By Duncan Mboyah
The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) has pledged to support African scientists in advancing research on the continent.
Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, TWAS president, said that the global body is keen on helping the African continent in conducting research that helps in addressing national and regional development challenges.
“This workshop is a unique opportunity to empower emerging researchers and build a stronger, more connected scientific community in Africa,” Prof. Karim said in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi during the opening of a three-day workshop for scientists from 16 African countries.
Prof. Karim observed that the project aims to strengthen research capacity and foster collaboration across the continent.
She noted that the project targets to empower early-career researchers who have obtained their PhD abroad and have recently returned to Africa to take up an academic position in their home country.
The official added that the global academy has earmarked USD 67,000 in grants that will be awarded to projects that have a significant transformative potential and are carried out in one of the 16 countries.
The grants, she said, will be awarded to promising high-level research projects in African countries that TWAS has identified as lagging in science and technology.
She observed that TWAS is considering giving awards to scientists with good research projects in engineering, information, computer technology, mathematics, medical sciences, physics, agriculture, biology, chemistry, and Earth sciences.
Dr. James Njogu, Acting Secretary General of the Kenya National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that the future of Africa depends on how people are educated on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr. Njogu observed that emphasis must be put on equitable capacity building of populations, students and scientists.
Prof. Catherine Ngila, Acting Executive Director of the Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences (AAS) said that Africa spends an average of 0.45 percent of its GDP on research and development.
Prof. Ngila noted that the amount is significantly less than the global average of 1.7 percent and the African Union’s one percent.
On researchers, she observed that Africa has 100 researchers per million people, which is ten times less than the global average of 1,100 researchers per million people.
“This impacts economic and societal progress on the African continent, hence the urgent need to invest in funding that is complemented with actions,” Prof. Ngila said
She avers that underinvestment in supporting African researchers and institutions limits their continental and global recognition.
Payal Patel, Associate Programme Officer at TWAS, said that the meeting is aimed at developing the scientific skills of African scientists to foster a stronger scientific community across the continent.
Patel notes that TWAS plans that scientists could learn fundraising to enable them to contribute through their research.
The meeting, she said, is being attended by 28 early-career scientists from Benin, Cameroon, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Patel noted that the participants are engaging in expert-led sessions on scientific writing, responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), science communication, mentoring, and transdisciplinary research.
She said that to date, the programme has launched four calls, and assigned 121 grants for researchers in sub–Saharan Africa (SSA).
With its partners, TWAS has graduated over 1,230 PhDs and supported more than 980 postdoctoral fellowships.
The Academy also bestowed over 1,200 prizes, awarded over 2,800 research grants, trained over 750 individuals in science diplomacy, and supported over 1,400 exchange visits.
