Second Annual Congress
The Second Annual Congress of the Computational Sciences and Engineering Society of Ethiopia (CSESE) took place at the College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University from January 3-5, 2023. This congress is an annual program that brings together participants from numerous Ethiopian universities and research institutes across various disciplines in natural sciences, computational science, and engineering, including physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, mathematics, and engineering.
Group photo, infront of Addis Ababa, University College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Old Digital Library
The 2nd annual conference was conducted on January 4 and
5, 2023, with over 70 members in attendance. Over 30 selected papers
were presented by scientists from various universities and research
institutions in Ethiopia and by invited scientists from abroad. In
addition to local scientists, leading researchers from Ireland,
Botswana, Nigeria, Italy, and South Africa presented their
findings during the congress. Furthermore, on January 3, more than 40
participants received a one-day hands-on training in the fundamentals
of Python programming and Linux shell commands during the
pre-conference. Over 30 selected papers were presented during the 2nd
annual congress held on January 4-5, 2023. The research
presentations commenced with plenary talks by Professor Semu Mitiku
from the University of Botswana. His talk, titled "Computational
Science and Engineering: Opportunities and the Way Forward,"
emphasized the importance of computer simulations, artificial
intelligence (AI), and machine learning in advancing research.
Professor Semu highlighted the need for interdisciplinary
collaboration and the utilization of robust computational
infrastructure to drive future advancements in research.
One unique aspect of the second Annual Congress of the CSESE was the opportunity to witness presentations from invited scholars of ESIMSAD (Electrochemical Science and Innovative Materials for Sustainable Africa Development). This provided attendees with the valuable opportunity to learn from and engage with distinguished scholars in the field. One notable presentation was delivered by Prof. Keneth Ozemena on the topic of High Entropy Materials. Prof. Ozemena's expertise and insights on this subject enriched the congress, offering attendees a deeper understanding of the advancements and potential applications of high entropy materials. This unique opportunity to hear from esteemed scholars like Prof. Ozemena added significant value to the congress, broadening perspectives and fostering knowledge exchange in the field of computational materials science and engineering.
The Annual Congress has played a significant role in fostering the
establishment of research groups focused on materials research,
specifically electronic structure computations, in various regional
Ethiopian universities. It has also served as a platform for
networking opportunities, connecting students and researchers with
leading scientists across Africa. This interaction has facilitated
knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the exploration of research
opportunities in the field. The Congress has successfully promoted
research capacity building and created a supportive environment for
scientific advancements in Ethiopia and beyond.
Professor Kenth Ozemena captivating the audience with an illuminating talk on the fascinating world of high entropy materials.
CSESE Announces Outstanding Achievement Award for Advancing Computational Sciences and Engineering in Ethiopia.
The CSESE announces the Distinguished Outstanding Service Award, designed to honor exceptional individuals and institutions who have significantly contributed to the growth and development of computational sciences and engineering in Ethiopia and throughout Africa. This distinguished award recognizes their unwavering commitment and major efforts in advancing computational research, knowledge and skill development, and the promotion of computing resources for scientific and technological progress. By acknowledging these remarkable achievements, the CSESE aims to inspire others in the region to further pursue computational-based research and development activities, fostering collaboration and transformative changes in this rapidly evolving field.
The 2023 CSESE Distinguished Outstanding Service Award is presented to Dr. Ahmed Mustefa from the Department of Chemistry at Addis Ababa University and Professor Clement Onimie from the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics. These esteemed recipients have demonstrated outstanding research outputs, influential initiatives, and remarkable dedication in their respective fields, making significant contributions to computational sciences in Ethiopia and across Africa. Their invaluable work serves as an inspiration for the growth of computational sciences and engineering, positioning them as catalysts for scientific and technological advancement in the region.
Ahmed Mustefa (PhD)
Dr. Ahmed Mustefa is an associate professor of physical and theoretical chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and computational sciences, Addis Ababa University. He obtained his PhD degree in theoretical chemistry from the University of Innsbruck, Austria in 2001 and did postdoctoral research in Japan from 2002 to 2004.
Dr. Ahmed is one of the founding members and the vice president of the computational science and engineering society of Ethiopia (CSESE). He has supervised several master's and Ph.D. Students and published many papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
He served the university in various capacities and positions since 1990.
He is the current chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Addis Ababa, University College of Natural and Computational Sciences.
He was chairman of the Department of Chemistry for two terms from 2012 to 2019.
He was an associate dean for the research and graduate program of the College of Natural and Computational Sciences from 2007 to 2008
He was a coordinator of the continuing education program of the college from 1994 to 1999.
Served the College of Natural and computational sciences on various committees. Additionally, he has contributed significantly to establishing and promoting professional societies and graduate programs in the fields of chemistry and computational science. To mention some of his roles:
He has been a member of the chemical society of Ethiopia since 1990 and served the society as treasurer and member of the executive committee from 2007 to 2011.
He is the founding member and current vice president of Ethiopia's computational science and engineering society.
He is a founding member of the Federation of African Society of Chemistry in 2006
He is an associate editor of the African Journal of Chemical Education since 2010
He helped establish a computer science program at Addis Ababa University, College of Natural and Computational Sciences.
Furthermore, he has held a number of national and international workshops, conferences, and
hands-on training in collaboration with national and international collaborators since 2006. The CSESE recognition panel nominates Dr. Ahmed Mustefa to receive an outstanding service
award for his unwavering professional dedication in the field of computational science in Ethiopia. The CSESE executive committee unanimously approved on January 2, 2023, to present Dr. Ahmed Mustefa with the CSESE outstanding service award for 2023.
Clement E.O. Onimie (PhD)
Clement E. O. ONIME is currently the Team Leader, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure in the Information and Communications Technology Section (ICTS) at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical
Physics (ICTP), where he also coordinates the team responsible for the internet, communications and computing facilities at the center.
Clement holds a PhD degree in Applied Computing and Engineering (mobile mixed/Augmented Reality) from the Ulster University (U.K), as well as, an M.Sc. and B.Sc. (First Class Hons.) in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria), where he was an academic staff and also the pioneering Network and System Administrator at the Obafemi Awolowo University Network (OAUNET) of what was the first Campus-wide wireless network in Africa with integrated VSAT connectivity.
Recently, he taught a graduate-level course at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Nigeria on parallel programming and high-performance computing also actively supports a joint M.Sc. course on High-Performance Computing for Science, Technology and Engineering in Trieste, Italy.
His current research areas include Biometric Technology, the Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, Mobile Computing, mixed/Augmented Reality systems, High-Performance Computing, Computer Networking, Cloud Computing, Internet resources & services, Green Computing, engineering education: e-learning+ virtual and remote labs, mathematical modeling for engineering and radio/satellite and digital communications systems.
Message of the president
Dear all,
Dear members,
It is an honor and privilege to me to convey my message to members of the Computational Science and Engineering Society of Ethiopia, CSESE. On behalf of the executive committee, I would like to sincerely welcome you all to the historical 2nd annual congress of the CSESE and those of you
who have come to attend the Ethiopian school on electronic structure methods and applications for emerging energy technologies. The executive committee acknowledges those individuals who have come physically and who attend virtually from different countries of the world and members of the society who arrived from different parts of the country to deliver a scientific paper, provide lectures, and those who have served as mentors to the school hands-on. We believe that the 2nd annual congress would help to stimulate discussions and exchange ideas and experiences among participants on relevant topics and current issues. It is my firm belief that this endeavor will contribute to knowledge generation and experience sharing by the congress as well as the school participants which will be of importance to upgrade themselves and establish collaborative work among participants from different disciplines in the areas of computational science and engineering. The 2nd annual congress and the Ethiopian School 2022, are taking place at a time when the country is in a difficult situation. I hope it will be remembered most for bringing a higher number of participants from different disciplines who have been implementing the various computational methods in their studies such as health, social science, natural science (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics), climate change, engineering, and computational data science fields. I wish you a pleasant and fruitful deliberation and a stay in Addis Ababa.
Yedilfana Setarge, PhD