Teaching data science in Ghana
3 August 2023
Chris Wood of EPCC writes about his teaching trip to the African Institute for Mathematical Studies in Accra, Ghana.
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a pan-African network of five Centres of Excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, research and public engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Funding from a variety of organisations including the UN and Google ensures every student is fully funded, and the teaching staff is supplemented by visiting lecturers from across the globe.
Over a three-week block I taught an "Introduction to Data Science" module to 38 students from over a dozen countries. The course was based on one developed for EPCC's own Masters programmes and included Numerical Python, pratical machine learning, and data visualisation. Assessments were carried out weekly, concluding with an open book exam.
I enjoyed my time at AIMS in Ghana very much. The students were appreciative and engaged, and I recommend the experience. Actual teaching occupied two hours per day, leaving me time to explore the city and surrounding areas, including a trip to the botanic gardens in the nearby hills.