Centre of Excellence in Mathematical
and Statistical Sciences
CoE-MaSS brings together pure mathematics, applied mathematics and
statistics researchers from 27 Node Institutions around South Africa.
Our Mandate
On 1 April 2026, the DSTI–NRF Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CoE-MaSS) proudly celebrates its 12th year of excellence, impact, and collaboration in advancing mathematical and statistical sciences in South Africa. This milestone offers an opportunity not only to reflect on the Centre’s achievements, but also to look ahead to the future of a vibrant and growing research community.
This year’s celebration is made particularly special by the launch of a Special Edition Journal, an initiative that was first conceived during the Centre’s 10th Anniversary celebrations in March 2024. To commemorate that landmark decade, Afrika Matematika is publishing an Anniversary Collection featuring peer-reviewed research papers drawn from across the Centre’s diverse research portfolio. We invite members of our network and the broader scientific community to explore the Anniversary Collection and join us in celebrating over a decade of impact, collaboration, and discovery.
The CoE-MaSS focuses on advancing cross-disciplinary research topics and developing national capacity in the scarce fields of mathematical and statistical sciences. Our mandate relates to Research, Education and Training, Information Brokerage, Service Rendering, and Networking. The Centre also hosts and funds events throughout the year.
Aims & Objectives
-
Aims
-
Objectives
The CoE’s aim is to:
- Promote knowledge and human capital development in areas of strategic importance to South Africa
- Promote collaborative research
- Promote and develop interdisciplinary research
- Systematically develop a creative research training environment that is internationally competitive
- Strive for the highest standards of quality, international competitiveness and esteem of their science, and
- Diffuse knowledge to where it is needed.
The objectives of CoE-MaSS are to:
- Ensure the integration of several smaller and related research initiatives into large science programmes
- Reward, retain, sustain and improve scientific excellence
- Exploit the competitive advantage vested in outstanding researchers
- Promote knowledge and human capital in areas of national strategic importance (including indigenous knowledge)
- Promote collaborative research
- Promote and develop interdisciplinary research
- Systematically develop creative research training environments that are internationally competitive
- Raise the quality, international competitiveness, visibility and esteem of South African science e.g. by an increase in global share of research outputs
- Promote better diffusion and exploitation of the knowledge produced by tertiary institutions
- Achieve economies of scale through the optimisation of resources and effort through sharing personnel, equipment, data, ideas etc.
- Ensure secure and stable funding for research and dissemination
- Allow for planned, strategic, long-term research, and
- Reduce micro-management of resources by the funding agency.
Aims & Objectives
AIMS
The CoE’s aim is to:
- Promote knowledge and human capital development in areas of strategic importance to South Africa
- Promote collaborative research
- Promote and develop interdisciplinary research
- Systematically develop a creative research training environment that is internationally competitive
- Strive for the highest standards of quality, international competitiveness and esteem of their science, and
- Diffuse knowledge to where it is needed.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of CoE-MaSS is to:
- Ensure the integration of several smaller and related research initiatives into large science programmes
- Reward, retain, sustain and improve scientific excellence
- Exploit the competitive advantage vested in outstanding researchers
- Promote knowledge and human capital in areas of national strategic importance (including indigenous knowledge)
- Promote collaborative research
- Promote and develop interdisciplinary research
- Systematically develop creative research training environments that are internationally competitive
- Raise the quality, international competitiveness, visibility and esteem of South African science e.g. by an increase in global share of research outputs
- Promote better diffusion and exploitation of the knowledge produced by tertiary institutions
- Achieve economies of scale through the optimisation of resources and effort through sharing personnel, equipment, data, ideas etc.
- Ensure secure and stable funding for research and dissemination
- Allow for planned, strategic, long-term research, and
- Reduce micro-management of resources by the funding agency.
