Gaston Nguérékata

Gaston Mandata Nguérékata (born 20 May 1953) is a Central African mathematician and politician who is currently serving. He was the first Central African to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics.

Early life and education
Nguérékata was born in Paoua on May 20, 1953. He finished his primary education in Ecole Sous Préfecturale de Paoua. As an elementary school student, he became the accountant at his father's store, and soon he discovered that he loved math. Afterward, he continued high school at Lycee Moderne de Berberati and then at Lycée des Rapides in Bangui. During his year at Lycée des Rapides Bangui, he was appointed as the school's basketball team captain. In 1972, he graduated from high school as the first-rank achiever nationalwide on Baccalaureate Series C, the high school national graduating test for mathematics concentration.

Upon completing high school, he continued his higher education from graduate to doctoral degree at the University of Montreal through a Canadian government scholarship. He obtained a Ph.D. degree in 1980 with the dissertation titled Quelques Remarques sur les Equations Differentielles Abstraites. He then attended postdoctoral education at University of California, Berkeley.

Academic career
In 1976, he worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Montreal until 1980. From 1978 to 1980, he became an instructor at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. He then returned to the Central African Republic in December 1980 and served as Vice Rector of University of Bangui from 1981 to 1983 and acting rector of the University of Bangui from 1983 to 1984. After he resigned as Andre Kolingba's spokesperson, he served as the University of Bangui's Vice Rector from 1994 to 1995. Upon resigning as vice-rector of the University of Bangui, he moved to the US and taught at Daemen University.

Morgan State University
In 1996, he joined Morgan State University as a lecturer. One year later, he was promoted to associate professor. In 2003, his rank was elevated to professor and held it until 2017 when he became the University Distinguished Professor.

Political career
Nguérékata joined RDC and served as high commissioner, then deputy minister, of science, technology, and environment from 1987 to 1992. In 1992, he became the Spokesperson for Andre Kolingba until 1993. He also participated in Earth Summit and served as spokesperson for the African Ministerial Group. He founded Parti Pour la Renaissance Centrafricaine (PARC) in 2013. In October 2013, he called for Michel Djotodia resignation due to his incompetency in leading the country.

In 2014, he launched several actions in Central African Republic such as providing free WIFI to University of Bangui and launching a project Cahier de doléances (Book of Grievances) in Mbaiki. On 27 February 2015, he signed the Catholic Church Community of Sant’Egidio Central African Republic national reconciliation agreement in Rome. He ran for at 2015–16 Central African general election as a presidential candidate of PARC. He earned 22,391 votes and did not advance to the second round. In 2022, he resigned from his post as the chairman of PARC due to personal issues.

Personal life
Nguérékata speaks French and English.

Awards

 * Order of Merit - Commander (Central African Republic).png, Commander Order of Central African Merit - 1991.
 * Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg, Chevalier of Legion of Honour - 1985.
 * Officer of Central African Orders of Academic Palms - 1984