Young Statisticians Programme

In response to growing concerns about the dearth of African statistical research and knowledge driven by Africans themselves, and also in response to the demographics of the African statistical community, Statistics SA developed the ISIbalo Young Statisticians Programme in 2008.

A year before hosting the historic 57th Session of the International Statistics Institute (ISI) on African shores, in Durban in 2009, the ISIbalo Young Statisticians Programme was birthed. Its aim was to develop, train and mentor young statisticians in statistical development, research and leadership with the help of a multi-disciplinary national and continental-wide team of experts whose sole focus is to groom the next generation of statistical leaders.

To date, much of the activity for young statisticians has been defined predominantly by the ISIbalo Conference of African Young Statisticians held every two years since 2008. Yet in this period, many participating countries from Africa went ahead to develop their own Country Chapters of the ISIbalo Young Statisticians Programme. The year 2015 marked the birth of the South Africa Country Chapter of ISIbalo Young Statisticians, as Stats SA remains the founder, leader and driver of this programme.

Who is a young statistician? Much debate rages about who is or is not a young statistician. Part of this confusion has influenced levels of participation at previous Conferences of African Young Statisticians. An age limit for South African young statisticians becomes a difficult defining point given the uneven history of this country that has not permitted many young and older professionals the comparative advantage their African peers have had.

The programme will therefore make room for all young professionals below the age of 35 but also professionals young in their career, including those who were only able to pursue professional statistical careers after 1994 and after 1999 with the legal formation of Statistics SA.

Only statistics? The programme will also recognise the collection of professions and skills that contribute to the skills pipeline of the statistical value chain, which includes over and above statistics: statistics, demography, population studies, methodology, economics and/or econometrics, mathematics, geography, GIS, public health, development studies or economics, planning and other expertise required for stakeholder engagement, research, collection design, information technology, data transformation, analysis and data quality management in a statistical value chain.