The Other Kuku

Titilayo is not the only member of the Kuku family with close ties to the ICTP.

Since 1995, his older brother, Aderemi, has been with the Centre's Mathematics Research Group, enjoying a wide range of responsibilities. He assists Group Head, Mudumbai Seshachalu Narasimhan, in overseeing the Centre's math activities. He teaches Diploma Programme students. He advises post docs. He conducts his own research. And he seeks to raise ICTP's visibility among math departments around the world.

There's no doubt that Aderemi enjoys working at the Centre. "There's an excellent library," he says, "you have an opportunity to meet all sorts of people and you're given the freedom to pursue new initiatives. The Centre is simply a good place to be."

Although sharing a common interest in science and math, the Kuku brothers arrived at the ICTP through different career paths. For Titilayo, who is 11 years younger than Aderemi, his participation in the ICTP's Programme for Training and Research in Italian Laboratories (TRIL) has enabled him to keep abreast of developments in his field. Aderemi, on the other hand, came to the ICTP as an internationally recognised mathematician who had given invited lectures at the University of California at Berkeley in the United States, Queens University in Canada, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Germany, and the Chinese Academy's Institute of Math and Sciences. At the time of his appointment, Aderemi was a professor of mathematics in the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and president of African Mathematical Union.

"To my good fortune, the Kuku family is one of the most distinguished families in Nigeria," explains Aderemi. "Our standing dates back to my grandfather who served as a right hand man of the king at the turn of the century. Today, many of my grandfather's descendants hold top positions in government, business and academia."

"My immediate family--five brothers, one step brother and two step sisters--is a close-knit group. The moral and financial support we gave each other has been pivotal in our success. All of the siblings have held professional or technical positions."

"Both culture and family values were centred on respect for our elders and a willingness to assist one another in times of need," Aderemi recalls. "I remember the esteem I had for my elder brother and how he helped me during the early stages of my career. I developed the same relationship with Titilayo, especially when I realised that his interest in math and science paralleled my own."

Aderemi's four daughters, who live in Nigeria with his wife, have now built a similar support system. "My eldest daughter is a banker; the second oldest a medical doctor. My third daughter is studying economics at the University of Ibadan and the youngest is in her last year of high school."

"They support one another much like my brothers and sisters did. It's part of our family tradition and I'm glad that my daughters have made it a central feature of their lives. In the years to come, I expect that their stories will be similar to the ones my siblings and I can tell."

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