Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Material progress in Africa

Nature Physics volume 6, pages 830–832 (2010)Cite this article

A school on computational materials science that drew expert teachers and talented participants marks a new approach to the development of research in Africa.

Throughout the African Union, there is tacit understanding of the importance of science in the development of the continent. Although this may be slow to translate into significant improvements, scientific research and education are advancing in a good number of African countries, with improved financial and administrative support. The vast pool of latent talent could be the source of advancement and cooperation, with the potential to overcome political barriers within Africa, strengthen democratic ideals and improve economic and social conditions for all African citizens.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: School's out.

NITHAYA CHETTY

Figure 2: Mentoring matters.

AMY LAZICKI

References

  1. Hohenberg, P. & Kohn, W. Phys. Rev. B 136, 864–871 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kohn, W. & Sham, L. J. Phys. Rev. A 140, 1133–1138 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Car, R. & Parrinello, M. Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2471–2474 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Giannozzi, P. et al. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 21, 395502 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. and is in the Department of Physics, Nithaya Chetty is a past president of the South African Institute of Physics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa,

    Nithaya Chetty

  2. Richard M. Martin chairs the International Advisory Panel for ASESMA, and is emeritus professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3080, USA,

    Richard M. Martin

  3. Sandro Scandolo is at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera 11, I-34014 Trieste, Italy.,

    Sandro Scandolo

Authors
  1. Nithaya Chetty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard M. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sandro Scandolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nithaya Chetty.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chetty, N., Martin, R. & Scandolo, S. Material progress in Africa. Nature Phys 6, 830–832 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1842

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1842

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing