The students who participated in this 20-week residential and fully-funded business and employability skills program were suitably qualified and industry-inclined AIMS Master’s in Mathematical Sciences graduates from across Africa. The backbone of the program was a 12-week internship module with participating industry partners from across Africa, during which participants experienced a business environment first hand and were able to apply their academic learnings
At the ceremony Mr Nick Barniville, Associate Dean of Programs, ESMT Berlin congratulated the students and noted, “Through your internships you have proven the value you can add to African industry.” He also said that visiting ESMT faculty who had taught the various courses on the program had shared with him that they had found it to be an absolutely fantastic experience, and a wonderfully enriching opportunity for them.

Mr Clifford Klaas, Executive Director, Siemens Africa, thanked AIMS and ESMT for giving Siemens the opportunity to take part in the program. “The focus on skills development is very important to us as we need to have the talent in Africa that can execute our programs and I like what I have seen.”
Prof. Wulffe Plinke, Founding Dean of ESMT Berlin thanked all the partner companies noting, “We appreciate the investment that they are making for the future of Africa.” To the students he said, “You are now embarking on a new chapter in your life and your future is in your hands, I wish you all the best for your future careers.”
In an interview after the ceremony Mr Micheal Kloss, Managing Director, Bosch South Africa, said that he had been very happy with the two interns that were placed at Bosch. “They both worked on real business problems which will have an impact on our business as they conducted a study that will be put into practice.”
The IIP was launched at AIMS South Africa in July 2017 in partnership with ESMT in Berlin and the Southern African German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and with funding support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In addition, Stellenbosch University, led a series of seminars aligned around leadership, active citizenship, social responsibility, skills development and business start-ups.
Industry Partners from South Africa included BBraun, Bosch, Evonik, Hatch, Khonology, and Siemens. In Cameroon the partners were the Cameroon Development Company, ENEO and Kouaba Consulting (Cameroon) and in Ghana CAL Bank and the Ghana Energy Commission. Kenya and Senegal were represented by Superfluid Labs and Obertys, respectively.

About ESMT Berlin
ESMT Berlin was founded by 25 leading global companies and institutions. The international business school offers a full-time MBA, an executive MBA, a master’s in management, as well as open enrolment and customized executive education programs. ESMT focuses on three main topics: leadership and social responsibility, European competitiveness, and the management of technology. ESMT faculty publishes in top academic journals. Additionally, the business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. The business school is based in Berlin, Germany, with Schloss Gracht as an additional location near Cologne. ESMT is a private business school with the right to grant PhDs and is accredited by the German state, AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and FIBAA. www.esmt.org

About AIMS, the Industry Initiative and the Next Einstein Initiative
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of centres of excellence for post graduate training, research and public engagement in mathematical sciences. Its mission is to enable Africa’s brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling Africa’s future scientific, educational and economic self-sufficiency. AIMS was founded in 2003 and has produced more than 1500 graduates, about one third of whom are women. The AIMS Industry Initiative seeks to maximise the opportunities and potential for mathematical sciences to contribute to African economies through human capital, knowledge transfer and applied research for scientific and technological excellence. The initiative links mathematical sciences to the needs of industry as we focus on filling the skills gap in Africa. To learn more, please visit nexteinstein.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Mark Heerden
AIMS ESMT Program Leader
Industry Initiative
AIMS South Africa
Tel: (27) 21 787 9347 | Mobile: (27) 83 299 0011
mheerden@aims.ac.za

Linda Camara
Advancement and Communications Manager, AIMS South Africa
Tel: +27 79 458 5441
linda@aims.ac.za