The Promise of African Networking: Developing the next generation of scholars

1. The Promise of African Networking:Developing the next generation of scholars Dr Christoff Pauw, Manager: International Academic Networks Postgraduate and International Office, Stellenbosch University 25 October 2011 Joint BC/ANIE/NUC Conference - Abuja, Nigeria

3. Science output in Africa (0.7% share) See: Pauw, J Christoff, and Arnold Van Zyl. “Africa: Collaborate to integrate” Mail & Guardian Online, 2011. http://mg.co.za/article/2011-09-09-africa-collaborate-to-integrate/.

5. Africa is growing! • How can HEI’s benefit from this growth? • to capitalise on the enormous developmental potential of the continent - • universities must participate in well supported and well coordinated academic networks incorporating public and private partners throughout the continent and elsewhere • to raise the share of African scientific output - • the marginality of African academia needs to be addressed by increasing opportunities for collaboration • “collaboration enhances the quality of scientific research, improves the efficiency and effectiveness of that research, and is increasingly necessary, as the scale of both budgets and research challenges grow” (Royal Society)

6. SU Strategy for Networks & Collaboration • Goal: • To nurture academic networks and scholarship communities that span the continent and the global south across regional and language boundaries, which will enhance the diversity of Africa's intellectual resources, stem the brain drain from Africa, and harness the continent's massive economic and social growth potential in coming decades. This would consolidate and build the knowledge base of the university’s activities in the development space. • Six objectives as strategies toward this goal (or: Where is SU putting its money?) • Develop and strengthen bilateral university agreements with African HEI's • support for student and staff mobility, development of joint PhD supervision and joint degrees • Develop south-south and south-south-north thematic networks • Multi-partner research and collaborative/joint postgraduate programmes • Technological support to enhance communication, foster joint e-learning initiatives, and open access to library resources for partner universities • Support individual African and south-south initiatives with advice, links, logistical support, funding opportunities and internal seed funding • Collect and record collaboration activities of SU staff with their counterparts locally, regionally, continentally and globally • Engage stakeholders • Alumni, South African high commissioners and ambassadors, academic and policy organisations, and development agencies for buy-in of south-south-north collaboration

10. Regional Representation of partners • Most African partners are located in Eastern and Southern Africa, with Kenya, Botswana and Uganda collectively comprising 30% of all our African partners. • SADC partners comprise 45% of all African partners *Southern Africa and SADC exclude SA partners

11. SU Strategy for Networks & Collaboration • Goal: • To nurture academic networks and scholarship communities that span the continent and the global south across regional and language boundaries, which will enhance the diversity of Africa's intellectual resources, stem the brain drain from Africa, and harness the continent's massive economic and social growth potential in coming decades. This would consolidate and build the knowledge base of the university’s activities in the development space. • Six objectives have been identified as strategies toward this goal: • Develop and strengthen bilateral university agreements with African HEI's • support for student and staff mobility, development of joint PhD supervision and joint degrees • Develop south-south and south-south-north thematic networks • Multi-partner research and collaborative/joint postgraduate programmes • Technological support to enhance communication, foster joint e-learning initiatives, and open access to library resources for partner universities • Support individual African and south-south initiatives with advice, links, logistical support, funding opportunities and internal seed funding • Collect and record collaboration activities of SU staff with their counterparts locally, regionally, continentally and globally • Engage stakeholders • Alumni, South African high commissioners and ambassadors, academic and policy organisations, and development agencies for buy-in of south-south-north collaboration • Funding required: R1m p.a. over five years

12. Current thematic networks • TRECCAfrica • Transdisciplinary Training for Resource Efficiency and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa • Six partners, EU funding of €2.3m for scholarships over four years, enhanced with FOSI research funding • PANGeA • Partnership for Africa’s Next Generation of Academics • Six partners, expanding to eight, SU ‘Hope’ funding of €2m for joint doctoral scholarships and the African Doctoral Academy, currently engaging donors for continuation support • PeriPeri U • University network of Partners enhancing resilience for People exposed to risks • Ten partners, USAID funding (2nd round of $5m), curriculum devp of postgraduate and short pgms, research programmes • Proposed AgriSciences network (with RUFORUM?)

13. Tell the stories! • Climate Change is affecting communities in northern Ethiopia • Impact on river flows • Change in ground water levels • Transdisciplinary approaches have helped communities adapt to climate change and use natural resources more efficiently

14. Guidelines/ethics for SSN collaboration? Adapt Jacques Gaillard’s (1994) “Charter of North-South Partners”: • The collaboration should be based on a strong mutual interest and both partners should have something to gain from it. • Project proposals should be drafted jointly • In particular, decisions on specific instrument purchases should be made jointly • Provision should be made in the budget for a training component • Salaries should be sufficient to ensure full-time commitment, or complemented by supplementary means (e.g. research honoraria) secured in the budget. • Transparency should be a golden rule between the partners • Each cooperating group should delegate a substantial number of researchers (at least three). • Both parties should meet regularly to review ongoing work and plan future activities. • Fast communication channels must be available • Scientific papers should be written jointly, with the names of the authors from both sides appearing on the published papers. • Collaborative programmes should be evaluated on a regular basis. Monitoring should emphasize project outputs rather than inputs. • Mechanisms should be established so that the collaboration can continue after the collaborative programme is terminated to ensure a long lifetime to the collaborative partnership.

15. (African University Day: 14 Nov. 2011) Thank you