The ‘next Einstein’? She’s from Africa

Dr Gitau is working to develop cheap point-of-care diagnostic tools PHOTO:Philippe Barbosa

The ‘next Einstein’? She’s from Africa?

Back in 2008, South African physicist Neil Turok gave a speech in which he declared his wish that the next Einstein would be from Africa. It was a rallying call for investment in maths and physics research in Africa. The “Next Einstein” slogan became a mission for the organisation Neil Turok had founded to bring Africa into the global scientific community: the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). That search for an African Einstein now has some results, with 15 “Next Einstein Fellows” and 54 “Next Einstein Ambassadors” announced at an event last month. These are young African scientists, often leaders in their fields, working and studying in Africa. ‘Revolutionary and fearless’ READ MORE