Mzuzu University (Mzuni) promoting coding theory in Africa

As promised in one of my posts, today I will review the Master of Science programme in Information Theory, Coding and Cryptography (ITCC) offered by the Mzuzu University (Mzuni) in Malawi. To begin with, coding theory can be subdivided into two main branches namely: Cryptography and Error Correcting Codes (ECC). Cryptography is about making secure passwords,Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and secret keys. It is based on an intriguing branch of mathematics called Number Theory as well as on Abstract Algebra.On the other hand, Error Correcting Codes (ECC) is about minimizing errors in transfer or storage of information.The mathematics behind ECC is also fascinating and based mainly on Abstract Algebra.

Coding theory is a live and exciting area of research though it is still in the development phase. Unfortunately, the African continent is not actively taking part in this exciting research area. It has been reported that in the Two Volume 1998 Handbook of Coding theory there is no contribution from Africa. Although recently, I have seen a number of publications in reputable conferences and journals contributed by Mzuzu University and University of KwaZulu-Natal's Radio Access Technologies Centre, there is a lot that must be done if Africa is to make an impact in coding theory. And it is out of this conviction that the Mzuzu University introduced the the Master of Science programme in Information Theory, Coding and Cryptography (ITCC). This is a two year programme, coordinated by Professor John A. Ryan who is ably assisted by Prof Edward Schaefer from Santa Clara University. The programme is also supported by many experts in the field including the following who have spent time at Mzuzu University lecturing in the programme:

• Prof Patrick Fitzpatrick,University College Cork, Ireland
• Dr. Eimear Bryne, University College Dublin
• Dr. Katie O'Brien, Bristol University,UK
• Dr. Carl Bracken, Institute for Technology, Dublin

The success of this MSc in ITCC is reflected in the fact that this programme has already resulted in not less than 15 papers being presented at international conferences in three different continents as well as publications in substantial journals. This year, two Mzuzu University MSc in ITCC graduates, Ezekiel Kachisa and Isaiah Makwakwa, a great friend of mine, won high level PhD scholarships in the Claude Shannon Institute, an Irish Research Institute in Coding theory. These guys had to compete with other candidates worldwide. Their success just proves that the Mzuzu University MSc in ITCC is a world class programme. As of now, this programme is in its fifth intake. You can apply for the programme here. While attending the IEEE Africon conference in Namibia, Professor John Ryan told me that already there are applications from three countries outside Malawi namely, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Uganda.This further indicates the significance of the programme internationally.

The Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company Limited support the programme with some scholarships for local students. Currently, Mzuzu University and Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company Limited are promoting female participation in the programme as they both believe that coding theory should not merely be the domain of the male.

Finally, I would like to ask both local and international companies to consider supporting MSc in ITCC students with more scholarships. Companies can also contribute to the development of the programme by suggesting potential real life research topics which MSc in ITCC students can be working on as part of their projects. In so doing, the programme will be in a position to develop products that will have an impact of the common man in the street.

FUZZ-IEEE 2007 is in session

The Annual IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE), one of the premier international conferences in the field of fuzzy systems is in session at Imperial College, London,UK. Having attended last year's event in Vancouver, Canada, I really miss this year's event. FUZZ-IEEE 2006 left a huge impact on my life and my career direction.

This year's conference kicked off on Monday, 23 July, 2007 with a series of tutorials on a number of exciting topics including one on Design of Real Time Evolving Fuzzy Systems: Methodology, Algorithms by Dr Dimitar Filev and Dr Plamen Angelov.I have certainly missed this one because I have developed a huge interest in Evolving Fuzzy Systems. I have also missed Prof Lotfi Zadeh's special invited lecture on From Fuzzy Logic to Extended Fuzzy Logic - The Concept of F-Validity and the Impossibility Principle. I like listening to this man's presentations.The conference ends on Thursday, 26 July, 2007. I just hope that some of my colleagues will share with me some of the proceedings of this conference.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all student authors who have won this year's FUZZ-IEEE travel grants.

Update on my MScEng graduation

I arrived in Durban on Sunday morning after travelling over night. I was warmly welcomed by Pastor Mandevu and his wife at their home in Malvern. That same morning, I attended a church service where Pastor Mandevu was ministering. On Monday morning, I went to the Howard College Campus, where the Faculty Officer confirmed to me that everything was in place for my graduation.

On Tuesday morning, brother Micky, a member of the Water of Life Church in Durban gave us (Pastor Mandevu, his wife and I) a lift to the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the venue of the graduation ceremony. I met my Zambian buddy, Joseph Kang'ombe Makasa who was also graduating with an MScEng in Electrical Engineering. It was nice to meet Joseph at this function. I entered the graduands' section of the hall with him while Pastor Mandevu and his wife went to the section prepared for guardians and relatives. The event, itself, was brief. It was nice walking up front there and having the MScEng degree conferred on me by the Acting Chancellor, Prof Malegapuru Makgoba with photographs being taken. I then went on to collect my paper. A number of photos were also taken outside the hall after the event. After that, brother Micky picked us up and we had our lunch at his home in Morningside. We went back to the pastor's home around 4 O'clock. The photos of the graduation event will be posted here later.

Meanwhile, I am still in Durban. I will go back to Pretoria tomorrow. I will then proceed to Malawi where I will be staying for the time being. Now, I really need to embark on my permanent head development (PhD) studies. Answers to questions like where and when will I do my PhD studies will be given later.

MScEng Graduation in Durbs!

I will be in Durban on 17 April 2007. I will be attending my MScEng graduation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus). By the way, I passed my MScEng (Computer Engineering) with distinction.I thank God for this milestone in my life. It was difficult studying down there while my family was still in Malawi. My acknowledgements go to the following:

• My wife Felistas for her understanding and encouragement during this period.
  
• Professor Dawoud Dawoud for his guidance and insightfulness throughout my entire study period.
• My grandmother Nyangwira at Mzokoto for instilling in me a hard-working spirit and the fear of the Lord from a tender age.
  
• The African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI) for their financial support towards my graduate studies.
• Telkom South Africa and Alcatel for providing the equipment necessary for my studies and the financial support that enabled me to present parts of my work at SATNAC 2005, WCCI 2006 and SATNAC 2006.
• Fellow graduate students at the Radio Access Technologies Centre for their assistance and the wonderful time we had together.
  
• Various relatives and members of the body of Christ for their moral and material support for my family during this period.
  

Deadline Day Submission of Conference papers

Today, I really did not want to make a posting. I have, however, been prompted to make one in response to Cryton Chikoko's comment on my previous posting in which I pointed out that I like submitting my conference papers right on the deadline day. I do this for two reasons, one minor, one major. I will not disclose the minor one because it is a personal secret. The major one has its roots in the way I grew up.

Some years back, when I was doing my Standard 8 for the second and final time at Mzokoto Primary School in Rumphi, Malawi, I used to have a very good English teacher and headmistress.Her name is Mrs Rose Edith Mnyenyembe (Nyamasango). Besides her superb teaching skills, Mrs Mnyenyembe used to be a good disciplinarian and mentor.I rarely saw her whipping anyone.When you are wrong, she would spend sometime talking to you, making you understand that you are wrong, giving you advice and of course some punishment in form of manual work. By so doing, discipline was being instilled. While I appreciate the contribution of different mentors that I have come across in my life, I always hold Mrs Mnyenyembe in high esteem.Under her mentorship, not only did my academic life sparkle, I also developed immensely as a person. One of the things that she used to teach us was that we should never relax in an exam. That is to say, when we finish before time, we must remain in the exam room, reading through our work again and again. She used to tell us that this will enable us to find some hidden mistakes and rectify them before leaving the exam room. We used to follow this piece of advice and it used to work for our own good. When I went to Rumphi Secondary School, I continued following Mrs Mnyenyembe's advice and my results used to be excellent. However, when I was doing my first year in Engineering at the Polytechnic, the University of Malawi, I used to see lots of my friends leaving the exam room before time. For once, I tried to depart from Mrs Mnyenyembe's advice.The consequences were not good at all. As soon I stepped out of the room, I discovered that I made a number of simple mistakes, skipped some questions etc. Although there were still some good thirty minutes left, University regulations prevented me from going back and asking the invigilator for my script in order to rectify my mistakes. As a result, I got a miserable grade. From then onwards, I resolved never to depart from the piece of advice downloaded into my head by Mrs Mnyenyembe while I was at Mzokoto Primary School. At this point someone may be asking-what has this to do with conference paper submission. The simple connection is that a conference paper undergoes several reviews after submission.These reviews are done by experts in the field. A paper is either accepted (passed) or rejected (failed) based on the comments of these experts. In a way, this is an examination. In keeping with Mrs Mnyenyembe's advice, I always like reading through my papers again and again if I finish them well before the deadline. This helps me to correct some hidden mistakes and also to fine tune my paper in order to make it more palatable for the reviewers.