A Guiding Light for African Science

"African Voices", a CNN programme highlighting "Africa's most engaging personalities", has devoted three segments to ICTP scientific council member Francis Allotey, a mathematical physicist from Ghana who is a key figure in the African science scene. Viewers learn how Allotey's early interest in books led to his pursuing a career in science and mathematics, as well as his efforts to bring computer science to Ghana and his nurturing of young African scientists through his involvement in the Next Einstein initiative.

Allotey has been a member of the ICTP Scientific Council since 1996 and is an internationally respected mathematical physicist. He is credited with establishing the "Allotey Formalism" based on his research on soft x-ray spectroscopy.

Allotey began his career in Ghana teaching in the Department of Mathematics at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); he went on to become Head of Department, founder and first Director of the KNUST Computer Centre, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University.