized biennially in different African countries since 2010 by an International Organizing Committee (IOC), ASP-IOC@CERN.CH

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

2

6/27/22

ASP Impact

• Two types of surveys done
• One toward the end of each edition (current participants)
• One every 4 years (all alumni)

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

3

6/27/22

5 = very satisfied; highest impact

My research has benefited through professional

contacts made at ASP

Retention. Where do ASP alumni go?

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

4

6/27/22

North America

Europe

Asia

Other Africa

ASP Alumni

58% stayed in their country

7%

3%

10%

21%

ASP2018 Students Profile

• 523 Applications
• Total Selected: 85
• There were 30 good students on the waiting list
• Selections constrained by budget and logistics
• Replace early declinations

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

5

6/27/22

15-20%

Student selection considers requirements

from funding agencies, geographical balance, least developed countries, gender balance and competence!

Forum day

6

ASP workshop for high school teachers

• Formalized and started in 2016
• during ASP2016 in Rwanda
• In ASP2016
• 2016, 20 teachers for 2-day workshop
• In ASP2018, 70 teachers from 14 regions of Namibia
• Teachers selected by the Ministry of Education of host country

​

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

7

6/27/22

Windhoek, Namibia, July, 2018 ASP2018

Dr. Milind Diwan with high school teachers

ASP Outreach Program for learners

• Formalized and started in 2016
• during ASP2016 in Rwanda
• In ASP2018, we covered
• 39 high school around Windhoek
• About 2000 leaners
• In one week
• High schools selected by LOC, Ministry of Education of host country; pupils selected by the high schools

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

8

6/27/22

Windhoek, Namibia, July, 2018 ASP2018

Dr. Kenneth Cecire with learners

ASP Structured Mentorship Program

• Informal networking between ASP alumni and lecturers
• Always present and encouraged
• Structure mentorship formalized and integrated in 2016
• Open to ASP alumni at PhD level
• Runs on 2-year cycle
• Pair alumni with ASP lecturers
• Work with alumni academic advisors
• Does not replace them
• Light, information engagements
• Between mentor / mentee
• For extra assistance / support if needed

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

9

6/27/22

ASP alumni of 2018, some of whom has benefitted

from the ASP Mentorship Program

The African Conference on Fundamental and Applied Physics (ACP)

• One week, integrated in ASP since 2018
• The first ACP tool place in Namibia in July 2018
• Formalized to promote
• Participation of African research faculties
• Encourage participation of African students not selected for ASP due to budget constraints
• International conference open to anyone

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

10

6/27/22

Prof. Lerothodi Leeuw at ACP2018

ASP Short-term visits for Research

• Selected ASP alumni to spend 3-6 month at U.S. laboratories for research
• Assigned to work in research groups according to majors
• Program formalized in 2019
• 9 ASP alumni came to Brookhaven National Laboratory, June-December 2019
• Program will resume after COVID-19

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

11

6/27/22

ASP alumni at BNL

With BNL / DOE research advisors

and staff

ASP Alumnus Yves Kini (Burkina Faso) Publication Based on Study Done during Short-Term Visit at BNL

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

12

6/27/22

BNL Advisor during short-term visit: Dr. Peter Denton (theorist, neutrino physics)

Paper published in Physical Review D

Yves Kini is now pursuing PhD in astrophysics

ASP Alumna Dr. Mounia Laassiri gave an invited talk at DPF 2019-Boston

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

13

6/27/22

Contribution to the American Physical Society

Division of Particles and Fields (DPF)-2019 Proceedings

Assisting Alumni in higher education opportunities �

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

14

6/27/22

http://bulletinserv.cern.ch/emails/archive/353/

​

Top: Dr. Chilufya Mwewa, (Zambia, ASP2010), PhD (2020)

Diallo Boye (Senegal, ASP2012), PhD (2020)

Both Chilufya and Diallo are post-docs

at BNL to work on the ATLAS Experiment

Many other cases of active

engagement to help alumni

ASP Mentorship during COVID-19 Pandemic

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

15

6/27/22

APS alumni learned about

• Analysis tools in C++ and Python
• Understanding their data
• Modeling, goodness of fit
• Statistical analysis
• Uncertainties (statistical,
• systematic)
• Estimation of basic reproduction number R₀
• Giving scientific talks
• Writing a paper and responding referees comments

> 50% of all COVID-19 cases in Africa were analyzed by 13 African students

First 12 months of COVID-19 data of 10 countries analyzed

Study published in the Scientific African

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00987

See the talk by Toivo S. Mabote (Mozambique, ASP2020 alumnus)

On Friday, March 11, 2022

Serving on Thesis Committees / External Examiners / External Reviewers

• Many of us, organizers or lecturers at ASP, do this

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

16

6/27/22

Lucrèce Zahoundo (Bénin), alumnus ASP2018

MSc thesis study done using Deep Learning Tools

Many other cases like this

ASP2021, July 19-30, 2021; online school

• ASP2020-Morocco
• Cancelled because of COVID-19
• A 2-week online version organized as ASP2021

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

17

6/27/22

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

18

6/27/22

TOTAL: 649

African countries where 563

participants have institutional

affiliations

ACP2021, March 7-11, 2022

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

19

6/27/22

ACP2021, March 7-11, 2022; TOTAL: 649

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

20

6/27/22

Winners of contests of best oral and poster presentations

ACP2021, March 7-11, 2022—photo with selection committee members

Participant group photo, March 11, 2022

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

21

6/27/22

ASP2022/ ACP2022— South Africa

• The next host country of ASP is selected 2.5 years earlier
• The next host invited to join the organization of current ASP
• South Africa was selected in December 2019 to host ASP2022
• At Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha on November 28 – December 9, 2022. However, ASP2022 will be organized in a hybrid mode
• Site visit to South Africa on June 26 – July 2, 2022. Purpose of site visit:
• Meet the LOC;
• Secure support from host institute
• Review logistics and make suggestions for improvements in time for the event
• Student applications closed on June 1, 2022
• We received 339 applications
• Application reviews will be finalized by July 15, 2022
• We aim to select 100 students: 60 in-person, 40 online
• We will arrange a training program for high school teachers (50-70)
• Further, we will include an outreach program for > 1000 learners
• ACP2022 will take place in 2023
• Still co-organized with NMU. Date and venue to be decided
• ASP2024 will be in 2024 in Morocco

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

22

6/27/22

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

23

6/27/22

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

24

6/27/22

ASP2022 Program

World Science Forum, Cape Town, December 6-9, 2022

We are working on the details of the scientific program

Conclusions

• ASP was started in 2010
• as a 3-week biennial event in Fundamental Physics (and applications) for university students including the ASP Forum, to liaise with policymakers
• It has since been extended to include, in addition
• Other fields of physics, of interest to Africa
• Structured mentorship program continually for selected graduate students
• A one-week workshop to train African high school teachers in the planning and delivery of physics instructions
• A one-week physics outreach event to motivate African high school learners to develop and maintain interest in physics
• A one-week African Conference on Fundamental and Applied Physics (ACP)
• A weekly or bi-weekly online seminars or colloquia
• 3- to 6-month short-term visits to U.S. laboratories for physics research

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

26

6/27/22

Conclusions

Dr. Kétévi A. Assamagan (BNL)

27

6/27/22

ASP was started in 2010, but has since evolved to be much more than a school—it has grown to become a program of continuous activities with directed ethos towards physics as an engine for development in Africa.