The Portable Mathematics Museum project, undertaken by Yunus Emre Institute within the framework of the Academic and Scientific Cooperation Project of Turkey (TABİB), which has been launched under the auspices of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, adds fuel to the Institute's science diplomacy activities.

The Institute conducts a number of public and culture diplomacy activities designed for the promotion of Turkey in many countries, and it has now come up with the museum initiative, within the context of the TABİB project that seeks to enhance scientific and academic cooperation in the international arena, to share Turkey's scientific heritage with foreign countries.

Following its visits to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary, the Portable Mathematics Museum initiative, which helps thousands of young and creative individuals see a new aspect of mathematics other than its abstract world, has kicked of its second tour in Ethiopia from Mekelle University.

Portable Mathematics Museum meets Ethiopian youth once again

The Portable Mathematics Museum had been on display for the first time at the central campus of Mekelle University in Ethiopia in July 2018 during the ninth All Africa University Games in cooperation between Yunus Emre Institute and Thales Mathematics Museum. This time, the museum was opened to visitors at the Adi Haqi event, held at the second largest campus of Mekelle University, allowing hundreds of university students to get a touch of mathematics during the day.

The Portable Mathematics Museum was visited by many other important guests other than university students. Many local and national media outlets attended the event to see the Portable Mathematics Museum on the spot.

Next stop: Aksum University

Macit Koç, the University and Industry Relations Advisor at Mekelle University, who coordinates the Ethiopia leg of the project, indicated that they were extremely satisfied with the attention the museum garnered in Ethiopia. "Following the All Africa University Games, our museum will visit schools in various cities across Ethiopia. Our next stop will be Aksum University," he said. Koç added that the portable museum would later be turned into a permanent one and donated to a school.