Saliou Touré, the African mathematician

Saliou Toure (June 4, 1937 in the sub-prefecture of Kolia, department of Boundiali in northern Ivory Coast ) is an Ivorian mathematician, former minister, and the current president of the International University of Grand Bassam.

After studying in Paris, where he obtained a degree in mathematics in 1962, Saliou Toure was assistant at the University of Besançon (France), from October 1963 to October 1966; he then becomes an assistant professor and then a lecturer at the University of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. In 1975, he defended both a Ph.D. thesis in Paris and a thesis of mathematical sciences in Abidjan. He was appointed Full Professor of Mathematics at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Abidjan, from January 1, 1976. He also taught in many other countries, including the United States, France, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, Morocco, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Senegal, and Togo.

From 1976 to 1994, he is Director of the Institute of Mathematical Research of Abidjan (IRMA). Vice-President for West Africa of the Pan-African Union for Science and Technology since 1990, he has been President of the Mathematical Society of Côte d’Ivoire since 1977. He has also held important positions within of the African Mathematical Union: Treasurer from 1976 to 1986, then Secretary-General from 1986 to 1991, he was Honorary President from 2006 to 2009. He is now the Chair of the WBU since August 2, 2009. He is also one of the Secretaries of the Academy of Sciences, Arts, Cultures of Africa and African Diasporas (ASCAD), in charge of the field of the exact sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry) since 2004. Since 28 January 2008, he has been a member of the International Academy of Nonlinear Sciences of the Russian Federation.

His area of ​​research is the harmonic analysis of Lie groups and symmetric Riemannian spaces. For several years, he led a weekly seminar on abstract harmonic analysis at the University of Abidjan.

Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of Abidjan from 1975 to 1984, Saliou Toure was also invested president of the International University of Grand-Bassam (UIGB) on Friday, May 18, 2007.

Technical Advisor to the Minister of Scientific Research and Member of the United Nations Intergovernmental Committee of Experts for the Development of Science and Technology in Africa from 1973 to 1981, member of the Permanent Committee of Experts for Scientific and Technical Research of OCAM from 1979 to 1981, Saliou Toure chaired the Ivorian National Commission for Mathematics and the Specialized Technical Committee: Mathematics-Physics-Chemistry of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) from 1986 to 1994.

From 1986 to 1993, he participated in the Economic and Social Council, serving as Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of National Education from 1990 to 1993. In August 1993, he was appointed Minister of National Education and from of December 15, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and finally Minister of Higher Education, Research and Technological Innovation from January 26, 1996 to August 11, 1998. He then remains Special Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of Scientific Affairs and Francophonie until January 2000.

Saliou Touré is considered as one of the greatest African mathematicians alive. He received many distinctions from academic institutions and governments from many countries.