Workshop motivation

The Third African Women in Algebra Workshop is the third in a series of initiatives designed by African Women in Algebra to address the gender gap in STEM fields, particularly in algebra.  The motivation behind these workshops stems from a pressing issue facing African women in academia-the challenge of ascending the academic ladder due to the requirement of a prescribed number of research publications.

For many career women in Africa, the delicate balance between family and work responsibilities often leaves them with limited time and mobility, hindering their ability to meet academic publication requirements. This not only affects their individual career trajectories but also contributes to the widening gender gap in STEM fields.

The African Women in Algebra Workshops aim to provide a supportive and collaborative research environment tailored to the unique challenges faced by African women. These workshops are strategically designed to empower women in algebraic careers, fostering their interest and advancement in algebra.

The second AWA workshop, titled  ''Second African Women in Algebra Workshop'' took place at the University of Abuja, Nigeria, while the first one, titled  ''Inaugural African Women in Algebra Workshop'' took place at Kabale University, Uganda. The events have gathered female algebraists from 13 African countries, including Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and the UK.   The opening ceremony is attended by various participants, including members of the University community, male algebraists from the region, and female mathematics students and teachers from secondary schools in the region.

Participants delivered numerous insightful research talks. Moreover, five research groups worked on predefined problems, making significant progress at both events. These included Algebraic Geometry, Algebraic Topology, Algebraic Combinatorics, Factorization Theory, Non-commutative algebra, Algebraic Number Theory, and Computer algebra. 

[Photo Gallery]  https://sites.google.com/view/second-awa-workshop/research-talks 

https://sites.google.com/view/inaugural-awa-workshop/research-talks.  

https://sites.google.com/view/second-awa-workshop/collaborative-research-sessions

https://sites.google.com/view/inaugural-awa-workshop/collaborative-research-sessions.

Publications

• One group from these workshops has published their article: Kansiime, Z., Luambano, S., Nakato, S., Nalule, H., & Ndayikunda, Y. (2026). Sets of Lengths of Integer-Valued Polynomials on Prime Ideals of Principal Ideal Domains. Journal of Algebra and its Applications. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219498827501726

• Another group's paper is under review. Adenike Olusola Adeniji, Abolape Deborah Akwu, Cornelie Mitcha Malanda, Fanja Rakotondraja, & Namayanja Proscovia (2026?). On Commutative Elements of Alternating Full Transformation Semigroups.