TWAS: Building STI Capacity in Africa

1. TWAS: Building STI Capacity in Africa RomainMurenzi, Executive Director, TWAS Africa Forum on STI, Nairobi, 1-3 April 2012

2. President Jacob ZUMA (February 2010, 14th African Union Head of States Summit): “We need to expand our science and technology capacity. Further than that, we need to improve cooperation in technological development. An excellent example of this is South Africa’s bid to host the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope. This is a truly African initiative. While the central location would be in the Northern Cape in South Africa, remote stations will be hosted in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya, Ghana and Zambia. Hosting the Square Kilometer Array will underscore Africa’s capability in science and innovation. Because this high-tech facility is about 50 to 100 times more sensitive than any other radio telescope on Earth, the Square Kilometer Array will be able to probe the edges of our Universe. It will help us to answer fundamental questions in the fields of astronomy, physics and cosmology, and may even detect intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.” Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

3. HE President Paul Kagame (February 2010, 14th African Union Head of States Summit): “The undersea cables that now land on our shores in West, South, North and East Africa bring a world of information and opportunity. But it is we, the leaders in this room, who have to carry these networks over mountains and across deserts; to Africa’s greatest cities and smallest villages; and bring a world of knowledge and prosperity to our citizens.” Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

4. Africa Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka (February 2010, 14th African Union Head of States Summit): • “Africa has far too often been painted with a pessimistic brush, but the manner in which we have demonstrated resilience during the financial turbulences, the exponential growth of ICTs in Africa truly provides evidence of a continent on the move, and an opportunity for leapfrogging in many domains which will change, and is already changing, many facets of our societies and economies - from commerce, services, education and even governance. • The African Development Bank will continue to be your partner, be it in: rolling out more broadband infrastructure. • strengthening institutions responsible for reform and regulatory policies or closing the infrastructure funding gap by crowding in additional foreign investments.“ Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

5. “For centuries people assumed that economic growth resulted from the interplay between capital and labour. Today we know that these elements are outweighed by a single critical factor, Innovation. Innovation is the source of US economic leadership and the foundation for our competitiveness in the global economy. Government investment in research, strong intellectual property laws and efficient capital markets are among the reasons that America has for decades been transforming new ideas into successful businesses Bill Gates

6. 1032 Members in 91 countries • 889 Fellows in 74 countries in the South • 144 Associate Fellows in 17 countries in the North • 15 Nobel Laureates In Africa • 96 African Fellows, including • the Minister of Science for Zimbabwe • the African Union Commissioner for Science and Technology • a Member from Senegal on the high-level panel of scientists appointed by the Director General of UNESCO TWAS

7. Trieste ICTP Beijing Chinese Academy of Sciences AlexandriaBibliotheca Alexandrina Bangalore J.N. Centre for AdvancedScientific Research Nairobi African Academy of Sciences Rio de Janeiro Brazilian Academy of Sciences TWASHQ and Regional Offices

8. Promote excellence in scientific research Strengthen South-South and South-North collaboration Respond to needs of young scientists Engage in dissemination of scientific information TWASObjectives

9. TWASProgrammesand activities

10. South-South Fellowships One of the largest South-South fellowship programmes in the world • Fellowships available per year • PhD fellowships 161 per year • Postdoctoral fellowships 115 per year • Visiting scientists 26 per year • Research and advanced training 20 per year • ___________ • 322 per year

11. 12 programme partners for TWAS Fellowships in 8 developing countries South-South Partnerships • PARTNERScover • stipend • accommodation • TWAScovers • travel and visa costs • administrative costs

12. Training: Postgraduate PhD Fellowships 2007-2010 124 out of 274 PhD fellowship holders are Africans

13. Postgraduate PhD Fellowship at Chinese Academy of Sciences • Obtained PhD in 2007 • Thesis on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the absorption of some heavy metal ions on modified kaolinite clay • 25 publications (2005-2011) • Member, Global Young Academy (GYA) President, Nigerian Young Academy (NYA) • Currently Senior Lecturer in materials chemistry at Redeemer’s University, Nigeria Emmanuel Unuabonah (Nigeria) with supervisor and colleagues at the Institute of Soil Science, CAS, Nanjing, China 2011 prize winner of AU-TWAS Award for Young Scientists

14. OWSDOrganization for Women in Science for the Developing World • First international forum to unite eminent women scientists from developing and developed worlds • Objective: strengthen women’s role in development process and promote representation in S&T leadership. OWSD in Africa • 1,500 members from Africa • 80% of PhD Fellowships go to women in African countries • National chapters / focal points in Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania • Recently launched South Africa National Chapter • Collaboration with ASSAf on Gender and Science Education • Founding President from Swaziland, Prof. Lydia Makhubu, Swaziland

15. OWSD Postgraduate PhD Fellowship at CIMAP, India • OWSD fellowship at Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), India • Research: Application of biotechnological techniques to medicinal plants and conservation (DNA sequencing and tissue culturing) • Results: 5 publications as a result of her fellowship • Currently: Lecturer, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria Joy Odimegwu, (Nigeria) with supervisor (left) studying tissue culture plantlets in the growth chamber

16. Human Capital Mobility • Postdoctoral fellowships (South-South) • Visits from Sub-Saharan Africa to Germany (South-North) • Associateships to centres of excellence (South-South) • TWAS Research Professors • Visiting Scientists Programmes • Support for scientific meetings

17. Human Capital Mobility:Postdoctoral Fellowships 2007-2010 103 out of 178 postdoc fellowships holders are Africans.

18. Human Capital Mobility:Africa-Germany • Joint programme with DFG (German Research Foundation) • Post-doctoral researchers from sub-Saharan Africa (not South Africa) to Germany for up to 3 months to collaborate with German scientists • TWAS covers visa, heath insurance, travel • DFG covers subsistence costs

19. Human Capital MobilityZimbabwe–Germany DFG Cooperation VisitDr Maxwell Barson, from the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, visited the Department of Ecology and Parasitology, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) September–October 2011

20. Human Capital Mobility:Joint Associateship Scheme • Collaboration with UNESCO, Italian government and centres of excellence in the South • Associate appointed for 3 years, visits centre twice • Over 100 centres selected • TWAS provides travel support and subsistence contribution (up to USD300 per month) • Host centre provides living expenses • Currently, only three participating host centres in Africa (Botswana, Ethiopia, South Africa)

21. Human Capital Mobility:Joint Associateship Scheme Nigeria – Thailand Dr. A.O. Obadina, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Nigeria, studying food fermentation at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Thailand

22. Support for Research TWAS Grants for research projects (based on merit) Basic Science Equipment, consumables, literature Individuals Applied (COMSTECH) Units Basic Science Between 1986 and 2011, TWAS awarded a total of 2,024 research grants. Of these, 566 went to African grant holders.

23. Grants to Research Units 45 out of 81 grants awarded to Research Units in Africa Virima Mudogo, Department of Chemistry, University of Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of Congo Macromolecules extracted from indigenous medicinal plants with potential antimalarial or anti-sickle cell anaemia effects

24. TWAS: Honouring Excellence • TWAS prizes given for significant contributions by scientists in the South • Prizes for young scientists awarded on behalf of TWAS by organizations in the South

25. PRIZES • The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize • TWAS Prizes • The Abdus Salam Medal for Science and Technology • TWAS Prizes to Young Scientists in Developing Countries • AU-TWAS Young Scientists National Awards • TWAS Medal Lectures • The TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists • The C.N.R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research • Atta-ur-Rahman Prize

26. 13 participating countries • Benin • Burkina Faso • Cameroon • Egypt • Ghana • Guinea • Lesotho • Malawi • Nigeria • Senegal • South Africa • Sudan • Zimbabwe African Union–TWAS Young Scientists National Awards Two prizes of USD5,000 each are awarded per year and per participating country in life and earth sciences basic sciences, technology and innovation • 2010: 5 prizes • 2011: 12 prizes

27. The TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists in Computer Science • This prize recognizes young scientists in Africa whose research in computer science promises to have a positive impact in the developing world • EUR 7,000 to each winner • 3 prizes to 3 African countries each year • 2009-2011: South Africa 3,Algeria 2, Egypt 2, Nigeria 1, Tanzania 1

28. TWAS Objectives for Africa • What should the African Development Bank and assembled officials do if they want to begin implementing these programmes or to scale up an existing African pilot?

29. TWAS Objectives for Africa

30. In conclusion

31. South Korea did! Brazil did! India did! China did! • Why not This Region Africa? • I share the OPTIMISM DR. NGOZI Okonjo-Iweala. On May 14, 2010, Honorable Minister NgoziOkonjo-Iweala shared a riddle and a “big idea” with fellow Harvard alumni. • “What trillion dollar economy has grown faster than Brazil and India between 2000 and 2010 … and is projected by the IMF to grow faster than Brazil between 2010 and 2015? “The answer may surprise you: It is sub-Saharan Africa!” The “big idea” the Honorable wanted to impart was that sub-Saharan Africa is on the verge of joining the ranks of the BRICS – the rising powers of Brazil, Russia, India and China, whose wealth and clout have increased dramatically in the last decade

32. In conclusion

33. TWAS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the: • Government of Italy • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization RomainMurenzi, Executive Director, TWAS r m u r e n z i @ t w a s . o r g www.twas.org