AUC- HRST STI Programme AMCOST V 12-15 th November 2012 Brazzaville, Congo

1. AUC- HRST STI ProgrammeAMCOST V12-15th November 2012Brazzaville, Congo African Union Commission Department of HRST Science and Technology Division

2. Introduction The African Union Commission within the overall strategic framework of the union has defined an ambitious “Science and Technology Programme for Africa” which is aimed at contributing to the wellbeing and improved quality of life for the African citizens.

3. Political guidance AU vision: An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,  driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in  global arena AU strategic plan (2009-2012) AMCOST

4. Introduction The Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) • Developed in 2005 • Collective action to develop and use S&T for socio-economic transformation of Africa • Integration into World economy • Erected on 3 pillars • Capacity building • Knowledge production • Technological Innovation • Implementation period of the CPA resulted in milestone achievements • But with Challenges • implementation of specific policies and programmes • programs relied on external financial support targeting short term activities and solutions

5. Revision of CPA • 2013 -2023 • Review dictated by the need to a) adapt to the changes of the global environment, b) the emergence of acute environmental concerns and new scientific approaches (eg green economies) and c) advances (such as new materials and nanoscience technologies).

6. AUC/HRST STI programs /Strategies • Supporting Research Initiatives through grants and direct funding • Popularization of Science & Technology • Promoting public understanding and participation in S&T • Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa • Policy level • Institutional level • thematic level

7. Supporting Research Initiatives The African Union Research Grant • Open call for proposals designed to mobilize African scientific excellence • Promotion of Intra-Africa and international cooperation in research and capacity building. • Focus on priority areas as articulated in the CPA • Post-harvest and Agriculture • Renewable and Sustainable Energy • Water and Sanitation • Competitive research grants at Pan-African level • First and Second call for Proposals valued at €14 million • Financed by EC and the ACP Group of States • Innovatively bring African researchers to form supranational networks and scientific consortia

8. I. Supporting Research Initiatives The 20 lead institutions received a grant ranging from €500,000 to €750,000 to do research in 46 locations of Africa, involving a network of 54 research institutions established between Africa, Europe and New Zealand

9. I. Supporting Research Initiatives The long term objective to create a competitive system of research grants as a pan African Union financial instrument to support scientific research and to adopt AUC procedures for grants management and mobilisation of more resources for the implementation of AU STI policy.

10. Applications to the UARG from the 2 Calls by Geographical representation

11. 18 Awards from the 2 Calls by Geographical representation of Lead applicants but all actions within Africa

12. Partnerships established between research Institutions 1st call 2nd Call

13. Location of Actions by Countries 2nd call 1st call - 22 actions - 24 actions

14. Popularization of Science & Technology African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards Programme (2009 – 2012) • To build public understanding, scientific culture and raise awareness on the role STI sector in Africa’s socio- economic transformation & its integration • To award and honor outstanding African Scientists for their scientific achievements and discoveries. • Promote scientific development in Africa through recognition of excellence among African scientists, women, men alike and younger researchers and encourage them to persevere in their research or academic careers, and nurture their ambitions; • Popularize and Promote public understanding and participation in the implementation of Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) and AU Assembly decisions on science and technology. • Raise the profile of science and technology sector in African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities and so that science contributes Africa’s sustainable development, poverty alleviation and integration efforts.

15. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AWARDS • At National level to promote participation of younger researchers. • At Regional level for women scientists with • two prizes of $20,000 each • At Continental level open to pioneer scientists • two prizes of $100,000 each Life and Earth Science: embraces all sciences related to the planet earth, covering (but not limited to) the following disciplines, geology, geophysics and geodesy. Basic, Science, Technology and Innovation: category will consist of all other sciences, technologies and innovations excluding those covered within Earth and life Sciences category

16. To date: 26 AU –TWAS National Awards for Young Scientist by Country

17. To date: 15 Women Recipients of Regional Awards: USD 20,000 2009 2010 2011

18. 6 Recipients of Continental Awards Winners for 2009 Prize Value USD 100,000 & a Gold Medal Winners for 2010 AU January Assembly Of Heads of State and Government Winners for 2011

19. Promoting public understanding and participation in S&T • African Scientific Renaissance Day • the 30th of June every year to be celebrated in each AU Member States, and RECs; • Media Communication Action: • Creation of specific media activities for S&T vulgarisation • Capacity building of scientific journalism in Africa; • Pan-African Parliament Workshop • build on and collaborate with ECA on enhancing the participation of policy makers in STI, particularly investment • Congress of African Scientists and policy makers • To collaborate with ECA within SWA framework

20. African parliamentarian workshop on S&T Objectives: to enhance the role of the parliamentarians in science, technology and innovation (STI), To popularise science and technology in the continent, strengthen and enhance active dialogue among parliament legislators, policy-makers, scientists, private sector, the media, and representatives of the civil society in order to promote application of scientific research and stimulate sustainable development.

21. African parliamentarian workshop on S&T Outcomes: African parliamentarians identified actions that they can start implementing within their constituencies and respective parliaments with the view to contributing to the STI agenda at country level for human and institutional capacity development in STI for inclusive growth.

22. African parliamentarian workshop on S&T Recommendations : Parliament should continue to create an enabling environment for STI in the continent by formulating the much needed legislations and advocating for adequate budgets in their debates, particularly the push beyond the 1% GDP allocation to STI, and attract additional funding from international collaboration, NGO's among others.

23. African parliamentarian workshop on S&T Recommendations: Promote intra-Africa and regional collaboration and cooperation in STI by for example joint funding of projects by Member States Restructuring the Science & Technology institutions like universities and research centres to allow them to form spin offs and commercializes their results

24. African parliamentarian workshop on S&T Recommendations: Countries should consider establishment of higher council of S&T chaired by the president of the country to direct the research agenda. Technology and knowledge transfer between different African countries and other developed countries is essential to leapfrog the development of the continent. This could include exchange (MSc. and PhD) programmes to ensure that we boost the critical mass of researchers.

25. GMES Africa – Thematic • Long term mgt natural Resources • Water resource mgt • Marine & coastal areas • Climate variability & change • Natural & human induced disasters • Conflict & political crises • Food security & rural dvpt • Infrastructure for territorial dvpt • Health Mgt Policy and institutional framework Infrastructure framework Capacity building

26. GMES and Africa As a practical way of developing the Action Plan, three thematic areas 1) Marine and Coastal Areas, (2) Water Management and (3) Long Term Management of Natural Resources were proposed to be addressed through the organisation of Workshops in Africa. A broader validation workshop will be convened in 2013. The thematic workshop will deepening the dialogue among the African earth observation users; and between the African and European policy makers for the identification and integration of their requirements for the provision of GMES services to Africa.

27. African Forum on STI for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth The African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), in April 2012, jointly organized a Science, Technology and Innovation Forum at the Ministerial level in Nairobi. The main objective of the forum was to focus Science, Technology and Innovation to contribute to Youth Empowerment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth.

28. African Forum on STI for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth to Strive individually and collectively towards the development, review and implementation of STI policies, law, strategies, programmes and action plans at regional and national levels for enhancing STI for youth Employment, Human capital Development and Inclusive Growth; to Strengthen Scientific Research in Africa by promoting and increasing investment in collaborative research at national, regional and intra-regional levels; and support institutional and human capacity building in Research for Development.

29. Nairobi Forum on STI for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth Committed to strengthen Higher Education and Research Institutions, including Research Infrastructure, to increase Human capital in STEM as well as knowledge production and dissemination. Currently the AU Commission, AfDB, UNECA, UNESCO and ADEA have put in place a taskforce to propose joint projects emanating from the Nairobi STI Forum Declaration for implementation. .

30. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Policy Level • Support S&T policy reviews with Member States and Regional economic Communities • Facilitate formulation and implementation of Common policy frameworks • Hold Periodic African Ministerial Conferences on Science and Technology

31. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Institutional Level Pan African intellectual Propriety Organization (PAIPO), EX.CL/315 (X) AOSTI ARIC

32. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Institutional Level African Observatory of Science, Technology, and Innovation (AOSTI) AOSTI was established by the Decision of AU Summit Assembly/AU/Dec.235 (xii) of Jan. 2009 • To measure STI activities to support evidence-based policymaking - Produce relevant Indicators for STI such as monitoring the R&D Intensity of 1% of GDP • To collect and review STI policies in member states in order to raise awareness of potential policy mixes, means of implementing policies and ways of measuring impact • Host country :The Republic of Equatorial Guinea • Initial funding: US$3.6M

33. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Institutional Level African Research and Innovation Council, Decision: Ex/CL/Dec216 (VII), Sirte Libya 2005 Aimed to build and sustain a continental research policy nexus that promotes the production of high level scientific research to address Africa development Funds from SIDA Feasibility study developed Maiden document proposed for AMCOST meeting in Congo Brazzaville

34. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Institutional Level Pan African University Initiative, Implemented under AUC/HRST Education Division Aimed • To develop human capital and critical mass of scientists through training high-level professionals needed to drive the development of Africa; • To conduct scientific research in key priority areas of ( (i) Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (ii) Life and Earth Sciences (including health and agriculture) (iii) Water, Energy Sciences (including climate change (iv) Space Sciences (v) Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences. To date the following have been established: • Four thematic regional hubs of excellence across the geopolitical zones of Africa – Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Algeria • Scholarships offered for M.sc and PhD program : Effective start date is November 2012

35. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Thematic Level Support to Member States in implementing the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the African Model Law on Biosafety for: • Establishment and Strengthening of Institutional frame work • Awareness Raising and Biosafety Information Exchange • Capacity Building and Preparedness for International Negotiations • Policy and Legal Frameworks • International Cooperation • Sustainable Mechanism

36. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Thematic Level Support to MS implementing the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the African Model Law on Biosafety for: • Developed African common positions in international negotiations on biosafety, • Built capacity > 90 African experts on biosafety risk assessment and management techniques, • Developed Issue Papers on biosafety, African Strategy on Biosafety and revised African Model Law to support implementation of Biosafety, • Reached agreement with RECs to mainstream biosafety in their priority actions and ongoing process to establish a continental coordination mechanism, • Ongoing is Harmonization of GMO detection analysis and development of guidelines on access and benefit sharing of genetic resources

37. Science and Technology Capacity Building in Africa - Thematic Level • Securing and Using Africa’s Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge- AUC/STRC • To link between the formal R&D institutions with local communities that hold and use the knowledge to better understand and use its own indigenous / traditional knowledge tools techniques • Development of AU space science programme • Climate change • Water and desertification • Commercialization of R&D results (linking research to industry) • Promoting African SMEs and business (incubators networks, technology parks) • Technology and knowledge transfer

38. International Cooperation The Africa - EU Joint Strategy of 2007 that has Partnership No. 8 dedicated to Science Information Society and Space; India-Africa cooperation that successfully organized a Ministerial Conference in New Delhi in March 2012; Africa-Japan Cooperation that has instituted a Ministerial platform (JASTMM) for dialoguing and outlining action plan for the support of African growth and development.

39. The 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space Adopted by the Heads of State and Government of Europe and Africa since Lisbon 2007, as solid framework for long-term, systematic and well integrated cooperation Eight thematic partnerships addressing issues of peace and security, governance, trade, energy, migration, climate change and, within the 8th Partnership (P8), science, information society and space.

40. The 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space The AU and EU Commissions agreed in 2008 on "The Book of Lighthouse Projects", with a set of 19 projects for cooperation in the fields of Science (12 projects), Information Society (6 projects) and Space (2 projects). Six of these projects were selected as early deliverables, two in the field of Science: African Union Research Grants (with a financing envelop of €14.7 million to launch two calls of research), and Water and Food Security in Africa and two in space science: The African Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES-Africa) and African Reference Frame.

41. The 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space An Africa-EU high-level policy dialogue between Member States Officials and the Commissions has been initiated. The first senior officials (SOM) high-level policy dialogue between EU and AU member states and of both commissions took place on 10-11 Oct 2011 in Addis Ababa.

42. The 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space Preparations are underway for the implementation of the first SOM recommendations which include the mapping of existing initiatives in S&T and identification of gaps; and identification of effective financial mechanisms to support these joint initiatives.

43. India- Africa Partnership Declaration on S&T New Delhi, 1-2 March 2012. Indian and African Ministries and relevant institutions forged an enhanced long term developmental and strategic partnership that will intensify efforts in addressing issues of mutual and common interests in science and technology, focusing on issues of regional and continental dimensions.

44. India- Africa Partnership Declaration on S&T The conference made key recommendations to boost cooperation in Capacity Building in Science and Technology, Knowledge Transfer and Adoption and collaboration in priority research.Currently, the Commission and India are intensifying efforts towards the implementation of the New Delhi India-Africa Science and Technology Ministerial Declaration.

45. Major Challenges Funding to implement most of the activities Ownership Sustainability of some of the existing programs.

46. Thank you