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TWAS: Building STI Capacity in AfricaRomain Murenzi, Executive Director, TWAS

Africa Forum on STI, Nairobi, 1-3 April 2012

+ Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

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.”

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+ Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

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.”

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+ Let us first listen to some leaders on the continent

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.“

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+ Bill Gates

“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

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+ TWAS

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

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+ TWASHQ and Regional Offices

NairobiAfrican Academy of Sciences

BeijingChinese Academy of Sciences

Rio de JaneiroBrazilian Academy of Sciences

AlexandriaBibliotheca Alexandrina

BangaloreJ.N. Centre for Advanced

Scientific Research

Trieste ICTP

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+ TWASObjectives

Promote excellence in scientific research

Strengthen South-South and South-North collaboration

Respond to needs of young scientists

Engage in dissemination of scientific information

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+TWASProgrammes and activities

- PhD training- Human capital

mobility- Research

support- Honouring excellence

Scientific capacity and excellence in

the South

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+South-South Fellowships

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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

One of the largest South-South fellowship programmes in the world

+South-South Partnerships

12 programme partners for TWAS Fellowships in 8 developing countries

PARTNERS cover• stipend • accommodation

TWAS covers• travel and visa

costs • administrative costs

Brazil MalaysiaChina MexicoIndia (4) PakistanKenya Thailand

+ Training: Postgraduate PhD Fellowships 2007-2010

Brazil 103China 62India 51Malaysia 30Mexico 1

Pakistan 27Total 274

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124 out of 274 PhD fellowship holders are Africans

+ 13

• 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

Postgraduate PhD Fellowshipat Chinese Academy of Sciences

+ 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

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+• 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

OWSD Postgraduate PhD Fellowship at CIMAP, India

Joy Odimegwu, (Nigeria) with supervisor (left) studying tissue culture plantlets in the growth chamber

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+ 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

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+ Human Capital Mobility:Postdoctoral Fellowships 2007-2010

Brazil 34China 56India 42Kenya 1Malaysia 25Mexico 6Pakistan 13Thailand 1

Total 178

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103 out of 178 postdoc fellowships holders are Africans.

+ 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

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2010-2011: 30 visitsBenin 1

Burkina Faso 1

Cameroon 6

Ethiopia 1

Kenya 2

Malawi 1

Nigeria 11

Sudan 3

Tanzania 1

Uganda 2

Zimbabwe 1

+ 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

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+ 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)

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2007–2011: 49 out of 126 awarded to Africans Algeria 1

Benin 1Botswana 1

Cameroon 9

Côte d’Ivoire 1

Egypt 3

Eritrea 1

Ethiopia 1Kenya 1

Nigeria 22

Sudan 5

Tanzania 2

Tunisia 1

+ Human Capital Mobility:Joint Associateship Scheme Nigeria – ThailandDr. 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

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+ Support for Research22

Equipment, consumables,

literature

Individuals

Units

Basic Science

Applied (COMSTECH)

Basic Science

TWAS Grants for research projects (based on merit)

Between 1986 and 2011, TWAS awarded a total of 2,024 research grants. Of these, 566 went to African grant holders.

+ Grants to Research Units 23

45 out of 81 grants awarded to Research Units in Africa

Virima Mudogo,Department of Chemistry, University of Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of CongoMacromolecules extracted from indigenous medicinal plants with potential antimalarial or anti-sickle cell anaemia effects

+ 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

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+ 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

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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

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13 participating countries• Benin• Burkina Faso• Cameroon• Egypt• Ghana• Guinea• Lesotho• Malawi• Nigeria• Senegal• South Africa• Sudan• Zimbabwe

• 2010: 5 prizes • 2011: 12 prizes

+ 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

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+ 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?

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+ TWAS Objectives for Africa

• Scale up AU-TWAS prizes to all African countries (13 at present)

• Develop a research grant programme dedicated only to Africa (equipment and consumables)

• Increase number of associateships awarded to Africa

• Increase number of African participant centres of excellence

• Expand fellowships to 1,000 per year

Training Mobility

Recognition

Support

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+ In conclusion

STI capacity in Africa

AfDB support

TWAS infrastruct

ure, track record,

programmes

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► 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 Ngozi Okonjo-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

+ In conclusion

STI capacity in Africa

AfDB support

TWAS infrastructur

e, track record,

programmes 32

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Romain Murenzi, Executive Director, TWAS

r m u r e n z i @ t w a s . o r g

www.twas.org

TWAS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the: • Government of Italy• Swedish

International Development Cooperation Agency

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization