Logistical information

Arrival

For everyone

• Please review this important information for visitors to AIMS and South Africa prior to arrival.
• Participants will be staying in the AIMS housing, joining the students there for the year-long programme. You will likely be sharing a room with another participant, and the bathrooms are shared. If you arrive at AIMS after checkin on Sunday, one or more volunteers will be available in the lobby to answer any questions you may have and take you to your room.
• Check back here for final accommodation guidelines. Please review the accommodation guidelines prior to arrival.
• Please complete the Emergency Contact and Photo Release forms and send completed copies to forms@ici3d.org by the end of the day on Monday.

For those arriving by air

• We will be providing more details about final ground transport schedule, meeting points, and contact information in the event of mishaps
• Due to the number of arrivals, we have arranged an airport shuttle schedule, and participants arriving at times close to each other will have been put into groups for collection. If you are arriving on a domestic flight (eg, from Johannesburg), please make your way to the waiting area outside of ABSA Bank, Central Terminal. If you are arriving on an international flight, please wait within the International arrivals terminal. In both cases, you will be met by an AIMS representative, who will be carrying an AIMS sign. Please check the arrivals and shuttle schedule to find out your shuttle time.
• Please note that the shuttle will only operate at the specified times. You may choose to take a private shuttle/taxi from the airport, but you will not be reimbursed for this expense.
• If you have any trouble meeting up with the group (eg, due to a delayed flight), please call AIMS – from within South Africa, dial 021 787 9262 (calling from abroad, you will need to dial the international dialing code + 27 21 787 9262). This number is for the AIMS office, which is open on Sunday afternoon (12:00-18:00) and during business hours on Monday through Friday (8:30-16:30). If you can’t get through on this number, you can try one of the mobile numbers provided in Weekly Message #4 to report flight delays or arrival problems. You can also email arrival@ici3d.org at any time to communicate about your arrival details.

For those arriving by ground

• All participants without a scheduled airport transfer should plan to arrive between 12:00 and 17:00 (South African local time) on Sunday (16 June), if possible.
• When you arrive, please proceed to the AIMS lobby. At this time, long term parking arrangements are not finalized. Please contact us ASAP if you will need parking.

Welcome and Registration

• If you arrive between 12:00 and 17:00 on Sunday, you are welcome to come by the AIMS lobby to meet some of the MMED mentors and AIMS students and staff. One or more volunteers will be available in the lobby to answer any questions you may have during this time.
• You must register to receive your welcome packet and name tag. There are two opportunities for registration:
  • If you arrive in Muizenberg on Sunday afternoon, please come to the AIMS lobby for registration between 14:00 and 18:00 on Sunday (25 June).
  • If you arrive after 18:00 on Sunday, please register on Monday morning. The registration table will be open from 8:00 - 8:25 on Monday.
• The first session of the Clinic will start promptly at 8:30 on Monday in the main lecture hall (see schedule).

Ground rules

• All MMED participants are expected to engage fully in the MMED program. This includes attending all MMED sessions (other than those designated as optional).
• You will be frequently using your laptops, but we will typically ask you to close them for certain activities: including most all seminar and discussion activities. This will help you and the other participants focus on the material at hand. This rule also applies to other electronic devices, such as phones. We allow note taking on tablets, provided you are not abusing that allowance to pursue other activities.
• Please be aware that participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. This diversity adds greatly to the MMED experience, and all participants should strive to create a welcoming, respectful learning environment.
• All MMED participants should follow the AIMS house rules. Because all MMED participants are guests of AIMS and their behavior reflects on the institution, these rules apply both at AIMS and around Muizenberg.

Muizenberg

• The MMED Clinic is hosted by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), which is located in the lovely beach town of Muizenberg, near Cape Town. The street address is

    6 Melrose Road
    Muizenberg 7945
    South Africa
  

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Facilities

• Meals are provided in the AIMS dining hall.
  • Breakfast is served from 07h45-08h15 (08h00-09h00 on weekends).
  • Lunch is served from 13h00-13h30.
  • Dinner is served from 18h00-18h30.
• Wireless internet access is available throughout the main AIMS facility. To connect to the network with your personal computer, you will need to register your computer on the AIMS network. Instructions are available here.

Things to bring or buy

• If you are coming from abroad and bringing any electronics with you, you will need appropriate electrical converters and plug adapters. Phones and computers (and some digital cameras) usually come with a converter. Plug adapters can be purchased at local shops. If you would like to purchase adapters before you arrive, you can use any of the plug types described on for example this page at AIMS. We recommend purchasing grounded adapters if you have the option.
• SIM cards for mobile phones (GSM only) can be purchased at the airport or local shops. South Africa has strict regulations for registration of SIM cards so you’ll need to bring proof of identity (passport) and proof of address (the AIMS address and any printed letter of invitation to the workshop should suffice).