The story

Over the years, a close cooperation has seen the day between Inria researchers and researchers in the Maghreb and Sub-Sahara African area, contributing to the emergence of a community of computer scientists and mathematicians that was able to organize itself into a network of high-performing partners and teams.

• CARI (African Conference on Research in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics)

It all began in 1992 with the first CARI  symposium, which will be celebrating its 13th edition in 2016 in Tunis. This event and the programmes and projects that followed, have allowed the continent’s  researchers  to find out about each other and create a strong community of mathematicians and computer scientists. This community is very dynamic and open to collaborations with Europe.

• Sarima (A North-South partnership for research in Computer Sciences and Mathematics)

The project was initiated by Inria and the ICPAM (International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics), supported for 4 years (2004-2008) by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and financed by the « Priority Solidarity Fund ». It was run by a Scientific Interest Group (GIS SARIMA) associating Inria, ICPAM (International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics), and the Universities of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Metz and Rennes 1. Two operators, Inria and ICPAM, managed the project throughout its duration.

This Programme has aimed to achieve sustainable consolidation of scientific capabilities in computer science and applied mathematics in Africa, soi it was a great success.

• The ARIMA Journal

The African journal for research in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics is the result of scientific cooperation between Northen and South countries which has been under development since more than twenty years, in the framework of the CARI’s activities. Its principal goal is to become a channel for broadcasting the results of this cooperation. It’s scope encompasses all research topics in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. Authors presenting research resulting from collaborations between African and Northern countries or research results entirely obtained in Africa are particularly appreciated.

These Conferences, programmes and projects have strengthened the network’s organization based on centres of excellence and jointly supervised PhD thesis. As a result, the African teams have now attained critical size, therefore enabling the creation of the LIRIMA.

• LIRIMA
  
  In November 2009 was signed the « Agreement for the creation of LIRIMA » for a duration of 5 years, renewed for 4 additional years in Mai 2015. At the same time, the head quarters of the International Lab were transferred from the University Yaounde 1 in Cameroon to the University Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis, Senegal.

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  Signature of the Agreement – November 2009-Yaounde, Cameroon