The first two-week intensive workshop of the APhRICA program, titled “Methodological School on Density Functional Theory”, marked a key milestone in the 2025 training plan of the Physics Without Frontiers (PWP) program of the ICTP. Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a fundamental computational method for studying the structural properties and interactions between atoms, molecules, and crystalline materials.
Hosted by the Department of Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Technical University of Kenya (TU-K), the workshop followed the official launch of the APhRICA program, which took place on December 6, 2024, in Nairobi. Its main objective is to strengthen the theoretical and methodological skills of students and faculty in East Africa, enabling them to become not only advanced users of DFT but also active contributors to its scientific development.
Currently, methodological research on DFT in East Africa remains limited. For this reason, the PWP school aims to train a new generation of researchers and lecturers, offering solid theoretical foundations and advanced methodological tools in the field of condensed matter physics.
The workshop involved 17 graduate participants, including 10 from Kenyan universities (master’s and PhD students), and 7 master’s students supported by the APhRICA program and ICTP-EAIFR in Kigali. Among the attendees were students from Peru, Nigeria, Uganda, Egypt, Syria, and Rwanda, highlighting the initiative’s international and inclusive nature.
Among the school’s key promoters and instructors was Andrea Marini, senior researcher at CNR-ISM, who played a leading role as an international lecturer.
The APhRICA project, established through an operational agreement between CNR-ISM and ICTP-EAIFR, was approved by the CNR Board of Directors in June 2024. Its goal is to promote advanced training and scientific collaboration in the field of condensed matter physics.
Under the direction of Andrea Marini, with Carmen Gargiulo providing managment coordination and with support from the administrative offices of CNR-ISM, the program has already conducted numerous courses and seminars in Advanced Physics, and has funded 7 scholarships for outstanding African students.
Further training activities are planned, thanks to the involvement of a network of international experts from prestigious European institutions, including: CNR-ISM, CECAM, EPFL, CNRS, École Polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université – Campus Pierre et Marie Curie, Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique.
Participating African universities include:  Technical University of Kenya, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Moi University, Egerton University, Kaimosi Friends University, Maasai Mara University.