A Report on the 1st African Congress for Scientific Research

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1st African Congress for Scientific Research, Technology and Drug industry
National Research Council of Egypt
Mena House Oberoi Hotel, Giza, Cairo Egypt
Conference Report
The 1st African Congress for Scientific Research, Technology and Drug Industry, organized by
African Society of Scientific Research & Technology (ASSRT), African Union Commission (AUC)
in collaboration with Foundation of Democracy in Africa (FDA), National Research Center of
Egypt and Egyptian Society of Health Awareness, took place from December 13-15, 2004 in Cairo,
Egypt at the National Research Center of Egypt and the Mena House Oberoi hotel. Participants
from government and civil society organizations from Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Cameroon,
Togo, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Congo
Brazzaville, Sudan, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Bahamas, Jamaica and the United
States of America attended the congress, including H.E. Gerard Kamanda Wa Kamanda, Minister of
Science & Technology of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Honorable John Otim, Senior
Presidential advisor, the Republic of Uganda; H.E. Abdel Kadar Hagag, Ambassador of Algeria to
Egypt and; H.E. Yahaya M Madi, Ambassador of Malawi to the Arab Republic of Egypt among
others.
DAY ONE
Opening Session
The moderator of the opening session - Dr. Amany Asfour, the Secretary General of the African
Society of Scientific Research and Technology (ASSRT) – began the conference by welcoming the
participants to the 1st African Congress for
Scientific Research, Technology and Drug
Industry, and mentioned that this initiative of
ASSRT came as a result of the
Brainstorming session organized by A.U.
Commission in Addis Ababa in which H.E.
Alpha Konare, Chairperson of A.U.
Commission stressed on the need to join
efforts of all African countries as one voice
in all aspects to achieve the development of
our beloved African continent. Dr. Asfour
mentioned that Science & Technology is on
top of the Agenda of Africa stressing on the
main priority areas of Health Care & Drug
industry specially on HIV/AIDS, Malaria &
Seated left to right: Dr. Amany Asfour, Secretary General
of the African Society of Scientific Research and
T.B, Agriculture & food Technology,
Technology, Prof. Hanny El Nazer, Honorary President of
Energy, Water, Biotechnology.
the Congress and the President of the National Research
Center of Egypt, Prof. Amr Salama, Minister of High
Education and Scientific Research of Egypt
She emphasized also the need for all the
Scientists of Africa to unite and coordinate
with all the Scientific Research Centers in Africa and achieve inter-African integration She then
introduced the President of ASSRT Prof. Khaled Dabees, who gave welcome remarks. Prof.
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Dabees welcomed the delegates to Egypt and pledged ASSRT’s commitment to working to advance
Scientific Research & Technology in Africa to improve the standard of living for the people of
Africa and mentioned the objectives of ASSRT focusing on creation of enabling environment for
Investment in Scientific Research and overcoming the obstacles regarding legal and economic
systems of the African countries mentioning the importance of partnership among the Governments,
Civil Society organizations and private sector for the development of Scientific Research in Africa.
Prof. Dabees thanked the African Union Commission for its collaboration in this important
scientific event. He also thanked the Foundation for Democracy in Africa representing the Diaspora
and the National Research Center of Egypt for hosting this event.
Prof. Hanny El Nazer, Honorary President of the Congress and the President of the National
Research Center of Egypt (NRC), also
welcomed all the participants in his
remarks and expressed his gratitude to
H.E. Prof. Awad Tag El Din, Minister
of Health and Population representing
H.E. Ahmad Nazif, the Prime Minister
of Egypt, and dignitaries. Prof. El Nazer
gave an overview of NRC activities
carried out in Egypt, Africa and
globally. He welcomed all the African
delegates and welcomed the cooperation between the NRC and all the
other Scientific Research Centers and
Institutes in Africa and suggested the
establishment of a network of Science &
Technology Centers and institutes all over the African Continent. He also urged all the African
Scientists to get together to address the problems of Africa and co-ordinate research work and have
collaboration with NRC which possesses impressive Scientific & Technological infrastructures and
manpower resources exceeding 2600 research staff member. He explained that NRC consists of 13
divisions and 81 departments covering the major areas of the health industry, environment,
agriculture, basic sciences, engineering and human genetics.
NRC is marked by a basic orientation of its activities to customer-oriented research in order to
address the national needs more effectively through Scientific & Technical Research. NRC has a
training center that organizes training courses in different Scientific & Technological areas. In
addition NRC has 41 different special units that provide services to in – house research projects and
external clients. He lastly mentioned that NRC is a major multidisciplinary Research &
Development institution in Egypt, established in 1956 to fulfill a main objective that is to
correspond to the country's key production and services sectors through the research conducted in
different areas of Science & Technology and training as well and welcomed exchange programs
among all the African Centers of Scientific Research.
In his keynote remarks, the Honorable Tag El Din underscored the importance of Scientific
Research to the improvement of the standard of living of the people of Egypt and of Africa, and the
impact that the increase in the use of Science & Technology in Africa will have on reducing the
devastation from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria and in the efforts to reclaim desert
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areas for agriculture and resettlement - a major problem faced by Egypt and some other African
countries. Prof. Tag El Din emphasized the need for Africa to manufacture its own drugs and make
use of its resources instead of importing its medicines which will be much more expensive than
having it manufactured in Africa and achieve inter-African integration. The minister urged the
conference to come up with succinct recommendations and action plan to ensure a change from the
status quo.
Prof. Amr Salama, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, began his remarks
by welcoming the dignitaries and participants to the congress. He shared Egyptian government
policy on advancing Scientific Research and the creation of Technology to address the challenges
faced by the government and private sector in Egypt. He mentioned the work of the National
Research Center of Egypt, the continuing challenges in ensuring adequate funding, and the need for
public private cooperation and the engagement of the Diaspora in the Scientific Research work in
Africa that is mutually beneficial.
H.E. (Dr.) Prof. Nagia Essayed, Commissioner for Human
Resources, Science & Technology of the African Union
Commission, welcomed the dignitaries on behalf of H.E.
Alpha Konare, the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission, and she expressed AU’s gratitude to the
government and people of Egypt, to the African Society of
Scientific Research and Technology, and National Research
Center of Egypt and the Foundation for Democracy in Africa
for hosting the conference. Dr. Essayed shared the core
functions of her office, which include the coordination of
policies relating to Human Resources Development, Science
& Technology in African Union Member States, the
promotion of Science & Technology, the strengthening of
cooperation in the field of education and training among
others. She also expressed the African Union’s interest to
promote the integration of ICT’s into Research &
Development and to encourage the interest of youth in
Science & Technology.
In his welcome remarks, Fred Oladeinde, President of the
Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA), representing
the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network
(WHADN), thanked H.E. President Hosni Mubarak of
Egypt, and the people of Egypt for hosting the
conference. He pledged the commitment of the over 200 members of the WHADN to the social,
political, and economic development of Africa, and he urged the governments of African nations to
invest in Scientific Research that provides the knowledge assets necessary to address the needs of
their citizens in all areas, stressing that the only way Africa can become developed is to invest in
Research, Scientific Research that will provide the knowledge assets that is critical to adding value
to products and services that are needed by the citizens of Africa, thereby decreasing the crippling
unemployment rates for the growing population of unemployed youth in the continent. As this is
one of the important roles of the government in a democracy, he urged the government and the
private sector to use the talent and discipline of Africans living in the Diaspora to assist in
H.E.
Dr.
Prof.
Nagia
Essayed,
Commissioner for Human resources,
Science & Technology, African Union,
speaking at the opening ceremony of the
conference.
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advancing development in Africa and reversing the phenomenon known as the
African countries.
“brain drain” on
Following Mr. Oladeinde’s remarks, Prof. El Nazer declared the opening ceremony closed.
The First Plenary Discussion
Chairman: Prof. Osama El Shabrawi, Vice President National Research Center of Egypt.
Moderator: Dr. Gershwin Blyden, Director of the Institute for Democracy in Africa.
1. Scientific Research, The Bridge from obstacles to the Future, Prof. Khaled Dabees, President,
African Society of Scientific Research & Technology ASSRT-Egypt.
2. Vision and Mission of African Union Commission for Human Resources, Science and
Technology,
H.E. Nagia Essayed, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, AU
Commission
3. Science and Technology Development Link: Historical Overview and Challenges for African
Countries, Dr Hippolyte Fofack, The World Bank.
4. Towards a Scientific & Research Agenda for Africa, Prof. Wole Soboyejo, President, African
Scientific Committee, Princeton University
Dr. Gershwin Blyden, Director - Institute for Democracy in Africa, the moderator of the session,
called on Prof. Khaled Dabees, President of ASSRT to make his presentation. In his lecture, Prof.
Khaled Dabees challenged the claim that the factors that have been blamed in the past for lack of
progress in Scientific Research, in Africa such as, over population, conflicts, early independence,
deficient funding, and poverty are true barriers for Scientific Research & Development. He
explained that other nations, such as China, South Korea, India, Japan, Germany, despite having
experienced these obstacles have been able to attain significant achievements in Science &
Technology. He identified the problems in the African legal and economic systems that obstruct
development starting from the level of the scientist up to the governmental level; he called for a
huge and badly needed reform of the African legal and economic systems. He emphasized the need
to create an enabling environment for the development of Scientific Research; this he said can be
achieved through legislation and policy reform that will encourage investment in the Science &
Technology sector of the economy, and the need for public private partnerships.
Prof. Couaovi Johnson, Director of the Human Resource, Science & Technology of the African
Union Commission gave the presentation on the Vision & Mission of the African Union
Commission on Science & technology. According to Professor Johnson the program’s thrust of the
African Union Commission on Science & Technology will be the promotion, coordination and the
strengthening of Science & Technology programs for accelerated development of Africa. It will
emphasize the development of human resources for the creation of a Science & Technology based
infrastructure. Adequate attention will be given to the emerging new Sciences & Technologies as
well as Intellectual Property Rights and indigenous knowledge promotion. The trust will include
establishing appropriate systems for human resource development and skills acquisition in the areas
of education, vocational training, literacy and culture. Professor Johnson said that the overall
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objective of the African Union Science and Technology initiative is the establishment of priority
and specific programme that can be implemented in an effective manner in order to achieve regional
integration and economic development. To achieve this objective it is essential to: (1) Establish
relevant institutional linkages and essential mechanisms for cooperation and coordination in the
areas of education, training, Science & Technology; (2) Evolve appropriate systems for human
resource development and skills acquisition; (3) Harmonize operational procedures and mechanisms
for information management and exchange; (4) Promote the involvement of youth in the
development process on the continent. He gave the core functions of the AU Commission on
Science & Technology, and the efforts the African Union Commission has made to date in
achieving its objectives, including the creation of Data Bank for Science & Technology Institutions
on the continent, and data bank for scientists and engineers in Africa and the Diaspora, the
Commission work in establishing a Network for Centers of Excellence in Africa, and its support for
the creation of new centers of excellence such as the African Institute for Science & Technology , a
Diaspora project, under the African Union Diaspora Initiative.
Dr Gershwin Blyden made a presentation on The Role of the Diaspora in the Science & Technology
agenda for Africa. He gave the historical background that lead to the change of the African Union
Constitutive Act to include article 3q, which recognizes the Diaspora as an important constituent
that must be consulted on development issues of the continent, this he said was as a result of the 1st
African Union Diaspora Forum held in Washington DC in December 2002 by the African Union
that led to the creation of the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network (WHADN). Dr
Blyden underscored the importance of popularizing the need to develop Science & Technology
infrastructure in Africa and among Africans in the Diaspora. He further emphasized that the
accomplishments of scientists in the Diaspora should be used to assist in the development of
scientific infrastructure of Africa through networks, exchange programs, collaborative research and
continuous education. Finally he emphasized the critical need to concentrate on science education at
the elementary level.
Before providing his remarks, Dr. Wole Soboyejo thanked the organizers for inviting him to speak
at the conference. Science and technology, he said needs to be used in Africa to add value to
primary
products,
to
generate
economic activities that will create
employment and a tax base. He
argued for the financial support by
government to the private sector to
provide the required venture capital to
convert scientific knowledge into
products for the market place to
satisfy
citizen’s
needs
and
expectations.
He
provided
an
overview of the African Scientific
Committee, and particularly the dual
representation per field, with Africanbased scientists and representative
from the Diaspora working together to
contribute to knowledge acquisition
Participates listen intently to speakers at the opening ceremony.
and promotion of excellence in science
and engineering in Africa. He also highlighted the research agenda of the African Scientific
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Committee and a number of activities being undertaken by African scientists to support the
establishment of the African Institute of Science and Technology. He shared preliminary data on
some research work he is doing with other African scientists to treat cancer using biological and
engineering techniques to develop potentially targeted approaches to the treatment of cancer.
Dr. Hipolyte Fofack of the World Bank Institute provided a historical overview of how other
nations have advanced development through concerted efforts by governments to create enabling
environments that encourage the study of science at a very young age in school while also using
centers of excellence to ensure that top notch scientist and engineers graduate and are prepared to
serve the needs of both government and industry. Dr. Fofack’s presentation highlighted the growing
scientific and knowledge gap between Africa and the rest of the world, and discussed economic and
welfare implications for Africa’s poor endowment in science and technology. In particular he
stressed the constraints in domestic resources mobilization as a result of the narrow fiscal base, the
chronic shortage of foreign reserves and the risks of debt-poverty trap facing most highly indebted
poor countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. He highlighted a number of actions to promote scientific
research and improve economic development, including the establishment of centers of excellence
with interdisciplinary training and rooted in a strong public-private and industry-academia
partnerships.
The session generated a lot of questions from the participants, particularly on Prof. Soboyejo
presentation on the treatment of cancer; one of the participants was concerned about infringement of
property rights.
Second Plenary Session
Moderator: Dr. Amany Asfour, Secretary General, ASSRT.
1. Research & Technology: in Africa: Facing the Challenges of Health Problems in Africa
Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah M. Badawi
Dr. Eng. Said EL Meniawy
Ministry of Military Production Egypt
2. Drug Industry and Traditional Medicine
Prof. Mohamed Galal Ahmed, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Research Institute
The National Center for Research
Ministry of Science & Technology, Sudan
3. Biotechnology Industry: Les Biotechnologies au Congo
Joseph Mabanza
Delegation General de la Recherché Scientifique et Technologique (DGRST), Brazzaville
Congo
Casimir Makambila, Universite Marien, Brazzaville Congo
4. An Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Desert Development: The Case of Egypt
Prof. Dr. Adli Bishay
Chairman, Board of Directors
Friends of Environment and Development Association
Board member NESDA FACS (AFRICA)
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5. Material Sciences & Engineering
Prof. Wole Soboyejo
President, African Scientific Committee, Princeton University
The chair of this session was Dr. Amany Asfour, Secretary General of ASSRT. She introduced the
speakers and their topics which handled the main priority areas of Africa regarding Health Care &
Drug industry, and African traditional medicines with special interests on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and
TB, Biotechnology as well as water and desert development among other topics related to assisting
the African Union in advancing Science & Technology in its member states’ and better facilitating
the necessary policy harmonization.
The first presenter was Dr. Badawi from Egypt. He emphasized the role of nutrition in reducing the
infection of HIV/AIDS. He spoke about the deficiency of important vitamins, especially A & E and
Selenium in food as a predisposing factor for infection with HIV/AIDS. He recommended that there
should be a multicentered African study about the value of Vitamin A, E & Selenium to decrease
the infection of HIV/AIDS.
The next presenter was Prof. Ahmed Galal from Sudan He discussed the scope of traditional
medicine research activity in the Sudan, the largest country in Africa. He outlined approaches to
traditional medicines research, the obstacles encountered and the benefits of this discipline. He
predicted in the future an increasing reliance on herbal medicines and its products using newer
methods of production and synthesis using biotechnology. An increased demand for herbal
medicine products is already being witnessed in Africa. He encouraged further investment in the
study of this discipline.
The next presenter was to be Joseph Mabanza - on behalf of him spoke Dr. Gaston Adonka about
efforts to develop biotechnology research infrastructure in the Congo Brazaville.
Prof. Bishay spoke about developing ways to utilize the desert to accommodate the increasing
population, particularly in Egypt where 95% of the country is in the desert. He also talked about the
importance of carefully managing the African environment and ecosystems when pursuing
development programs and projects.
Prof. Soboyejo introduced to the body a team of African scientists who were able to outline their
contributions to the science project spearheaded by Prof. Soboyejo. This demonstrated the
collective approach to solving scientific problems, which would be necessary in the future.
The Session was closed at 16:30 to allow a delegation from the Congress to meet with the First
Lady of Egypt, H.E. Mrs. Susan Mubarak at the Presidential Palace to brief her about the Congress
and to thank her for her continued leadership in advancing the contribution of women. The
delegation leader Dr. Amany Asfour, secretary general ASSRT, gave H.E. Mubarak an update on
the conference. H.E. Mubarak welcomed the delegation, to the Palace and talked about her work on
peace and conflict resolution. Women are often the victims of conflict in all of its phases and their
voices are not allowed to be heard despite the devastation that the conflicts cause them. Mrs.
Mubarak urged the delegates to work for peace and conflict resolution to minimize the sufferings
that conflicts cause women and girls. A cordial discussion between the First Lady and members of
the delegation ensued. The delegation was honored to be her guests.
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DAY TWO
First Plenary Session
The second day of the conference continued at the historic Mena House Oberoi hotel in Giza, across
from the three Pyramids of Giza. Dr Otim, Special Adviser to the President of Uganda, chaired the
second day’s first session:
Role of Civil Society Organization and Private Sector in the Development of Scientific Research &
Technology and Upgrading of Health Care and Drug Industry in Africa
Moderator: Dr Otim
1 “Initiatives Undertaken by Industry and Private Sector Operators”
Dr. Madara Ogot, Penn State University
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“The Nelson Mandela Institution for Knowledge Building and the Advancement of Science &
Technology in Africa.”
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack, the World Bank Institute
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“Public Participation for Executives and Decision Makers-What, why, and How to involve
others in your Decisions.”
Ms. Leanne Smith Nurse, Environmental Protection Agency
Madara Ogot gave the first presentation on the use of mechanical devices that attract and kill
mosquitoes with specific attention given to the malaria problem in Africa. Each year over five
million people die in Africa from malaria, and if these devices can be produced at lower prices and
made available to people in Africa this would reduce the number of malaria-related deaths. This is
an area that African scientists and engineers can have an influence on the fate of the African people.
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack then gave a presentation on the Nelson Mandela Endowment for Knowledge
Building and the Advancement of Science & Technology - a civil society organization working on
programs to promote the establishment of new centers of excellence in Sub-Sahara Africa. Dr.
Fofack gave in-depth information on the Africa Institute for Science & Technology, and the
importance of creating a conducive environment that will allow a new generation of scientists and
engineers to be trained in Africa and to deal with specific African challenges.
Ms. Lean Smith Nurse’s presentation provided participants with an overview of how to engage
partners and stakeholders in group decision-making processes. This presentation represented a
good example of a best practices model that can be used by participants in improving performance
in future activities and projects.
Second Plenary Session
Roundtable Discussions: Investment Environment for Scientific Research & Technology in Africa
Chair: Prof. Fayka El Rifaie, Head of NEPAD Committee, Egyptian Parliament, former Vice
President of Central Bank of Egypt.
Moderator: Fred Oladeinde
Members of the Panel:
1. Professor Khaled Dabees, President ASSRT
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2. Professor Nagia Essayed, Commissioner - Human Resource Science & Technology, African
Union
3. Professor Nehad El Shazly, Head of Investment Committee, National Research Center of Egypt
4. Dr. George Basily, Chairman of ACAPI Pharmaceutical Company, Alpha Chem Advanced
Pharmaceutical Industries (Egypt)
5. Dr. Fofack, Senior Economist, World Bank Institute
Prof. Fayka El Rifaie spoke about the Egyptian experience, lack of adequate funding from
governments and private sector for research institutions. She explained that ‘we need to find
creative ways that laws and policies can be changed to direct funding and investment so that
research centers in Africa can be more productive’. She called on Prof. Dabees President ASSRT to
give an outlook at the current status of investment Environment for Scientific Research &
Technology.
Prof. Dabees illustrated in his talk how there should be reform to the economic environment to
encourage investment in the Science & Technology. He spoke about the need of legal reforms
particularly for the establishment of clinical Research organizations to be exempted from Taxation.
He also mentioned that scientists, should be encouraged to be in partnerships or owners of Scientific
Research Companies to be able to use their researches to be applied to the needs for the African
continent, as this would allow them to create both wealth & new products.
Prof. Dabees also mentioned how Scientists are underpaid all over Africa and that their minimal
resources cannot allow them to patent their inventions & Scientific Research. He explained that the
economy as a whole with interest rate for funding from Banks over 10% does not allow a favorable
environment for investment in Scientific Research which is high risk and that to promote this
interest rates should be less than 5%. He also cited the example of the potentially favorable
investment opportunity of doing clinical drug studies in Africa at 10% the cost of doing such studies
in America.
Prof. Fayka EL Rifaie then called on Prof. Essayed who said that the support of civil society
organizations is required particularly in areas of advocacy with government of AU member states so
that the citizens can better understand the work of the commission. She believes that will provide
the necessary appreciation by member states to increase financial support for the African Union
regarding Science & Technology.
Dr. Basily spoke about how the private sector needs to be more involved with governments to
explain the obstacles it faces. He mentioned that he is working in collaboration with Egyptian
scientists as consultants, and that they were also addressing the National Research Center of Egypt
as a partner. Dr. Basily also agreed with Prof. Dabees about the urging need for new economic
legislation regarding investment in Scientific Research & Technology and praised the idea of tax
exemption regarding such companies.
Prof. El Shazly spoke about the example of NRC and its establishment of the Investors office that is
directly related to the private sector and helps to solve the Scientific Problems of the private sector
industries in all fields. The Investors office mission is to submit and provide research, development,
testing and consultations for the industrial, agricultural, public sectors etc. Its mission is to create
communications between the NRC Scientists and the business sectors; either private sector, NGOs
(Non governmental organizations) and governmental organizations. It aims at supporting and
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facilitating means of contact with different external sectors; private, public and governmental. Prof.
El Shazly explained that NRC has an ambitious plan for capacity building, production and
Technology Development.
Prof. Fayka El Rifaie called on Dr. Fofack to talk to the audience about work the World Bank and
other multilateral organizations are doing to assist developing countries, especially in Africa to
address this problem. Dr. Fofack reiterated the need for the government to support the required
reforms to enable the flow of capital to facilitate Research & Development. He spoke about
macroeconomic policy that will address the problems of high interest rates.
Mr. Oladeinde said that civil society organizations could work to help achieve the required legal
reforms through advocacy. There is also a direct correlation with the level of political freedom in
inducing investment from the private sector to support Science & Research. The product of Science
Research & Technology is intellectual and can be communicated. Countries need to have very
sound laws that will protect intellectual property rights if they want the private sector to invest in
this arena.
In her concluding remarks, the chair Prof. El Rifaie recommended that African governments should
work to establish a fund to support interest rates in lending to Scientific Research Institutions and to
the private sector. She also noted that the African government should allow private sector (business,
banks, and insurance companies) to participate in the ownership of public sector companies that
engage in Science & Research.
Third Plenary Session
Round Table Discussion: Draft Policy and Strategy Framework for Scientific Research and
Technology in Africa.
Chairman: Dr. Khaled Dabees, President ASSRT
African Society of Scientific Research & Technology
Moderator: Mr. Anthony Okonmah, Executive Director, FDA.
Foundation of Democracy in Africa
Members:
Prof. Fayka El Refaie, Head of NEPAD Committee, Egyptian Parliament.
Prof. Covaiya Johnson, Human Resources, Science & Technology, African Union Commission
Dr. Khaled Dabees opened the session by identifying problems in the University system where
professors are not allowed to engage in private enterprise. He suggested that professors should have
the opportunity to work outside the university so that they can use their innovative potential in
generating extra income. He also noted that professors are not adequately compensated in most
African countries. Questions about ethics and conflicts of interest were raised regarding this
proposal, which led to the recommendation being made for partnerships between the Governments
& Scientists owning private sector to have the same patencies and financial rewards that mobilizes
resources to the Government Scientific Research Centers and institutes and Universities.
Mr. Okonmah also expressed his belief that universities should provide the environment to train
young people to do basic research.
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Prof. Johnson spoke about the work that the African Union is doing with creating a databank for
centers of excellence, databank for scientists in Africa and the Diaspora. The AU is also working on
creating the network of centers of excellence. However, they need assistance in mapping existing
centers of excellence and research institutions and universities in Africa. He welcomed the idea of
the establishment of the African council of Science & Technology with representation in the five
sub-regions of Africa.
Dr. Fayka El-Rifaie spoke about Intellectual Property Rights, and how best practices should also be
used by scientists to allow them to work outside of the government.
Lunch Break
At lunch, member participants were asked to sit according to main priority areas including health
care & drug industry, water, agriculture & food technology, energy, biotechnology, information
technology, and telecommunication. They were also asked to prepare recommendations while in
this setting.
After lunch congress reconvened and had the plenary session regarding the main priority areas.
Fourth Plenary Session
Plenary Session on Main Priority Areas:
-Reports from Working Groups
-Health Care & Drug Industry
-Water Agriculture & Food Technology
-Energy
-Biotechnology
-Information Technology & Telecommunication
The recommendations were presented by each group and discussed and then general
recommendations were suggested from the floor. The following recommendations were noted:
Science & Research Infrastructure
• Support high quality research by improving human resource capacity and the development
of Science & Technology infrastructure in Africa.
• African Civil Society organization including the Diaspora, civil society and the private
sector should provide the technical assistance and resources to the African Union
Commissions to assist in achieving the goal of providing the necessary environment and
conditions to improve Science, Technology and Research capability in Africa.
• Civil society organizations, private sector in Africa and the Africa Diaspora should work
with the African Union in its efforts to harmonize all aspects (i.e. regulations, curriculum,
standard and procedures and research activities) of Science & Technology across its member
states.
• Government and the private sector should provide financing for Research & Infrastructure
development. Research efforts should be coordinated to ensure efficiency and maximum
impact of resource allocation.
• Support the establishment of the African Institute of Science and Technology to promote
excellence in science and engineering and interdisciplinary research, with a view to reducing
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the growing scientific and knowledge gap between Africa and the rest of the world and
enhancing Africa’s development.
Biotechnology
• Emphasis should be placed on establishing infrastructure for biotechnology. Complimentary
strategies using this discipline to advance Africa’s agriculture, food security, health and drug
industries, should be encouraged.
Water and Energy
• Addressing the management of water and water security in all African countries must be
taken serious and needs to involve the utilization of expertise where available.
• African Union Commission should work towards putting in place joint projects for shared
use of water resources and energy in Africa.
Popularization and Integration
• Civil Society Organizations and private sectors will work with African Union Commission
to educate its member states and their citizens on the importance of using Science &
Technology to solve problems. There is a need to popularize and integrate Science, Research
& Technology concepts in all member states.
Critical Technologies for Value Added Creation
• Goal directed Research & Technology development for value added creation should be
promoted.
• Government should provide support to the private sector for the generation of venture
capital to support the conversion of knowledge asset into end products, with enhanced value
for the market place.
• Government should allow private sector (business, banks, and insurance companies) to
participate in the ownership of public sector Company of companies that engage in Science
Research & Technology.
• Government should work to establish a fund to support interest rate on lending to Scientific
Research institutions and private sectors.
Responsible Management
• Africa should strive to be self sufficient in the production of essential drugs,
pharmaceuticals and raw materials. African Union and the civil society organizations will
work with the member states at the country levels and sub-regional levels to create
inducement programs that will encourage companies to invest in the production of essential
drugs, pharmaceuticals, and raw materials.
Intellectual Property Rights
• The African Union Commission should work towards the harmonization of OAPI and
ARIPO for the registration and patenting of drugs in the continent, taking into account the
on-going initiatives in the various regional, economic communities to that effect.
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Training Courses & Exchange Programs
• Organization of training courses in different Scientific & Technological areas and make use
of already existing Training Centers as in National Research Center of Egypt.
• Setting of Exchange Programs and joint Scientific Activities and collaboration among
Scientific Research Centers & Institutes in Africa.
Centers of Excellence.
• Support the existing centers of excellence and provide for the establishment of new centers
of excellence of Scientific Research & Development.
• Enhance the environment that will foster research creativity and innovation among these
centers of excellence with the aid of the input from the scientific council.
• Encourage collaborative research activity among different disciplines, around themes of
common interests among different Scientific Research Centers & Institutes & Universities in
the African Continent.
• An integrated network of centers of excellence in Africa and in the Diaspora should be
established. The strengthening of South-South Cooperation in the area of science &
technology for development, taking into consideration the continued ties between Africans
in the Diaspora and the continent.
• Civil Society Organizations should work with the African Union Commission to promote
exchange programs among member state scientists in Africa, Africa Diaspora, and their
counterparts in other parts of the world.
Diaspora Initiatives.
• Establish clear linkages enabling the participation of the African Diaspora and scientific
institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities in building the capacity of
Africa’s Science & Technology Infrastructure through the use of African Union Diaspora
initiatives such as WHADN.
• Enhancing collaboration across countries and regions, where North Africa’s experience and
advances in science and drugs industries could be brought to bear in support of Sub-Saharan
Africa’s development.
Secretariat
• African Society for Scientific Research & technology (ASSRT) and the Foundation for
Democracy in Africa (FDA) should establish a secretariat to be located in Cairo, Egypt, for
the purpose of establishing and coordinating the activities of the African Congress for
Scientific Research Technology and Drug Industry Network. The secretariat will coordinate
the databank for scientific research institutions in Africa and the databank of African
scientific experts in Africa and in the Diaspora with the African Union Commission. It was
recommended that this secretariat be established in Cairo, Egypt with focal points in each
member states of African Union.
• Establishment of an African council for Scientific Research & Technology through the
African Union Commission as a machinery for the promotion and development of Science
& Technology in the African Continent including member States and African Diaspora
Community. This machinery will be responsible for development & follow up of Scientific
Research & Technology, Patent registration across Africa, and Drug registration.
• The African Union should further support the establishment of new centers of excellence of
Scientific Research & Development such as the African Institute of Science & Technology,
while providing support for improving the infrastructure at existing research centers. Efforts
14
will be made to enhance the environment that will foster research creativity and innovation
among these centers with the input from the scientific council.
Ethics
• The African Union Commission should place strong emphasis on the incorporation of high
ethical standards accountability and social responsibility into the policy of its member states.
• Standards must be ni place for the protection of human subjects and consumers as well as
laboratory animals.
Closing Session
The closing ceremony included Prof. Essayed, Commissioner for Human Resource Science &
Technology of African Union who thanked the government and the people of Egypt, ASSRT, FDA,
and the National Research Center of Egypt. She pledged that she would ensure that the
recommendations from the conference would be circulated among all member states and expressed
her anticipation of the next African Congress meeting.
The President of ASSRT, Prof. Dabees also thanked all of the honorable ministers, the
representatives of governments and civil societies, and everybody for helping to make the
conference a success. He stated that he would work on putting the network and the secretariat in
place, and would share the details of the next conference with everyone. He then declared the First
African Congress for Scientific Research and Technology adjourned.
DAY THREE AND FOUR
Site Visits
The third day of the conference featured a site visit to EVA Pharmaceutical Company of Egypt
(EVA Pharma) – a privately owned Egyptian conglomerate of companies specializing in
pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics,
agriculture,
engineering, chemicals and the distribution of
medical appliances. EVA Pharma has been
ranked 27 out of 720 pharmaceutical
companies in Egypt and has 83 products and
157 new products in the pipeline. During the
visit the delegates were shown the facility and
given information on their operations.
Participants also visited the Pharaonic Village,
a tourist attraction that illustrates the life and
times of the age in which Pharaohs ruled
Egypt. This trip was both entertaining and
relevant to the program as many of the exhibits
showed how the ancient Egyptians were aware
of
Engineering
Technologies,
Chemistry,
Physics, Medicine & that many scientists
grapple with in modern times. This was shown in the mummification process, building of the
Pyramids, the invention of the paper from papyrus plants.
Conference participants during their site visit to
Alpha-Chem Advanced Pharmaceutical Industries
15
On the fourth day of the conference participants visited a company approximately 2 hours outside of
Cairo called Alpha-Chem Advanced Pharmaceutical Industries (ACAPI) - an Egyptian company
that patents internationally in the pharmaceutical sector. Participants were given a tour of their
facilities and information on their products and production methods. ACAPI has patents in
Biotechnology and has acquired PCI (Pharmaceutical Convention Inspection). The delegates also
were very touched by the percentage of employees of special needs who are blind and were given
opportunities to work creating jobs for them and using the Braille system for the blind in packaging
the medicines. This reflected the social corporate responsibility the ACAPI pharmaceutical
company has set as an example for job creation to disabled persons and social development in the
community.
PARTICIPANTS LIST:
Dr. Mohamed Higazy
Dr. Magdy Al Morsy
Dr. Ali Mohamed Elshafei
Mona Hafez Hetta
Prof. Sanaa Aboul Makarem
Mohamed Ramadan Rady
Dr. Mohamad Mohie El Din
Dr. Hosam El-Sayed
Zahra Saleh Ahmad
Prof. Dr. Salma M. Naga
Prof. Dr. Esmat Abdel Ghaffar
Prof. Dr. Karima Haggag
Mohsen Mokhtar El Sayed
Prof. Dr. Said Shalaby
Nihad Ahmed Ibrahim
Ahmad Mohamad El Derwy
Dr. Emad Abdel Malak
Prof. Dr. Lobna Sherif
Samir Zane EL-Abdeen Aly
Dr. Ahmad Sayed Morsy
Namat Ahmed Zakaria
Malak Mahmoud Zahran
Inas El Zawawi
Ashraf Mohamed Azmy
Prof. Dr. Mahmoud AbdelAziz Ibrahim
Mona Mohamed Ata
Hoda Hanem Mohammed Fadel
Samiha Mahmoud Gawish
Hassan Ahmad Amra
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
16
Mohamed Salah Hussein Tawfik
Nagwa Abdel Hakeem
Sahar Y. Al. Okbi
Rasha Fathy amhed
Ayman Abdel Hamid Tawfik
Prof. Dr. Azima Saad
Azza Anwar Amin Hussein
Prof. Dr. Alaa El Badawi
Nagat M. Amer
Saneya Abdel Azim Wahba
Salah Saad Zarad
Dr. Atef Sayed Abdel Razak
Ehab Ragaa Abdul Raouf
Youssri M. Soliman
Hanan Hosny Afifi
Sohair Ibrahim Salem
Dr. Amany Sayed Maghraby
Elsayed Abou-Elfotowh Omer
Gershwin Joshua Blyden
Naglaa Mohamed Abdel Rahman
Inacid Tomas Muzime
Dr. Adli Bishay (EGYPT)
Prof. Nagia Essayed (ETHIOPIA)
Fred Oladeinde (USA)
Anthony Okonmah (USA)
Neil Turok (USA)
Dr. Madara Ogot (USA)
Dr. Wole Soboyejo (USA)
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack (USA)
Dr. Gershwin Blyden (USA)
Michael Okomo (USA)
Dr. Joseph Mabanza (CONGO)
Prof. Mohamed Galal Ahmed (SUDAN)
Samia A. Zaki (EGYPT)
Samia Abou El Nasr (EGYPT)
Hany Hamroush (EGYPT)
Saied Al Meniawy (EGYPT)
Israel Tjizake (NAMIBIA)
Dinah Tjiho (NAMIBIA)
Phumele Magubane (SOUTH AFRICA)
Moftah A. Abou Rekaiaa (LIBYA)
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
17
Mohamed F. Al Sherif (LIBYA)
Ibrahim B. Srty (LIBYA)
Wahid El Hayel (LIBYA)
Radwan El Ghiryani (LIBYA)
Runold Kampamba (ZAMBIA)
Alexandre Manguele (MOZAMBIQUE)
Suraya Nani (MOZAMBIQUE)
Francis P. Gudyanga (ZIMBABWE)
Apollo Muhairwe (UGANDA)
James Makumbi (UGANDA)
John Otim (UGANDA)
Gaston Andoka (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Ovabonzi Antoine (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Itoua N. Assopri (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Makambila Casimir (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Tathy J. Pierre (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Andoka Gaston (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Mabanza Joseph (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Ouabonzi Antoine (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
Bani Gregoire (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE)
18
First African Congress for
Scientific Research, Technology
and Drug Industry
Cairo, Egypt
December 13-14, 2004
Science and Technology
Development Link:
Historical Overview and
Challenges for Africa
Hippolyte Fofack
The World Bank
Acknowledgements
qPr. Wole Soboyejo (President African Scientific
Committee, Head Princeton Institute of Science
and Technology of Materials, Princeton University)
qPr. Phillip Griffiths (Chair SIG and AIST Advisory
Board, Institute for Advanced Studies)
qPr. C. N. R. Rao (President Third World Academy
of Sciences – TWAS, Honorary President, Nerhu
Centre for Advanced Scientific Research)
qPr. Mohamed Hassan (President African Academy
of Sciences and Executive Director TWAS)
qDr. Amany Asfour (Secretary General ASSRT)
qPr. Khaled Dabees (President, ASSRT)
Acknowledgements
qMr. Fred Oladeinde (President, Foundation for
Democracy in Africa)
qPr. Hany El Nazer, Honorary President, and
President of the NRC of Egypt
qH.E. Pr. Nagia Essayed (Commissioner for Human
Resources, Science and Technology, AU)
qH.E. Pr. Amr Salama, Minister of High Education
and Scientific Research of Egypt
qH.E. Pr. M. Awad Tag El Din, Minister of Health and
Population of Egypt
qH.E. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Honorable Minister
of Finance, Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Outline
qObjectives
qBackground and historical perspectives
qSciences and technology development link and
Africa’s Pitfall
qContrast between Africa and the rest of the world
qContrast between North and Sub-Saharan Africa
qEconomic and welfare implications
qPossible causes and explanations
qPerspectives for enhancing Africa’s scientific
foundation for development
qSummary and conclusion
Objectives
qProvide an overview of the contribution of
science and technology to economic and
industrial development
qHighlight the disparities between Africa and
the rest of the world and within Africa
qDiscuss economic and welfare implications of
the scientific and technological gap for Africa
qDiscuss perspectives for improving Africa’s
performance in scientific research and
technology
Background and Historical
Perspectives
qHistorically, science and “engineering which aims
to improve human conditions” have been the
engine of innovation and economic transformation
in industrial countries for several centuries
qIn a book titled “Lives of the Engineers” published
in 1861, …
qSamuel Smiles explained how the English nations
evolved from being dependent on their European
rivals to becoming the commercial giant of the
1800s.
qSamuel Smiles credited scientists and
engineers with playing a significant role in the
various development and industrial projects that
created the best infrastructure in the world, then
qReviewing the same Book, Prime Minister
William Gladstone wrote:
q“It appears to me that you have given practical
expression to a weighty truth – namely that the
character of our engineers is a most signal and
marked expression of British character.”
qScientific research and technology were
engines and catalyst for industrial revolution
and economic transformation in Europe
Recent Contribution of Science and
Technology to Economic Development
qLong-term studies of the United States and
other advanced countries show that
advances in science and technology have
been responsible for at least half of longterm economic growth, through:
àImprovement in capital and labor
productivity
àThe creation of new products, services
and systems
Examples of the US Economy
qFor instance, in the field of
biotechnology, the original investment in
basic research delivered incredible
dividends in industrial countries:
ØCreation of thousands of highly skilled jobs
ØContribution of billion of dollars to western
economies
ØPotential applications for improvement of
health and agricultural yield and
productivity.
qWhat is said about biotechnology is also
true about other fields of science and
engineering, in particular, the IT sector
where thousands of jobs were created in
the 1980s and 90s.
qFor instance in 2002, the US Department
of Labor Statistics showed that computer
software engineers held about 675,000
jobs, and
qabout 21,000 computer software engineers
were self-employed.
Overall Trend in Industrial and
Emerging Markets Economies
qOver the years, the emphasis on science and
technology has been consistent across
industrial countries.
qThis has been illustrated in:
the constantly rising level of resources allocated
to Research and Development
the improvement of scientific infrastructure and
investment in higher education
The rising number of researchers in fundamental
sciences and engineering, particularly in Asia
qFor Instance recent information on
science shows that:
ØEuropean nations are accelerating investment in
commercial technologies through a combination of
national programs and joint Research and
Development initiatives at the EU level
ØAustralia is investing in its world-class R&D
infrastructure to take full advantage of commercial
opportunities in the newly emerging economies of
Asia
ØThe newly emerging Asian economies and nations
such as Brazil and Chile continue to significantly
increase the share of their GDP devoted to
science and technology
ØBetween 1997 and 2000, the Asia region
recorded the largest increase in its gross
expenditure on research and development,
which now accounts for over 30 percent of
world gross expenditure on research and
development
Benefits and Dividends
qThe benefits and dividends of investment in
science and engineering have been significant for
both industrial and emerging economies
qThe recent global trend observed around the
world supports that.
qinvestment in science and engineering
contributed significantly to:
Ømacroeconomic stabilization
Øindustrial development and output growth
Øemployment creation
Øimprovement of living conditions and life
expectancy
Øinfrastructure development.
La
tin
A
m
er
a
an
d
th
e
Ca
rib
be
an
0
In
di
a
Ch
in
O
a
th
Su
e
brA
Sa
sia
ha
ra
n
A
fr
ic
FS
a
U
St
at
es
O
EC
D
ic
Illustration: Life Expectancy at Birth
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
1960
1990
10
Contribution of S&T to Wheat Yields 1885-1995
Argentina
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
India
Contribution of S&T to Income Growth
Regression KEI 2002 and GDP per capita 2002
40,000
35,000
R2 = 0.66
Ireland
Finland
USA
GDP per capita 2002 (1995 constant US$2002)
30,000
25,000
UK
20,000
Taiwan
15,000
Korea
Slovenia
10,000
Brazil
5,000
Turkey
Ethiopia
0
0.00
South Africa
India
Ghana
1.00
2.00
China
3.00
Poland
Jordan
4.00
5.00
Russia
6.00
Knowledge Economy Index 2002
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Potential Channels
q There are a number of potential channels,
including the following:
à the link between innovations, and
technology acquisition, and
assimilation, and
à the link between applied research and
industry, particularly in areas of
innovations in design
production and operations
Science and Technology
Development Link and
Africa’s Pitfall
Science & Development Link and
Africa’s Pitfall
q While other regions were investing in
science and technology, a significant
deterioration on scientific infrastructure was
observed in Africa, and particularly in SubSaharan Africa (SSA)
q Tertiary educations, which are the locus of
knowledge creation undergone a long and
protracted dramatic crisis in SSA.
q The ongoing crisis has been characterized by a
number of factors, including:
Ø weak governance
Ø inadequate educational quality and relevance
Ø persistent inequalities of access and outcomes
Ø severe resource constraints leading to inadequate
government response to growing demand
Ø weak linkages between academia, industry, and
government’s policy making in a large number of
countries
Ø and large disconnect with the rest of the world,
exacerbated by the poor state of higher learning
institutions and inadequate scientific
infrastructure.
Deterioration of HLI: Illustration from DRC
q After achieving independence from Belgium in 1960,
DRC, the third largest African country, with a current
population of 47 million, had two universities, with
combined enrollment of about 2,000 students.
q Five years later, in 1965, enrollment in higher
education – as a proportion of the number of people
at the ages most relevant to higher education – had
still barely moved above zero (as compared with the
4 percent average of both Asia and Latin America)
q The low initial base was event more dramatic in
sciences and engineering – fields in which training is
particularly expensive to provide.
q No brand name for Africa’s higher education
q The poor state of knowledge base and higher
education, especially in the areas of science and
technology has been singled out as one of the
major constraints to endogenous growth and
sustainable development in SSA (World Bank
[2002])
q Indeed as professor Salam, the 1979 Nobel
Laureate in physics observes:
– “Inadequate scientific infrastructure is a critical
factor which creates strong barriers to the path of
advancement in developing countries.”
q Endogenous growth and sustainable development
require:
– continued technological progress and
– the incentive structures for the adoption and transmission
of technology and related human capital accumulation
that determine physical capital accumulation and inflows
of FDI
q Endogenous growth and economic development
depends on the magnitude of the following key
parameters:
– total factor productivity,
– productivity in the education sector, and
– human capital level to which it is proportional.
q The positive association between S&T advances,
and “growth and poverty reduction” is also robust
against empirical tests.
q The association is also corroborated from the
standpoint of multiple equilibrium models, which
emphasize the importance of accumulation
q These models also assume intergenerational
education externality which implies that
– the amount of human capital that can be accumulated
by the current generation or the productivity of the
human capital accumulation technology, depends
positively on the amount of human capital accumulated
by the last generation.
q Naturally, this has implications for development
and poverty reduction, as countries may find
themselves in low-development traps if human
capital investment of the previous generation has
been consistently and significantly low.
q This is indeed the case for a large number of
African countries, and particularly SSA most of
which
– lack institutions, governance and incentive structures
to emulate and promote excellence, and
– are confronted with extremely low base on the human
capital scale, technological and knowledge-based and
large odds of brain drain.
Science & Development Link
q In fact numerous research emphasize the
contribution of tertiary education, and particularly
engineering and science, in supporting growth and
poverty reduction.
q In the context of knowledge-driven development,
this contribution is mainly achieved through:
– (i) the capacity to train a qualified and adaptable labor
force,
– (ii) the capacity to generate new knowledge, and
– (iii) the capacity to access existing stores of global
knowledge and adapt it to local use
q Hence, the relevance of strong centers of
excellence and leading interdisciplinary institutions
specialized in science end engineering.
Contrast Between Africa
and the Rest of the World
Resource allocation
q The contrast is reflected in the scope and trend of
resources allocated to research.
q Expressed as a percentage of GDP, R&D
resources declined from 0.57% to 0.47% between
1970 and 1997 in SSA; whereas at the same time,
it increased from 0.33% to 1.27% in East Asia
q Asia recorded the largest increase in its gross
expenditure on research and development
(GERD) between 1997 and 2000.
q By 2000, it accounted for over 30.5% of the world
GERD
q During the same period, the SSA share, which
was already the lowest, declined further to 0.6%.
Centers of Excellence
q The contrast is also illustrated by the fluorescence of
centers of excellence in the RoW, and more recently
in Asia, most notably the Asian Institute of
Technology (AIT) at the regional level, and
coexisting with numerous prestigious institutes of
sciences and technology at the national level.
q One of the most prestigious is the Indian Institute of
Technology.
q While the regional institute produces about 1500
graduates every year, the Indian IIT produces about
3,500 world-class chemical, electrical and computer
engineers every year.
Number of Researchers and Scientists
R&D propensities and manpower in major country groups (latest year available)
Countries and regions
Scientists/engineers
Sector of
R&D by financing
in R&D
performance (%)
(% of GNP)
Per mill. pop.
Higher education Prod. enterprise Prod. sector
Industrialized economies
1102
22.9
1.037
1.043
Developing economies
514
22.2
0.041
0.054
Sub-Saharan Africa (exc. S. Africa)
83
38.7
0.002
0.000
North Africa
423
n/a
n/a
n/a
Latin America & Caribbean
339
23.4
0.041
0.082
Asia (excluding Japan)
783
25.8
0.244
0.231
European transition economies
1857
21.4
0.288
0.275
World (79-84 countries)
1304
24.7
0.318
0.337
Source: Calculated from UNESCO (1997). Regional propensities for R&D spending are simple averages.
Number of Researchers and Scientists
Tertiary level enrolments and enrolments in technical subjects, 1995
Tertiary level enrolment Technical enrolments: numbers and % of population
% pop.
Natural
Maths, Engineering All technical
science (%) computing
(%)
subjects
(%)
(%)
Developing countries
0.82
0.05
0.02
Sub-Saharan Africa
0.28
0.02
0.01
MENA
1.26
0.06
0.03
Latin America
1.64
0.05
0.04
Asia
0.72
0.05
0.01
Transition economies
1.95
0.05
0.03
Developed economies
4.06
0.18
0.13
Source: Calculated from UNESCO (1997) and national sources.
0.10
0.01
0.14
0.21
0.09
0.34
0.38
0.16
0.04
0.22
0.30
0.15
0.08
0.42
Number of Researchers and Scientists
Dis p a ritie s : North - S o u th
World researchers in 2000 by region
(Source: UIS estimates July 2003)
Oceania
1.4%
North
America
22.7%
Asia
38.5%
Latin
America &
Caribbean
2.4%
Africa
1.2%
Europe
33.8%
3
Contrast between North and
Sub-Saharan Africa
Important Disparities
q Over 50 percent of total scientific output
produced by about 5 countries
q Important disparities across North and SubSaharan Africa
q Across countries
q Across black and white, the legacy of the
Apartheid system in South Africa
q The relatively good performance of countries
in North Africa is the result of a deliberate
commitment at the political level, reflected in
investment in scientific infrastructure
Example: The NRC in Egypt, a very
comprehensive research institution
q It also reflects the relatively strong
industrial base of countries in North
Africa
q For instance the National Research
Centre of Egypt is one of the oldest and
largest in the continent, with:
– More than 4000 researchers and senior
staff
– More than 95 departments.
African output of ISI-listed scientific papers 19962000 (1.5% of world output)
35
33
30
25
25
19
20
%
15
10
7
7
5
5
4
0
South
Africa
Egypt
Morocco
Nigeria
Kenya
Tunisia
Other
Impact of past policies: South Africa's
research output (%)
100
96.5
92
90
80
70
1990
1998
60
50
40
30
20
10
1
3
0.5
1
2
4
0
white
black
coloured
Indian
Items indexed in MathSciNet database for
selected African countries (2000-2002)
Country
2000
2001
2002
Algeria
60
50
37
Benin
1
1
Botswana
16
Burkina
2000
2001
2002
Lesotho
1
-
1
2
Libya
3
4
1
13
10
Morocco
161
185
180
1
3
8
Nigeria
22
35
30
Burundi
-
4
4
Senegal
-
3
-
Cameroon
8
9
12
South Africa
231
246
273
294
252
292
Sudan
1
2
-
Ethiopia
2
3
-
Tanzania
2
4
6
Gabon
2
2
1
Tunisia
45
46
46
Ghana
-
1
-
Zambia
2
1
1
Kenya
2
1
1
Zimbabwe
7
2
3
Egypt
Country
Economic and Welfare
Implications of Low Scientific
and Technological Base
Implications for Foreign Reserves
q As a result, an increasingly large number of African
students interested in sciences and technology
have sought alternative foreign institutions.
q This has been reflected in the rapidly rising public
and household foreign exchange expenditures on
students in foreign countries.
q For instance, between 1980 and 2000, these costs
increased from 1.4% of GDP to about 1.7% in
Burundi, despite the conflict context characterized
by restrictions on foreign exchange.
Technology level of products traded at
the international market
1996
1976
Other products
34%
Other products
High technology
Based on 13%
11%
Medium resources
technology 11%
22%
High technology
22%
Diverse
4%
Based onDiverse
resources 1%
11%
Low technology
21%
Low technology
18%
Medium technology
32%
Implications for Brain Drain
q Of course, notwithstanding the benefits in terms of
knowledge acquisition, this also represents a
significant and natural avenue for persistent
inequality and brain drain.
q Assessing the causes and expected gains of brain
drain, Bound [2002] concluded that education
abroad aggravates exodus.
q For instance “America educates one-third of all foreign
students, and not surprisingly, about half of all students
who get their PhDs in the US are still there five years
later.
q The proportion rises to over 60% for those with
doctorates in physical sciences or
mathematics.”
Economic and Social costs
q Almost half of SSA 700 million people live on
just US$0.65 a day (in PPP terms)
q Poverty has been growing steadily, causing the
Africa share of the poor to account for over 30
percent of the world poor in the 1990s
q Predictions are not encouraging: by 2015, over
87 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa will
leave on less than US$2 a day, over twice the
world average and three times the average in
MENA.
Economic and Social costs: Poverty
Regions
Latine America
1980
1990
2003
2015
41.2
39.3
33.1
28.8
Eastern Europe
Meadle East &
North Africa
Sub-Saharan
Africa
1.7
5
23.6
9.8
40.3
33.9
30.4
24.9
85.5
89.1
89
87.6
South Asia
95.5
93.1
87.5
77.4
92
79.1
49.2
25.8
South East Asia
73.4
69.1
58.8
47.7
World Average
59.8
57.2
49.7
40.8
East Asia
Sources: ILO
Social and Welfare implications
q One child in five dies before the age of 5;
q Life expectancy, already low, has fallen
significantly, reflecting the growing plight
of HIV/AIDS and persistence of malaria,
the leading causes of death.
q The SSA stand is also illustrated by low
logistical, connectivity and digital devices and
tremendous technological gaps:
Ø 1 internet user per 5000 in Africa compared to
1 in 5 in Europe and North America;
Ø 16 African countries with a population over 1
million have no internet at all.
Pattern and Source of Output Growth
q Africa’s output has changed very little since
1970
q In Sub-Saharan Africa, output continues to be
overwhelmingly dominated by primary
agricultural production and natural resources
q At the same time, food self-sufficiency remains
a challenge in most countries in Sub-Saharan
Africa
q In North Africa, the agricultural share has been
declining steadily, a reflection of increasing
diversification of sources of growth and shift in
the labor force.
Sub-Saharan Africa's share of world exports of goods
4.5
All products
Agricultural products
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
20
02
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
0
Illustration
Selected Sub-Saharan Countries:
Agricultural Employment
(in % of total employment)
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
2001
Benin
1999
1997
1995
Burkina Faso
1993
1991
1989
1987
1985
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
Niger
Illustration
Selected African Countries:
Agricultural Employment
(in % of total employment)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
2000
Tunisia
1998
1996
1994
Zambia
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
1980
1978
1976
1974
1972
1970
Congo, Dem. Rep.
Illustration
Selected Countries: Agricultural Employment
(in % of total employment)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2001
1999
1997
1995
Korea
1993
1991
1989
United States
1987
1985
1983
1981
1979
1977
1975
1973
1971
France
South Africa
Debt-poverty Traps
q Most countries in Africa, and particularly in Sub-
Saharan Africa, resulted to foreign financing and
external debt in the face of growing deficits and
external unbalances
q As a result, foreign debt grew significantly, and by
the late 1990s, it accounted for over 80 percent of
gross national product
q Most are caught in the debt-poverty trap, linked to
the narrow fiscal base, industrial base and
naturally poor science and technology
infrastructure …,
q In that sense, it may be viewed as “a chicken and
eggs problem”.
Trend External Assistance in Per Capita Terms (SSA)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
The Contribution of Knowledge to
Wealth Creation over time
8
GDP Thousands of
1985 US dollars
Rep. of Korea
Difference
attributed to
knowledge
6
4
Difference
due
to physical and
human capital
2
Ghana
0
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
Perspectives for Enhancing
Africa’s Scientific Foundation
for Development
Encouraging
q This is illustrated by the “First African
Congress for Scientific Research, Technology
and Drug Industry” held today December 13,
2004, in Cairo, Egypt
q Indeed, as Professor Abdus Salam, the 1979
Nobel Laureate in physics pointed out:
q “An essential prerequisite to a country’s
technological is early recognition of necessity
of a good education system.”
Encouraging
q The increasing conscious about the relevance of
science and technology for development actually
reflects
q The new AU vision and commitment at the
political level illustrated today by the presence of:
q H.E. Pr. Nagia Essayed, the AU Commissioner for
Human Resources, Science and Technology
q Honorable Ministers
q Honorable Ambassadors
q The NEPAD
q Increasing commitment of African Scientists in the
continent and the Diaspora to work together to
contribute to the transformation of their continent
However more is needed
q Would this commitment alone suffice?
q Certainly not, more is needed to effect the needed
transformation of Africa, including:
q Massive investment in the short run in the form of
steps undertaken in:
q the US (Land Grant Act),
q India (Indian Institute of Technology) and
q more recently in China and emerging markets economies
q These investments, in the form of inter-temporal
trade-offs will be huge sacrifices required in the
short run to get out of the debt-poverty trap in the
medium to long term
Some Tangible Actions and Requirements
q Establishment of interdisciplinary leading
institutions specialized in sciences and
engineering to promote excellence
q Engineering is the part of science which over
the years has successfully improved the living
conditions and contributed to value added
creation
q Bridging the significant gaps between North
and Sub-Saharan Africa,
q The experience of North Africa, especially Egypt
and Morocco, which have a long tradition of
science and technology could prove very relevant
and useful to Sub-Saharan Africa
Continental and Regional Versus
Country-based Approach
q A continental approach may be more optimal in
the promotion of excellence, given the prohibitive
costs of engineering and science education
q especially for most of the poor countries,
particularly the ones in Sub-Saharan Africa, which
lack both:
à financing and
à human resources
q Engineering education, science and research is
expensive.
Improving the quality of basic
science Education
q Strengthening the linkages between
primary-secondary and higher
education
q Mainstreaming and promoting basic
education in sciences at the primary
and secondary school level to:
à improve the quality and
à correct the bias towards humanities
Strengthening the relevance of
science education
q This will require a strong commitment to enhance
and strengthen industry – academia partnership
and public-private partnership in the promotion
and use of scientific research and output
q Commitment at the leadership level (political and
industrial) to transform Africa into a scientific
powerhouse, where,…,
q higher learning institutions and research centers
are:
q the locus of knowledge creation for economic
development and
q agent of industrial transformation.
Strengthening the relevance of science
education
q A required public-private, industry-academia
partnership will be enhanced by a good investment
climate and support from the government through:
à Promotion of fundamental and applied scientific research
rooted in Africa’s problems and challenges
à Public investment
q Implementation of a number of policy reforms will
also be essential, including:
à Mobility of labor and
à curriculum harmonization to enhance the promotion of
excellence based on merit and transparent selection
processes
Summary and Conclusion
q The new developments observed over the past
few years are encouraging for Africa
q They have been received in the scientific
community, and steps should now be taken to
translate the good will and commitments into
actions.
q For the risks of status quo are significant, including
à Some of these include:
à the perpetual cycle of poverty and dependency
à declining living standards and life expectancy
à the pattern of debt-poverty trap
à Continued brain drain.
“Economics is, in essence,
the study of poverty”
Hartwell (1972)
and Engineering is the
science to improve the
living conditions
Thank you all.
TOWARDS A SCIENTIFIC AND
RESEARCH AGENDA FOR AFRICA
Wole Soboyejo
Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of
Materials
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Princeton University
Acknowledgements
The Organizing Committee – 1st African Workshop
on Scientific Research, Technology & Drug Industry
Fred Oladeinde, Raj Singh and The Foundation for
Democracy in Africa
Hippolyte Fofack + World Bank Team
The Scientific Advisory Board
The African Scientific Committee
Phillip Griffiths and Arlen Hastings (IAS)
Outline of Presentation
n
n
n
n
n
Background and Introduction
The African Scientific Committee
The Proposed AISTs
An African Scientific Agenda e.g. African
Materials Network
Summary and Concluding Remarks
Background and Introduction
n
n
n
n
The story of Pierre and its implications for us
today
The need to redifine our relationship with the
Western world
Science and technology provides some of the
key components required for an African
renaissance
However there is a need for an integrated
approach from ideas to markets (new teams)
The Catch 22 Condition
n
n
n
n
The catch 22 problem for most African
countries
Most countries depend on the export of
primary raw materials
Increased production leads to reductions in
price and vice versa
The only way out is to add value through
manufacturing (hence the need for S&T)
The Three Levels of Any Economy
n
n
n
n
n
n
Most of our economies can be divided into three
levels – primary, secondary & tertiary
The primary level produces the raw materials and
agricultural products & minerals
The secondary level adds value through
manufacturing or knowledge innovation
The tertiary level distributes products
The secondary level is the key to wealth creation
and socio-economic growth
Hence the need for new S&T strategies
Turning Brain Drain Into Brain Gain
n
n
n
n
Many Africans and Africanists in Africa and
the diaspora have acquired experience that is
relevant to the development of Africa
However they have not been assembled to
work on specific African problems & solutions
The African scientific committee represents
one effort to assemble such a group
The group consists of experts from a wide
range of fields – science & engineering +
humanities (arts and culture)
The African Scientific Committee
n
n
n
n
The African scientific committee was
established by the world bank as a resource
for Africa
The group consists of members from Africa
and the diaspora (usually one per subject)
The objective of the group is to provide
integrated advice on S&T for African
development (from ideas to markets)
The group met for the first time on September
22, 2004, at the World Bank
The Areas Covered by The African
Scientific Committee
n
Social Sciences and The Humanities
q
n
Natural Sciences and Medicine
q
n
Law, business, anthropology, languages, ethics and
philosophy, economics, history, music, sociology
Physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, pharmacy, earth and
atmospheric sciences, mathematics, statistics
Engineering
q
Mechanical, aerospace, materials, minerals, food,
structural, civil and environmental, financial, biomedical,
petroleum, chemical, electrical, computer, construction,
manufacturing
Some Comments on The African
Scientific Committee
n
n
n
n
n
The group includes a very distinguished set of
Africans/Africanists from the diaspora and Africa
These include professors from some of the leading
institutions in the world (Cambridge, Stanford,
Harvard, Princeton, MIT, UIUC)
The diaspora group is largely assembled
The African group is still being assembled
The combined group will meet in Abuja (Nigeria) in
2005
The Initial Goals of the African Scientific
Committee
n
n
n
n
Provide high level advice to African
governments and institutions with strong
interests in African development
Develop an integrated agenda for African
research, education and development
Establish networks for African S&T
Connect African activities in Africa and the
diaspora e.g. curriculum development, R & D
The First Homework of The African
Scientific Committee
n
Assist with the development of the business
plan of the AIST (Nelson Mandela
Foundation)
q
q
q
q
Structure
Educational curriculum
Interdisciplinary research and development
Establishment of integrated S & T networks e.g. in
quantitative sciences and materials science
Background to the AIST Business Plan
n
n
n
n
The original business plan of the AISTs
produced largely by IIT Bombay team
Classical style based on the IIT and IIS
experience
However, the needs of Africa are somewhat
different (views expressed by African and
U.S. scientists and engineers)
There is, therefore, a need for additional
inputs to address these needs
Views of Selected AIST Committee
Members
n
n
Need to tackle basic problems of technology,
health, shelter, food, water, environment
Should employ unique approaches to avoid
problems with prior institutions
q
q
q
q
q
Explore funding beyond government sources
Endowment managed in global markets
Students should be job creators not job seekers
Need to get things right from the start
Must have disciplines such as food engineering
The Heart of a First-Rate Institute
n
n
n
n
n
Leading scholars rooted in fundamental
knowledge (the foundation)
Dedication to teaching and research
Cutting edge research (with funding) in niche
areas (excellence and impact)
The development of the complete person –
critical thinkers
Orientation towards service and/or
entrepreneurship
Possible Approaches to the
Development of AIST
n
n
n
n
Possible models (MIT, IITs, IIS, Stanford, Princeton, etc)
Tempting to copy these models
However, Africa’s needs are also somewhat unique
The last of the continents to develop indigenous industries to
manage
mineral resources/materials
petrochemical reserves
water supply and available power
agriculture
infrastructure
information technology
The Need to Tackle Both Basic and
Advanced Problems
n
n
Although Africa’s needs are rather basic, there is a need to
produce people that can tackle both basic and advanced
technologies for export-based industries
Hence, the new institutes should include new and emerging
areas that are critical to Africa’s success
nanotechnology
biomedical/biochemical
engineering
materials science and
engineering
manufacturing
robotics
information technology
Proposed Departments for
AIST – Arusha
School of Science and Humanities
q
q
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Ethics and Philosophy, Management & Economics, Arts & Culture
School of Engineering
Materials Science and Mineral Engineering
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computer Science and Information Technology
Architecture and Construction Engineering
Food & Agricultural Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Financial Engineering
Interdisciplinary Institutes
n
Institute should adopt a hybrid and integrated
approach to learning and research
q
q
n
grant degrees in core subjects
grant certificates/minors in interdisciplinary areas
Proposed certificate/minor programs
q
q
q
q
q
q
q
q
ethics and philosophy
arts and culture
management and finance
law
nanotechnology
bioengineering
materials
computational and applied math
Stimulating The Students to Become
Leaders in the Real World
n
n
n
n
n
n
Curriculum should include project-based and
development-based activities that allow the students
to use their own initiative
Ethics & philosophy + arts & culture+ management
& business
Frequent design competitions e.g. solar car races
Design practical experience and industrial
attachment + implementation phase of projects
Business plan competitions that are linked to
investors
Innovation and invention prizes at all levels
Mission Oriented Programs
n
n
n
n
n
n
Shelter & environment
Food & water
Health
Energy
Transportation
Avoid buzz words and let missions guide long
term research plans (African Science
Foundation and Centers of Excellence)
A Few Centers of Excellence
n
n
n
Provide students with state of the art
experimental and computational facilities
Select a few areas of excellence for future
focus
Two niche centers of excellence are
proposed for the first AIST
q
q
The Center for Quantitative Sciences
Center for Materials Sciences
The African Materials Network
n
n
n
This was established in 2000 after the
US/Africa Materials Meeting in Pretoria
This network has integrated the activities of
policy makers, materials researchers and
educators, business leaders & manufacturers
in Africa (NSF & African support)
Objective is to develop African human
capacity to develop S&T that can promote
African development
Research and Education in the African
Materials Network
n
n
n
Ongoing research collaborations within Africa
and within the US/Africa Materials Institute
The US/Africa Materials Institute (USAMI)
was established in 2002 with NSF support
Ongoing reseach in the following areas
q
q
q
q
Materials for affordable housing
Foundry technology and CAD/CAM
Nanotechnology (energy, medicine)
Organic electronics (next frontier beyond silicon)
Flexible Devices
Introduction to OLEDs
n
OLED = Organic Light Emitting
Device
OLED
LCD
http://www.kodak.com/
Cold Welding for OLED Fabrication
n
n
Patterning of the OLED electrodes is difficult by
photolithography since the organic material degrades
in conventional solvents or high temperature
Nano- and micro-patterning can be realized by
inducing cold-welding between a metal coating on the
stamp and the metal layer on the organic film
Step 1
Adhesion-reduction
layer
Strike layer
Au
Organic layers
Step 2
Cold welding
Metal transfer
Step 3
Strike layer
removal
Step 4
Patterned
active organic
device
Ar sputter etch
--- Kim, Forrest, Adv. Mater. (2003)
Integrated Systems …
Our Approach to Early Cancer
(Disease) Detection and Treatment!
CAMD
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
LP conjugates
Magnetic core
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
LHRH
Polymer shell
with lytic peptide
conjugates
CAMD
Wet Chemical Synthesis of Nano-particles
Metallic, polymeric and metal-polymer
Nano-particles using bottom-up approaches
Novel Micro reactor technology for scale-up and
controlled synthesis
Synchrotron radiation based X-ray absorption
Spectroscopic characterization
Capability to attach bio-molecules
LHRH-SPION Uptake - 37 C for
3 Hours
n
n
n
n
MNPs-LHRH, 37
DegreeC, 3 Hr
Note encryption
process by which cells
attach
Engulfed cells carried
within the cell
Excreted or egested
within 30 days
Background
n
Mice injected in 4 different ways:
1.
LHRH nanoparticles
2.
saline solution
3.
nanoparticles
4.
LHRH nanoparticles but with
mice that do not contain
breast tumor
Background
Organs obtained:
q breast tumor
q Kidney
q Lung
q Liver
Ensure that the nanoparticles do not accumulate in
other major organs.
Nanoparticles in tumor: Prussian blue Used to Stain
Paraffin Embedded Histological Sections
CAMD
Targeted Destruction of Prostate Cancer in
Balb/c athymic nude mice
PC-3.luc Xenograft bearing male nude
mice were used
LHRH bound nanoparticles effectively
bind to tumor
Use of Nano-LHRH results in accumulation
68% of nanoparticles in tumor
Distribution of iron in other tissues is
being mapped
MRI Imaging of Cancer
The Need for an Integrated African
Manufacturing Initiative
n
n
n
n
n
There is a need for an African manufacturing
initiative to develop emerging ideas into markets
We should also create a funded plan to add value to
African mineral resources and agricultural products
Integrated African research and development
programs (from concepts to markets)
Missing funds (research and investment) and links
These links should provide
q
q
q
Connections between ideas and research and investment
Connections between Africans in Africa
African connections to Africans in the diaspora
Summary - The African Scientific Agenda
n
n
n
n
n
n
The talk presents an overview of a possible African
scientific agenda
Value addition to primary products is recommended
as the way of creating wealth
This requires an increased investment in S&T and
links within and beyond Africa
The AIST is one example of such an investment
Funded S&T networks are also needed to achieve
African continental development e.g. materials and
manufacturing (from conventional to advanced)
We welcome your involvement in developing this
agenda
The Role of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities in
Building the Capacity of Africa’s Science and Technology Infrastructure
Presented at the First African Congress for Scientific Research,
Technology, and Drug Industry
Cairo, Egypt
December 13 – December 15, 2004
Karl S. Wright, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
Florida Memorial College
Miami, Florida USA
[email protected]
1
Abstract
The 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the
United States are indispensable to the education of the nation’s African American
population, and are potentially valuable partners to Africa as the continent
mobilizes to enhance its science and technology (S & T) infrastructure. These
institutions have impeccable track records of graduating thousands of America’s
brightest students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) disciplines. Collectively, America’s HBCUs can contribute to Africa’s
S & T thrust by increasing the admission and enrollment of African STEM
students; forming capacity-building institution-to-institution partnerships, and by
collaborating to help bridge the digital divide at African universities.
African political and academic leaders need to engage in an open and
ongoing dialog with America’s African American higher education community so
that the HBCUs potential on the continent may be optimized.
2
Introduction
In ascertaining the role that Historically Black Colleges and Universities
may play in Africa’s future, an historical overview of these institutions is
instructive. Understanding the purpose and the circumstances surrounding their
formation provides useful insights into their special relationship with Africa. These
institutions have extraordinary and untapped capabilities in science-related fields.
Their faculties, facilities, scientific instrumentation, and laboratories can be made
available to their African colleagues if appropriate protocols can be created to do
so.
Overview of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Universities (HBCUs)
in the United States have made great strides in providing educational
opportunities for African Americans, Africans, and people from around the world.
From their humble beginnings, these institutions have grown to make significant
contributions to American society, and to provide educational opportunities for
low-income and academically disadvantaged students who would otherwise have
been denied a higher education. While the first HBCU dates back to 1837, most
were established in the mid -and- late 1880s. After the American Civil War in
1865, HBCUs were founded to provide for the education of newly freed slaves
who were forbidden by laws and social practices from enrolling in traditionally
white colleges or universities. The first HBCUs were private, nonprofit institutions
started by black churches and white philanthropists, and received no support
from either the federal government or state. Federal laws passed in 1862, and
more significantly, in 1890, helped to establish and finance publicly-funded
3
HBCUs. In particular, the Second Morrill Act of 1890 established nineteen landgrant colleges to provided public funds for the education of blacks in the states
that
still
maintained
segregated
educational
systems.
Despite
statutory
provisions, public funding for these institutions was very low and inequitable
compared to the allocations made to the white land-grant universities founded in
1862.
For decades after their establishment, HBCUs were virtually the only
institutions providing tertiary educational opportunities for African Americans, and
for students from Africa and the Caribbean desirous of an American college or
university education. In the 1950s, however, federal laws enacted to make it
unlawful for states to continue to operate segregated public educational systems
forced traditionally white colleges and universities in the south to begin to admit
African American students, and other students of color. In the early 1960s,
seventy percent of all African American college students were enrolled in HBCUs
(Williams, 1993). As more formerly all-white institutions opened up to admit
African Americans, the percentage of these students enrolled at HBCUs began to
erode rapidly, declining from thirty-six percent in 1968 to eighteen percent in
1976. The 1980s and 1990s ushered in a resurgence in the enrollment of
HBCUs. Barton (2004) found that students attending these colleges and
universities cite 5 compelling reasons for doing so: their outstanding academic
reputation; the attractive financial packages (bursaries) offered; strong parental
influence; comparatively low tuition costs; and the perception that these
institutions are superior at job and career preparation. Today, there are 105
4
HBCUs enrolling almost 300,000 students or about 24 percent of all African
Americans attending colleges and universities. In recognition of their powerful
role in educating African Americans for well over 100 years, President Ronald
Reagan established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges
(Executive Order 12320). During their existence, HBCUs have:
§
Provided undergraduate training for three-fourths of all Blacks holding a
Doctorate; three-fourths of all black officers in the armed forces; and
three-fourths of all federal judges.
§
Graduated more than three-fourths all degrees conferred to African
Americans in dentistry and medicine;
§
Accounted for 50 percent of black college faculty in traditionally white
research universities;
§
Led institutions awarding baccalaureate degrees to black students in the
life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics
5
Africa and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The relationship between the HBCUs and Africa, and indeed, developing
countries, dates back to the nineteenth century. The unique missions of
Tuskegee, Clark Atlanta and Howard Universities inspired them to be engaged in
international education virtually since their beginning. In the 1899, Tuskegee
Institute (now Tuskegee University), at the request of the German government,
sent a team of scientists to Togo to teach cotton cultivation. Furthermore,
because of its acknowledged success in vocational agricultural education,
Tuskegee became a prototype for countless industrial schools in other countries.
Clark Atlanta and Howard Universities have similar historic programmatic ties
with the continent.
A more recent example of the Diaspora partnership is the Tertiary
Education Linkages Project (TELP), which is a United States Agency for
International Development-funded initiative. Managed by the United Negro
College Fund-Special Project (UNCF-SP), and launched in 1998, TELP was
designed to strengthen 15 Historically Disadvantaged Universities scattered
throughout the Republic of South Africa. TELP is another example of a focused
strategic partnership between HBCUs and African universities aimed at building
institutional capacity.
Like African Americans, Africans and other students from the Diaspora
seeking an American college education prior to passage and enforcement of
laws banning segregation, could only do so at an HBCU. Hence up until the early
1970s, it was the HBCUs that welcomed Africans and other students from the
developing world. The first president of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, graduated
6
from an HBCU, Lincoln University, in 1930. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first
president of Ghana, graduated from the same institution in 1939. Other African
luminaries who are products of HBCUs include Angie Brooks, who served on the
Supreme Court of
Liberia and as president of the United Nations General
Assembly; E. Romeo Horton, founder of the Bank of Liberia; and Ambassador
Willie Fitzjohn of Sierra Leone.
These names are only indicative of the
thousands of African graduates who were trained as educators, physicians,
engineers, and civil servants (Frierson, 1995).
A comprehensive survey of enrollment of foreign students conducted at
HBCUs in the early 1980s by Garibaldi (1984) showed that from the mid and later
1970s through 1980-81, some of the larger HBCUs reported enrolling upwards of
2,000 African students on their campuses annually. The same survey indicated
that even at smaller institutions, African students matriculated in the hundreds.
HBCUs continue to be important to the academic aspirations of African
students. For instance, Black Issues in Higher Education (July 2004) reports that
some 13 percent of Howard University’s student population comes from the
Africa. Similar comparative percentages are reported for other HBCUs. While
Africa has undoubtedly reaped economic and social benefits from the graduates
produced by HBCUs in the form of a “brain gain”, these institutions have likewise
been beneficiaries of having students from the continent on their campuses.
American students gain cross-cultural enrichment from contacts with international
students. In many cases, Africans are the first international students with whom
their
American peers interact, thus helping them to overcome their insularity.
7
Furthermore, African and international students are an important source of tuition
revenues for American institutions of higher learning. According to the Chronicle
of Higher Education (September 2004) these students pay almost 70 percent of
their educational costs, receiving only 20 percent of their academic expenses
from their institutions.
At the national level, international students constitute
exceptional goodwill for the USA, and are often considered an undervalued
foreign policy asset. Spending $12 billion annually, international students
represent America’s fifth largest service sector export.
African
Americans
understand
the
Diaspora
kinship
with
Africa.
Accordingly, the historic relationship between HBCUs and the continent extends
beyond the
education of African students and scholars, encompassing
collaborative projects, student and faculty exchanges and curricula initiatives.
HBCU faculties have , and still are, engaged in research that range from the
highly practical, facilitating economic and technological development, to the
intensely intellectual. These partnerships have spawned research in such
technological areas as tropical agriculture, virology, HIV/AIDS, microbiology, and
the treatment of tropical disease. A large number of these projects were facultyinitiated; others were externally funded. Space constraints do not permit a
complete inventory of all the past and ongoing collaborative projects between
Africans and their Diaspora faculty colleagues at HBCUs. Following are recent
examples of science and technology collaborations in Africa. Note that this is not
an exhaustive listing.
8
Table 1. Ongoing HBCU Linkages in Africa
Institution
S & T Activities in Africa
Clark-Atlanta University
Technical
assistance
Madagascar, Togo,
Zaire
Central State University
Senegal (water management)
Howard University
Malawi (health research)
Florida A&M, Alabama A&M
University of Maryland – Eastern
Shore
Cameroon,
research)
Langston University
Ethiopia (goat production)
Tuskegee University
Egypt (water purification)
Mississippi Consortium
(includes HBCUs)
Mauritius (information technology)
Wiberforce University
Nigeria (meat processing)
Florida Memorial College
Niger (information technology)
Florida A & M University
Tanzania (information technology)
Zambia
in
Egypt,
(agricultural
Sources: Frierson (1995); and UNCF-SP
A plausible argument may be made that the relationships are uneven, and lack
strategic focus. One explanation is that academic partnerships offering
meaningful social, economic, and scientific prospects require significant, and
often, unbudgeted, finances. The HBCUs rely heavily on external funding to
advance their international education activities, and availability, purpose and
timing of funding opportunities from external sources are influential in the
initiatives pursued.
9
HBCUs Degree Productivity in the Science and Technology Disciplines
As chronicled above, it was America’s Historically Black Colleges and
Universities that, for decades, afforded educational access to African Americans,
Africans, and students from the Caribbean and other developing countries. In the
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, HBCUs
continue to be indispensable to students of color. Each year, Black Issues in
Higher Education publishes national data on degree productivity of America’s
colleges and universities. Some of the findings are listed below:
§
Seven of the eleven top eleven universities that produce African
American engineers are HBCUs.
§
Ten of the top ten colleges that graduate African American scientists
are HBCU
§
Eight of the top eleven producers of African American baccalaureates
in agriculture, agricultural operations and related sciences were
HBCUs
§
Sixteen of the top 21 producers of African American baccalaureates in
biological and biomedical sciences were HBCUs
§
The top twelve producers of African American baccalaureates in
physical sciences are HBCUs.
Barton (2004) reports that even after decades of racial integration of
America’s higher educational system, black students who attend HBCUs are
more likely than blacks who attend traditionally white institutions to choose a
STEM discipline as an academic major. The study finds that 22 percent of black
HBCU males and 16 percent of females choose a STEM major compared to 15
percent of black males and 9 percent of black females attending traditional white
colleges and universities.
The reality is that Blacks attending HBCUs will be
10
steered towards STEM and business disciplines lucrative fields from which
African American and other minorities have been traditionally excluded.
In graduate STEM education, data published by Black Issues show
continued productivity by HBCUs. For example:
§
Three of the top ten producers of African American PhDs are HBCUs.
§
HBCUs account for four of the top ten producers of doctorates in biological
and biomedical sciences
§
Six of the top producers of masters degrees in the physical sciences, and
five of the top producers of master’s degrees in mathematics and statistics
are HBCUs.
Table 2 summarizes the productivity of HBCUs in producing masters and
doctoral graduates in the STEM disciplines.
Table 2. HBCUs Graduate School Productivity in STEM Disciplines
Discipline
Number
of
HBCUs
Ranked Among Top 10
Producers
Masters Degree
Doctorate Degree
Agriculture and Related 3
-Sciences
Biological and Biomedical
4
Sciences
4
Computer
and 2
Information Sciences
--
Engineering
3
2
Health Professions and
Clinical Sciences
3
Mathematics
Statistics
and 5
--
6
1
Physical Sciences
Source: Black Issues in Higher Education (July 29, 2004)
11
The National Association for Equal Opportunity (NAFEO), a policy and advocacy
organization of public and private HBCUs, reports that 42 percent of all
doctorates earned each year by African Americans in STEM disciplines are
graduates of HBCUs. Another study of African American females who earned a
doctorate degree in the sciences between 1975 and 1992 found that three out of
four earned their baccalaureate degrees from an HBCU (Jackson, 2001).
12
The HBCUs and Africa’s Scientific and Technological Development
Few would argue that technological innovation is a primary driver of
productivity increases and economic growth in any society. Integration of science
and technology (S & T) into the cultural and social fabric of Africa’s
consciousness is considered crucial to the continent’s path to modernity. Zeleza,
et al (2003) details the level of scientific and technological innovations in Africa.
With 13 percent of the world’s population, Africa has .36 percent of the world’s
scientists, and accounts for less than one half of one percent of the global
expenses on science and technology, Africa’s scientists publish less than 0.8
percent of global peer-reviewed scientific publications, and hold less than 2
percent of the world’s registered patents.
Most experts agree that over the long run, Africa’s prosperity is linked to
the development of its people resources, especially those with skills acquired in
tertiary education. This certainly is not a new paradigm. In a seminal address to
launch the University of Dar es Salaam in 1970, legendary African statesman, Dr.
Julius Nyerere (1971), the president of Tanzania, outlined the three main
functions of his new university: to transmit advanced knowledge; to advance new
frontiers of knowledge; and to develop the manpower needs of society. Although
dramatic progress has been made in increasing university enrollment in Africa’s
universities since the 1970s, the continent is still in need of a vast pool of
scientifically and technologically trained talent. For instance, while in countries
such as Cuba and the United States university enrollment is 2,461 and 5,591 per
100,000 residents respectively, in no nation sub-Saharan Africa does the figure
exceed 500 (Hoffman, 1996). The situation facing Africa’s S&T talent pool is not
13
merely that of dearth of indigenously trained expertise. The reality is that, for a
myriad of factors, vast numbers of African academics and other locally-trained
experts emigrate, resulting in a daunting “brain drain” from the continent.
The HBCUs are capable of making significant and sustained contributions
to the twenty-first century Africa science and technological infrastructure in two
ways: development of human capacity in S&T; forging institution to institution
partnerships; and the digitizing of African university and libraries. As documented
earlier, these are not new experiences for HBCUs in Africa. What is presented
below, however, is a more focused strategy to build upon the decades-old
relationships between African American institutions of higher learning and the
African continent.
Building Human Capacity in Stem Disciplines
America’s HBCU institutions must commit themselves to increasing the
pool of Africa’s S & T labor force. NAFEO and UNCF (an organization of private
HBCUs) are the two important policy-making and advocacy group for African
American higher education. African academic and political leaders should
convene a Diaspora STEM Project summit meeting with NAFEO, UNCF and
HBCU leaders to create a consortium to increase their enrollment of African
students in the STEM disciplines. Under this proposed protocol, the HBCUs that
offer baccalaureate or graduate programs in the STEM fields shall agree to set
aside admissions slots for talented African students at their respective
institutions, beginning as early as August 2006.
Given the history and institutional capacity of the HBCUs in the STEM
disciplines, the Diaspora STEM Project could greatly, and relatively quickly, add
14
to the talent pool of African scientists and technologists. Data provided by the
Chronicle of Higher Education show the enrollment of African students in
American colleges and universities over the past eight years:
Year
1996-97
Total Foreign Student Total African
Enrollment
Enrollment
20,874
453,787
1998-99
490,933
26,019
2003-2004
572,509
40,648
Student
According to The Chronicle, 61 percent of these international students enroll in
STEM disciplines. The assumption is made herein that African students select
STEM disciplines proportionate to other international students. This would
amount to 24,673 Africans enrolling in STEM programs in academic year 20032004.
Under the proposed Diaspora STEM Project, HBCUs would commit to
increasing by ten percent the number of Africans majoring in science and
technology, with a built-in 5 percent annual enrollment growth. Beginning in
2006, for instance, the aggregate incremental enrollment of African STEM
scholars would be 2,591. Among the 94 HBCUs offering 4-year degrees, this
would represent an average institutional commitment of 27 new African STEM
scholars. The larger HBCUs could agree to take more, while the smaller ones
would take less. Assuming a three percent annual enrollment increase in African
student enrollment in America, the Diaspora STEM Project would add an
aggregate of 43,704 new African scientists and technologies to the continent’s
labor force over a ten-year period an indicated in Table 2.
15
Table 3: Projected Diaspora STEM Initiative Enrollment
Year
2004
Total
African Normal Science HBCUs
African
Students in USA and Technology STEM Enrollment
Enrollment
40,648
24,673
2,467
2006
41,867
25,414
2,541
2007
43,123
26,176
2,618
2008
44,417
26,961
2,696
2009
45,750
27,770
2,777
2010
47,122
28,603
2,860
2011
48,536
29,461
2,946
2012
49,992
30,345
3,035
2013
51,492
31,255
3,126
2014
53,036
32,193
3,219
2015
54,628
33,159
3,316
Note: Normal enrollment is exclusive of the HBCU STEM initiative
This incremental STEM pool computes to 840 new S & T experts for each
member of the African Union. Under this initiative, the African “brain drain” is
reversed to “brain gain” for the continent.
Funding for the 10 percent incremental enrollment of African STEM
students at HBCUs would, of course, be a significant challenge. It would be
necessary to pursue a multi-pronged approach to securing the financial
resources necessary to build Africa’s scientific capacity. From the HBCUs
community would be expected scholarships, tuition discounts, and fee waiver.
The presidents and chancellors would be called upon to make the education of
Africans a high institutional priority with the concomitant financial support.
Currently, international students receive 20 percent support from their respective
16
institutions. In the Diaspora STEM Project, this support would increase to 30
percent.
The international donor community would be solicited for the equivalent of
forty percent of the scholars’ educational expenses; currently it provides only
3 percent. Targeted donor organizations are the World Bank, African
Development Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and private
philanthropic foundations such as Gates, Rockefeller, and Ford in the United
States. The consortium of HBCUs and African universities shall present joint
funding proposals to these prospective donors.
The home governments in Africa would boost their contribution to STEM
scholars from a current 3 to thirty percent. Donor organizations, and America’s
HBCUs, are attracted to shared sacrifices, and respond favorably to proposals
demonstrating endogenous financial commitments to major project initiatives.
While recognizing the fiscal constraints inherent in African economies, the
Diaspora STEM project must receive meaningful and sustainable governmental
support. After all, it is the countries themselves that will reap the societal and
economic dividends from an enhanced S & T labor force.
This human capacity building initiative calls for joint investments by the
HBCUs, donor community, and national governments. The scarce resources
appropriated to STEM students could be allocated elsewhere. A positive return
from these investments must be the expectation. For this to be realized, the
educated science and technology intelligentsia must return to their native
countries, upon completion of studies, and be placed into meaningful and
17
strategic positions where their skills may be optimized. In addition, it is imperative
that national governments afford university graduates competitive compensation
packages commensurate with their level of education. Failure to do so would
reverse the “brain gain” back to the African “brain drain,” and continue the
emigration of scientists which Hoffman (1995) estimated at 23,000 annually.
Institution to Institution Linkages
It is proposed herein that NAFEO and UNCF form a consortium with the
Association of African Universities (AAU) to develop the institutional capacity of
African universities in three specific areas: science and technology infrastructure;
formation of science and technology institutes; and digitization of African
university libraries. Enhancement in these 3 critical areas will facilitate the
meeting of some of the unmet needs in African universities.
A two-pronged strategy is proposed for the development of S & T
infrastructure,
consisting
of
infrastructure
upgrades,
and
curriculum
collaborations. First, the HBCUs with graduate STEM programs would partner
with targeted African universities to upgrade their S & T labs, equipment,
instrumentation and research facilities. Teams of scientists would collaborate to
inventory the needs of the local universities, and submit joint funding requests to
local
government
and
potential
donor
organizations for upgrades. The
collaboration would encompass faculty exchanges, joint research projects,
visiting professors, and the opportunity for sabbaticals.
The second component of the partnership strategy aimed at a sustainable
S & T infrastructure is the establishment of collaborative curriculum projects.
18
Here, HBCU and African scientists would review comprehensively the curricula of
the STEM disciplines in their respective institutions with an objective of
leapfrogging them to world-class, cutting-edge levels. The identification and
implementation of “best practices” will be one activity outcome. The immediate
beneficiaries are students enrolled in the disciplines; in the long run, the
communities to which graduates return will gain from an enlarged pool of
superbly
educated
scientists.
By
taking
advantage
of
information
and
communications technology and existing opportunities like the African Virtual
University, and the Internet, this curriculum collaboration can be effected with
relatively few barriers.
Upon
formation
of
the
proposed
AAU-NAFEO/UNCF
consortium,
institutions would be paired commensurate with their mission, programs, and
interests. By so doing, the curricula consortia would be executed following a
decentralized, institution-institution approach. This allows for scientists and
administrators to develop collegial, working relationships with a degree of built-in
evaluation, reporting, and accountability.
A partnership between HBCUs, other American universities, African
universities and the tertiary education bureaucracies on the continent could be
formalized to establish science and technology institutes (STI) in various SubSaharan African countries. Modeled on the successful Technikons in South
Africa, and the institutes of technology in India and elsewhere, these technologybased institutions could become key cogs in Africa’s development engine. The
STI’s would emphasize fundamental sciences, such as physics, chemistry,
19
mathematics, computer science, and biotechnology, and applied disciplines like
manufacturing. As in India and South Africa, the STI’s could quickly become
centers of research excellence, promoting open-minded intellectual inquiry and
basic and applied research aimed at technological improvement and societal
development, thereby fostering an indigenous innovation culture. The STI’s
would be instrumental in growing a community of scholars, and help formulate
and execute national policy on areas in which countries can achieve scientific
excellence. The HBCU land-grant institutions have well over 100 years of
research experience that could be adopted, with appropriate modifications, to the
establishment of African STIs.
HBCUs and the Digitizing of African Universities
The HBCUs can partially address Kargo’s (2002) description of the
inadequacies of the libraries in Africa’s universities by establishing collaborations
to help bridge the digital divides on the continent. The working hypothesis here is
that the relatively low level of information and communications technologies (ICT)
present in much of Africa poses a barrier to its S & T capacity. A suggested ICT
consortium would consist of the Black Caucus of the American Library
Association (ALA), working in tandem with the Africa Section of the International
Federation of Library Associations. These are two duly constituted organizations
that could be sprung into collective action by the leadership of the ALA and
HBCUs.
The expertise provided by the ICT consortium could have a profound
impact on the universities. Their capacity would be enhanced to create electronic
20
databases; develop Web-sites on local, regional, and international information;
create information highways; digitize their academic documents; establish
information literacy programs. Included in the ICT consortium would be exchange
programs between African American and African librarians and information
technology scholars. This consortium would open up a brave new world of
e-journals, databases, and Web-based publication opportunities for S & T
scholars and scientists.
Clearly, the HBCU community in America has a valued role to play as the
continent mobilizes toward a sustainable science-based future. The next step
requires an open and ongoing dialog between African leaders and the African
American academicians about partnership and linkage possibilities.
21
References
Barton, Paul E. (September, 2004). Students at Historically Black Colleges and
Universities: Their Aspirations and Accomplishments. (Policy Research
Center) Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Enrollment of Foreign Students Drop in U.S. (November 19, 2004). The
Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A1.
Frierson, Cynthia, L. (February 1995) Perceptions of African American Educators
toward Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Academie.
Garibaldi, Antoine, Ed. (1984). Black Colleges and Universities: Challenges for
the Future. New York: Praeger.
Hoffman, Adonis (Winter 1995-1996). The Destruction of Higher Education in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 10. 83-87.
Jackson, Cynthia L., and Nunn, Eleanor F. (1984). Historically Black Colleges
and Universities: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CC10.
Kavgbo, John A. (2002). African universities and the challenge of knowledge
creation and application in the information age. Library Review, 51, 411416.
Nyrere, Julius (1971). Role of an African University. Journal of Modern African
Studies, 9. 26-36.
Trends in Graduate and Progress Degrees Conferred to Students of Color: 199293 through 2002-2003. (July 29, 2004). Black Issues in Higher Education,
p. 34.
22
Zelela, Paul Tiyambe, & Kakoma, Ibulaimu. (Eds.). (2003). In Search of
Modernity: Science and Technology in Africa. Trenton, NJ: Africa World
Press, Inc.
23
Investment Climate & Environment for Scientific Research and
Technology in Africa
Dr. Faika EI-Refaie
Investment spending on Scientific research and technology in advanced economies
constitutes no less than 2-3% of GDP, while it does not exceed 0.3% of government
spending in Africa on average.
In advanced economies, private sector as well as the governments cooperate and
coordinate their efforts in enhancing scientific research and promotion of technology.
In developing countries, private sector does not participate in these activities, while
government efforts are very modest.
Accordingly, national strategy and targeting, coordination of efforts, and cooperation
between public and private sectors is lacking in developing countries, leading to lack of
incentives, innovations, and technology advancement. This is reflected in the widening gap
between rich and poor countries and explains the low standard of living in most of the
African countries.
To improve the climate and environment for Scientific Research and Technology in Africa,
a comprehensive reviving set-up is required.
Contribution of All Parties is Essential.
Role of Concerned Parties:
Business Sector:
Research at Industry level: Research Centers.
Research at unit level.
Government:
Official Targeting: Specify in national plans public spending on research and technology:
% of national and sect oral spending goals.
Laws: TRIPs at national level
Regulations: Modify Law of Establishment for business: to stipulate in the constitution of
entities the target of promotion and development of scientific research and advancement of
technology in the specific field (for entities whose capital paid-up exceeds certain level).
Tax incentives: Exemption of spending on scientific research and technology advancement
from business income tax.
Bilateral and multilateral agreements for cooperation, exchange of Information, and jointventure research work and rules governing them.
Promotion of joint government/ business visits enhancing scientific research and
technology.
Linking technical assistance activities with individual and institutional capacity.
Building activities in scientific research and technology institutions: training, missions,
expertise and equipments.
Institutional Support: Initiation by the government of a Fund for scientific research support
in collaboration with the private sector.
Permit good representation of business sector on Boards of Directors of scientific research
and technology institutions.
Banks:
Financing joint-venture scientific research and promotion of advanced technology under
FDI umbrella.
Financing the implementation of viable scientific research findings and Outcomes and
promotion of advanced technology.
NGOs:
Conferences and workshops. Training activities. Services and facilities to research and
technology centers and institutions.
Media: Awareness of public highlighting the fact that spending on scientific research and
technology is the best investment relating to human resource development, which is the
base
"' for the overall economic development.
Newspapers: allocation of one page for scientific research and technology.
Radio & Television: Specialized Programs.
Universities: Roundtable discussions and dialogues inviting participants from:
Businesses
Officials
Research bodies
Media
Financial institutions
NGOs
Building activity linkages between university research centers, especially in science and
technology, and technology faculties and production units.
1st African Congress for Scientific Research, Technology and Drug
Industry December 13-15, 2004, Cairo Egypt
Drug Manufacturing and Traditional Medicine in Sudan
Prof. M. Galal M. Ahmed Director of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Research
Institute, National Centre for Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, P. B.
Box 2404 Khartoum, Sudan.
[email protected]
Introduction
Sudan is the largest country in Africa and the Middle East. It has an area of 2.7 million
km2. This represents more than 8% of the African continent and almost 2% of the world
total land area. The country is made up of 26 states, 112 provinces and 614 localities
constituting federal republic.
Sudan is classified from north to south, into desert (34 %), semi- desert/ shrubs (20%),
wood/forest (35%), agricultural land (7%), and swamps and wetlands (1%).
The population of the country is estimated to be 30.3 million (projected from 1993 census).
* The majority of them are concentrated in 6 states of the central region. About 60% of the
population lives along the banks of the Nile.
* The growth rate is 2.7%. Children under the age of five years comprise 16.4%, while 014 years comprise 44% of the total population* The infant mortality rate is 108 per 1000 live births and the probability of dying before
5th birthday is 159 per 1000 live births *Maternal mortality rate is 365 per 100,000. Life
expectancy at birth is 56.1 years for male & 60 for female (1998).
*Cultivation and production of their active constituents would be of great benefit to a
developing country like the Sudan and should be promoted
*The medicinal & Aromatic plants are used in factory-made medicines, flavours, food,
confections, perfumes and cosmetics wholly or partially from vegetable origin on an
industrial scale.
Geography
Sudan is bounded by Egypt in the North; the Red Sea in the North - East; Ethiopia &
Eriteria in the East; Kenya in the South; Central Africa in the South - West; Chad in the
West; and Libya in the North- West.
The climate of the Sudan is wholly tropical and varies from complete desert in the north, to
semi-desert with rainfall of varying intensity and duration, passing into a continental
equatorial type of climate with a considerable dry season
The red sea introduces certain maritime characteristics.
(Sudan plan)
(Africa plan)
Traditional medicine in Sudan
-Sudan, during its history, witnessed the fusion of the pharaonic and the Islamic cultures as
well as its indigenous culture
-Pilgrims from west African countries such as Nigeria and Chad on their way to Mecca
through the Sudan had introduced their medical traditions in western and central Sudan
-As practiced today, Traditional Medicine is used by the majority of the population as a
major source of health services. Primarily, because it is a part of our local culture, trusted,
available and accessible.
In Sudan there are many types of traditional healers, e.g. herbalists, bonesetters, spiritual
religious healers, traditional birth attendants and diviners.
In spite of the fact that Sudan is one of the largest countries in the world, modern medicine
covers only a small sector (11%) of the population. Therefore, incorporation of traditional
medicine into the existing health services will lessen the burden on the government and
ensures better utilization of our local resources.
The Medicinal and Aromatic plants Research Institute carried a study, where it was found
that in a rich locality there were more than 152 traditional healers with different specialties.
This huge number reflects the role played by these traditional healers in this area and the
whole country.
How to make use of Traditional Medicine in Sudan?
Traditional medicine has much to offer to bring an adequate level of primary health care in
Sudan. With a proper understanding of it's potential role and a sympathetic approach to its
practitioners, coupled with a scientific evaluation of its claims, traditional medicine will
have a vital contribution to make to people's health and well being.
Sudan Government position towards Traditional Medicine
The government priorities about traditional medicine are clearly spelt out in its last
Comprehensive National Strategy (1992-2002) under the drug supply chapter it
emphasized on the following points:
1-Expanding cultivation of medicinal plants.
2-Establishment of a plant for the extraction and manufacturing of medicinal plant~.
3-Establishment of a clinic where both exported and Sudanese medicinal plants can be
used.
4-Pay attention to traditional medicine according to the regulations, which rules it.
We have to admit that modern medicine in Sudan is provided only to a small sector of its
population. There is no way to expand it to the whole nation in the near future. Therefore,
we have to be open-minded and seek other alternatives. We should recognize the potentials
of traditional medicine and the rich harvest we have in our hands. That can make us sooner
reach our ultimate goal "health for all" using our own resources.
(Traditional medicine picture)
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute (MAPRI)
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Unit was established in 1972 by the National
Council for Research. During 1983, this unit was upgraded to become an institute. In 1992,
Traditional Medicine Research Institute was amalgamated in the Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants Research Institute. Now the Institute is under the umbrella of the Ministry of
Science and Technology.
(MAPRI picture)
Objectives:
Collection and documentation of the experience of the Sudanese nation, it's inherited
knowledge in herbal remedies and other traditional medical practices.
o Promotion and integration of valuable knowledge, attitudes and skills in Traditional
Medicine into Orthodox Medicine and the existing health delivery system, specially
our primary health care system.
o Establishment of a national herbarium for medicinal and aromatic plant~ in addition to
a museum for other traditional medical practices.
o Conduction of agricultural research related to Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants
for their conservation, adaptation of foreign varieties and opening of new International
markets in support to the national economy.
o Conduction of experiments on medicinal plants targeting at discovery of new
molecules (medicine) of drugs extracting medicines to achieve self-reliance.
o Encouragement of perfumery industries based on Sudanese aromatic plants or foreign
adapted ones.
o Extraction of flavoring agents for food and cosmetics industries.
o Supervision of Ph.D., M.Sc. and Higher Diploma Studies on related tonics.
o Training of traditional hearers.
o Training of undergraduate students from different disciplines in the areas of medicinal
plants and traditional medicine.
1-Phytochemistry and Taxonomy Department
Activities
o Collection, identification, and documentation of Sudanese Medicinal plants used in
Traditional Medicine at different regions of the Sudan.
o Preparation of Sudanese Atlas of Medicinal plants "Materia Medica".
o Isolation of structure elucidation pharmaceutically interesting plant constituents, as
drug or precursors of Drug and for quality control for finished drugs.
o Preparation of monographs and standardization of Sudanese Medicinal plants, as
nucleus for Sudanese Herbal Pharmacopoeia.
2-Pharmacology and Toxicology Department
Activities: o To study the effects of plants extracts in its crude, semi purified or pure form, on intact
animals in isolated organs or tissues to evaluate their use in traditional medicine and to
screen their pharmacological activities. These experiments are carried in parallel with
fractionation process of active principle(s).
o To study the toxicity profiles of plant extracts or isolated active constituent(s) to ensure
the safety of tile drug (LD50).
3-Parasitology of Agro Technology
Activities
o To study the effect of plant extracts (in-vivo and in-vitro) on: standard microorganisms
and clinical isolates e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi; antiprotozoa (malaria and trypansoma)
and parasites (schistosoma, tape worms and fascioIa) and their vectors (mollusciciadal
and insecticidal).
4-Deparlnleut of Agro Technology
o Protection of Sudanese Medicinal and Aromatic Plants from extinction through
research leading to plantation, conservation, and production of seeds.
o Discovery of new varieties of Sudanese plants of high quality for production and
competitiveness in worldwide markets.
o Acclimatization of some economically important internationally or globally activation
of potentially known Medicinal and Aromatic plants to the climate of Sudan.
o Preparation of extensional pamphlets concerning the promising Medicinal and
Aromatic plants cultivation.
o Discovery of new Sudanese plants which may be used as pesticides and Insecticides.
On Going Projects
1. Documentation of traditional medical practices in Sudan.
2. Sudanese Herbal Pharmacopoeia.
3. Atlas of Medicinal Plants of Sudan "Materia Medica”.
4. Anthelmentic and Antiprotozoa plants.
5. Antidiabetic plants.
6. Antimicrobial activities of Sudanese plants.
7. Antimalarial and insect repellent plants.
8. A series of information pamphlets of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (their cultivation
and different agricultural practices).
9. Effect of different cultural practices on the production of active ingredients or some
promising Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.
10. Isolation and characterization of compounds from some of the most active plants.
11. Acclimatization of some world known Medicinal Plants.
12. Utilization of essential oils bearing plants.
Pharmacological Studies
o Study of Invivo antidiabetic effect against type II and type I diabetes.
o Study of Invivo studies of the hepatoprotective effect.
o Invitro isolated rabbit jejunum for Alimentary system disturbance.
o lnvivo using albino rats for determination the gastric motility.
o Isolated rabbit heart anti aorta for cardiovascular system.
o Toad rectus abdominis for striated muscle.
o Isolated rat uterus or fundus strip for smooth muscle.
Toxicological Studies
Experiments take place on laboratory animals for evaluation of:
1- Acute toxicity
2- Subchronic toxicity.
3- Chronic toxicity.
Followed by determination or LD56 & LD90.
Antimicrobial Studies
Against both bacteria and fungi by using:
1. Invitro cup agar diffusion and dilution method against standard and isolated
microorganisms.
2. In vivo trials using plant extracts
Antiparasitical Studies
1. Invivo anthelimentic studies against adult worms using different types of laboratory
Infected animals.
2. Invitro anthelimentic studies against isolated adults worms and different larval stages.
3. Invitro antimalarial studies against P. falciparam.
4. Invivo antimalarial studies against rodent types of plasmodium.
Vector Control
1. Study of Molluscicidal activity against different types or snails.
2. Study of Insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae. Followed by field evaluation for
the most potent plants.
Some of the Sudanese Medicinal Plants used in Traditional Medicine
1. Hibiscus sabdariffa - used for coughs and hypertension.
2. Lipidium sativum - used for Enteritis.
3-Calatropis procera - used for Rematoid
4-Cassia obtusifolia - used as Anthelmentic and for Skin diseases.
5-Bos\veliia papyrifera - used for Respiratory disturbances.
6-Datura stramonium - used for Colic and Coughs.
7-Kigelia africana - used for wounds.
8-Aeaeia seyal - used for Ulcer and Romatoid.
9. Balanites aegyptiaca – used for Jaundice and constipation.
10-Combretum aculeatum - used for Wounds.
Major Diseases of 21st Century
In Developed World: Age related diseases, Cardiovascular Disorders.
In Developing World: Infectious Diseases, Parasitic Diseases
Future Source of Medicines
In next 60 years synthetic medicines (petroleum based) will no more be available, leaving
9 billion of human being without drugs. Plants and other natural products will be the main
source of medications in future.
Plants and Human Health
CURRENT PERSPECTIVE
Plant Products are used as:
o Foodstuffs
o Flavoring agents and spices
o Perfumes and cosmetics
o Pharmaceutical and biological agents
o Recreational Substances
o Over 120 compounds from 90 plant species are available as prescription drugs.
Over 80% of world's population (5 billion people) relies on plant-based medicines.
Approximately $5 billion were spent in USA on phytoceuticals (1998).
In China, 500 species of plants are used as drugs by traditional practitioners.
In Pakistan, estimated number of medicinal plants used in traditional therapies is 400.
25% of all modern medicines are from natural sources.
CURRENT SOURCES OF MEDICINES
Natural
Synthetic
Semi-synthetic
Genetic Engineering
Combinatorial Chemistry
Drug Manufacturing in Sudan:
Drug manufacturing in Sudan is growing; today there are 23 drug factories:
No
Factory Name
I
Elie for Drugs
2
Abdelmonem for Drugs
3
Amipharma Laboratories
4
Sigma-tau
5
Balsam Company
6
Sudanese chemical Industries
7
City Pharm for Drugs
8
Climax for drugs
9
Marwa for Drugs
10
Humaft for Drugs
11
General Company for Drugs
12
Wafra Pharma Laboratories
13
Liquid Air Company
14
Pharmaceutical Industries
15
Medical & Health Products Company
16
Medical Gases Company
17
Shangahai-Sudan for Drugs
18
Unionmed for Drugs
19
Blue Nile
20
Salah for Drugs
21
Abayazed
22
Ymani for Medical products
23
Badar for Medical Gauze
(Source: general Directorate of Pharmacy, Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan)
Types of Medicines
Single Chemical Entity of synthetic or natural origin
Multi-component Compound Mixture
Single Plant Extract
Single Plant Material
Multiple Plant Extracts
Types of locally manufactured Drugs:
Pharmacological Group
Production by Packs
Anesthetics
'NO' gas only
Analgesics, Antipyretics,
26107
NSAIDS, Muscle relaxants and
Medicines used to treat Gout
Antiallergics, Mucolytics,
2820
cough prep. & Medicines used in anaphylaxis
Anti-infective medicines
30117
Anthelmentics & Antischistosomal
40
Antibacterials
21531
Antiamaebic
4021
Antifungal
32
Antimalarial
4493
Drugs affecting the blood
248
Cardiovascular medicines
446
Diuretics
204
Disinfectants & Antiseptics
20
Gastrointestinal medicines
1544
Antiacid and Antiulcer
852
Antispasmodic & Antinflam.
657
Cathartic drugs
0
Antiemetic
35
Hormones, other Endocrine
313
medicines and Antidibetics
Pyscotherapy &Anticovulsants
978
Drugs acting on respiratory
1949
Tract.
Solutions correcting water
1350
Electrolytes & Acid base dis
Vitamins and minerals
239
Topical dermatological
905
Medicines
Total
67115
(Source: general Directorate of Pharmacy, Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan)
Percentage sharing of local manufacturing to private (imported) sector for some
drugs:
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pharmacol.
Drug group
Analgesics
Antiallergics
Antifungal
Antiviral
Antiamaebic
Antimalarial
Anthelmentics
Antibacterials
Share% by
priv. Sector
61%
86%
93% 100%
100%
1.2%
68%
81%
23%
Share% by
local prod.
39%
14%
7%
0%
98.8%
32%
19%
77%
The World Today
o Over 6 billion people inhabit the earth, an increase of 140 per cent over the past fifty
years.
o One Fifth of humanity survives in less than one dollar a day.
o About 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water 7.7 million children die
before their first birthday.
o 25% of 4,630 mammal species and 11% of 9,675 bird species are on the verge of
complete extinction
o 20-30% population of Sub-Saharan Africa is HIV positive.
NEGLECTED THERAPEUTIC TARGETS
Malaria
Schistsomiasis
Fliariasis
Diarrhea
Hepatitis C
Intestinal Parasites
HOW MUCH IT TAKES TO DEVELOP A NEW PURE DRUG?
o US $ 500- 600.
o Five to seven years.
o Evaluation of 50,000-100,000 compounds.
NATURE'S TREASURES RESOURCE BASE
There are over 400,000 flowering plants in the World, less than 2 percent have been
exhaustively studied for their potential pharmacological activities and bioactive
chemicals constituents.
DRUGS FROM PLANTS
FUTURE PERSPECTIVE
o More acceptance for the phytotherapy.
o Use of biotechnology and genetic engineering for the production of plant-based
medicines (Cell culture, targeted biosynthesis, etc.).
o Demand of plant-based medicines for age-related diseases (autoimmune, and
degenerative diseases).
o Preventive medicines (antioxidants, vaccines, nutritional therapy, etc.) will be
more important.
o Many new diseases among the poorest due to microbial resistance and water
shortage.
PARADIGM SHIFT
Today, the worldwide health market is undergoing a product repolarization. People are
buying fewer pharmaceutical drugs and more health foods, preventive herbs and vitamins.
Good herbal products have tendency to make people sick less often.
TOP RETAILS HERBAL PRODUCTS IN EUROPE
Product
Species
Company
Annual Sales US $M
Tebonin
Ginko
Schwabe
200
Ginsana
Ginseng
50
Kwai
Garlic
Pharmaton/
Boehringer
Lichiwer
Efarmol/
Epogam
Evening
Primrose
40
Pharma
Scotia
30
(Source: Gruenwald and Buettel, 1996)
LEADING SUPPLIERS OF BOTANICAL RAW MATERIAL TO THE WORLD
MARKET
Company
Headquarters
Global
Sales US $ M
US
Sales US $ M
Martin Bauer
Group
Germany
>250
20-30
Indena
Schwelzerhall
Italy
Switzerland
>200
>200
>50
15-20
SKW
Trostburg
Germany
>100
10-15
ArkoPharma
France
>100
10-15
Botanicals
Int.
USA
>50
>50
(Source: NBJ June 1998)
MODERN MEDICINES OF PLANT ORIGIN
DRUG
CLINICAL USE
PLANT SOURCE
Ajmaline
Heart arrhythmia
Rauvolifa sp.
TRADITIONAL USE
Insanity
Atropine
Codeine
Colchicine
Anticholinergic
Analgesic, antitussive
Anti-tumour, gout
Atropa belladonna
Dilate pupil of eye
Papaver somniferum Analgesic, sedative
Colchicum autumnate Gout
Digoxin
Epherdine
Monocrotaline
Cardiotonic
Sympathomimetc
Antitumour agent
Digitalis purpurea
Ephedra sinica Stapf.
Crotalaria sessilifora
Cardiotonic
Chronic bronchitis
Skin cancer
Noscapine
Antitissive
Papaver somniferum
Analgesic, sedative
DRUGS FROM PLANTS
FUTUREPERSPECTIVE
The medicinal plants will continue to play this role as long as modern medicine continues
to be unable to meet the health care needs of people of the developed world.
PURE MEDICINES FROM NATURE
Brighter Side
Natural products offer a diversity of structures, which simply cannot be matched through
even the most active imagination of the synthetic organic Chemists.
PURE MEDICINES FROM NATURE
Darker Side
o Deconvolution is expensive and time-consuming.
o Results are often not reproducible.
o Yields are often very low.
o Synthesis is difficult due to complex structures and streochemistry.
o Access to biological material is increasingly difficult Intellectual Property right issues
are often very complex Patenting is difficult and complex.
NEW APPROACHES IN PLANT -BASED MEDICINES
o Rapid de-replication by machine-based methods (hyphenated techniques LC-MS, LCNMR, GC-MS etc.)
o Knowledge-based selection of plants (Ethnobotanic, chemotaxonomic,
zoopharmacognosy).
o Use of automated assay and high-throughput screening for bioassay- directed isolation.
NEW APPROACHES IN PLANT -BASED MEDICINES
o Combinatorial chemistry on plant extracts- Increasing the phytochemical diversity.
o Better control of the production of secondary metabolites by understanding the
ecological and stress factors.
o Structure modification of natural products via biological derivatization and semisynthetic methods.
o Computer-assisted structure elucidation of new natural products.
MEDICINES FROM PLANTS
Various Phases
o Defining Strategy.
o Selection and Collections.
o Extraction and Biological Evaluation.
o De-replication
o Isolation and Structure Determination.
o Biological Evaluation, Primary and Secondary Information Management.
MEDICINES FROM PLANTS
Defining Strategy
o Which disease will be targeted? What plants are to be used?
o Where and How Plant will be collected? How the plant will be extracted?
o Which primary bioassay will be used?
o Which secon4ary bioassay will be utilized?
The World in Next 50 Years
o 9.5 Billion by 2050
o 80% Reduction by 2050
o 45% Reduction by 2050
o Closer to 100 years
o More than 60% globally
Population
Fossil Fuel Resources
Rain Forests
Life Expectancy
Urban Population
The Role Of The Diaspora in the
Development Of The Science And
Technology Agenda For Africa
Gershwin T. Blyden M.D., Ph.D.
Executive Director,
Institute for Democracy in Africa
Miami, Florida,U.S.A.
The science and technology
agenda is a long range, ambitious
process; but one that is vitally
necessary if we, as a continent,
are to be in a position to control
our destiny.
We must not adopt a
quick fix approach.
We must start at the cradle
in order to create the
mindset for nascent minds
to develop into.
We have to develop a
critical mass of well
trained minds.
The significance of the of the
scientific mindset and the
importance of science and
technology must be understood
by the leaders of our
communities, both government
and private sector alike.
Members of the Diaspora
should demonstrate an added
sense of commitment towards
this science and technology
agenda. WHDN should play a
critical role in this initiative
Ongoing exchange programs
and communication should
be stressed at all times. Use
is to be made of the
electronic media.
The success of our agenda
and the engine that will drive
our agenda would be
dependent upon our ability to
develop and mold our young
minds.
Speech delivered by Gershwin Blyden, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director of the Institute
for Democracy in Africa at the 1st African Congress for Scientific Research,
Technology and Drug Industry December 13th-15th 2004, National Research Center of
Egypt.
Your Excellencies. My task here today is two fold: A) to moderate the
plenary session of this historic conference and to present a paper in this
plenary session on:
“The Role of the Diaspora in the Science and Technology Agenda For
Africa.”
At the outset, it cannot be overemphasized that much credit and
recognition must be given to the organizers of this conference. It is the
subject matter. The philosophy of and the concepts embodied in this
conference that highlight the significance of this meeting.
This conference will attempt to address the status of science and
technology on the continent. It will also explore what steps must be
taken to improve scientific and technological activity of the continent.
For it is ultimately the application of science and technology, performed
by the sons and daughters of this vast land, which will enable the
continent to reap its benefits and become empowered by so doing.
This plenary session should be an exciting one, and one which will give
us a good insight of the task at hand.
The first paper will be presented by Professor Khaled Dabees, President
of the African Society for Science Research & Technology (Egypt). His
talk is entitled, “Scientific Research: The Bridge From Obstacles to the
Future. The second paper will be presented by yours truly.
Following my presentation, Professor Johnson, Director for Human
Resources Science and Technology, African Union Commission, will
present, “Vision and Mission of the African Union Commission on
Scientific Research and Technology”.
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack, Senior Economist at the World Bank, will then
give his presentation on “The Science and Technology Development
Link: Historical Overview and Challenges for African Countries”.
The last paper in this session will be delivered by Wole Soboyejo,
President of the African Scientific Committee, Princeton University
U.S.A. The title of his paper is “Towards a Scientific and Research
Agenda for Africa”.
We have been allotted two hours for this plenary session. I would like
for each of the speakers to deliver their message in about twenty-five
minutes. I would further ask the audience to hold questions until all of
the speakers have presented. At the end, hopefully we would be able to
take approximately twenty to thirty minutes for questions, answers,
discussions, and recommendations.
[.…]
Let me now begin my presentation on the subject, “The Role of the
Diaspora in the Development of the Science and Technology Agenda
For Africa.
Let me again say how proud and privileged I am to be a part of this
historic occasion. I could not think of a more important conference as it
relates to the true development of the continent than this one.
The African Union is to be applauded once again for recognizing the
African Diaspora and the potential contributions this component of the
African family could play in the growth and development of the
continent. The African Union held a Diasporal conference in Trinidad
earlier this year to define the Diaspora and to address peculiarities
about this body.
As we prepare to address scientific research, science and technology
development on the continent, we must realize that there will be no
quick fixes to this monumental task We must establish at this juncture a
long-range plan with the necessary ingredients and critical approaches
to ensure success.
Before we can solve a problem, we must first understand the problem. It
is fitting that this first conference is being held in Egypt where we can
clearly see the expression of the scientific, innovative and technological
genius of our forefathers. We see the exploring nature of their ways and
their use of scientific principles to achieve their goals. Why for the most
part this approach for every day life has not flourished among the
continent and to some extent the Diaspora as well .It seems that our
mindset and approach to life has changed from scientific inquisition and
discovery to wait see, adopt, copy and follow. In studying the basis of
this it seems even the classroom this mentality is being fed. Well one
obvious reason for the perpetuation of this “follower attitude” is that
our leaders seldom see science as a number one agenda item. Few
seemingly recognize that empowerment will come about by mastering
the science and technology agenda. Only few among the Diaspora want
to be scientists.
What must we do at this juncture? We have to adopt a fundamental
approach to this problem. Thus we must start at the cradle! We must
realize that our task is to develop minds imbued with capabilities of
thinking scientifically, with exploratory tendencies and innovative
thoughts. To achieve this we must pay attention to the environment in
which we place these virgin minds. The environment in which they, are
housed, the environment that is going to feed them with information
and the environment in which they will live. We must therefore take
steps to define the ideal environment and to optimize our existing
environments to achieve the change necessary to allow us to achieve our
goal.
Since babies, children and young adults will be influenced by the adults
in their environment, it would be important that the adults of these
communities have the appropriate mindset. However, since it is difficult
to teach “old dogs new tricks”, it may be difficult to achieve this goal
overnight if at all. This would call for, then, at the very least, critical
masses of personnel with these skills, which will be able to influence the
development of this mindset.
In a further attempt to achieve this, strong emphasis should be placed
on science education at the elementary school level. We must liken these
minds to seeds. We must place them in the right environment for
optimum germination; then transplant them to fertile ground for future
development. We must use the fertilizers of life to enhance there mental
growth and development, using where and when necessary herbicidal
and insecticidal approaches to minimize the invasion of negative
elements and factors that too often have led to the stunting of the mental
growth and development of our children; and since children become
adults our communities ultimately become affected.
In my experience, science education is not taught well at the elementary
school level, not because the children are incapable of learning or
grasping the rudimentary aspects of the science, but because teachers
are too often ill equipped to deliver the message of science. Thus
elementary school teachers tend to shy away from teaching this
discipline. We must start therefore by having a cadre of well trained
teachers who could impart this scientific mindset into the elementary
students and the environment into which these students will grow .It is
not to be overlooked that one may have to have a greater understanding
of scientific concepts in order to impart this knowledge base to students
at the elementary level. This should not be overlooked in the selection of
teachers.
How may the Diaspora contribute to the Science and Technology
Agenda For Africa? I think in many ways.
First we must spread the message to our family in the Diaspora of the
heightened interest; in the development of the science and technology
infra structure in Africa. We must recognize those in the Diaspora who
have contributed to science and technology. This information must be
brought to the continent and particularly to our children. A couple of
years ago while, visiting a high school science class in one of the African
countries, I was amazed to find out that none of the students in this
chemistry class had ever heard of George Washington Carver. Not only
must we be aware of our science and technology forefathers we must be
prepared to keep an inventory of our current and future scientist and
these individuals would serve as catalysts, hope an aspirants of our
youth.
We must look into the lives of our scientists of the Diaspora to see what
made them successful. If for example one were to examine members
among the Diaspora who have achieved in science and medicine, a
significant percentage of these individuals, in retrospect, have had there
early up bringing in one of the Caribbean countries or from this
continent. What about this early childhood environment that tends to
support the eventual development of this scientific mindset.
A well-trained scientific mind is a relatively rare entity in our
communities. For this only comes about after years of molding. Those of
us in the Diaspora who have achieved this mind set must be encouraged
to impart this experience to the continent with primary emphasis being
placed on its delivery to the youth, teachers and leaders of the African
world. We would hope that the African scientist in the Diaspora would
feel an added sense of pride, commitment and obligation to awaking the
scientific genius that now lies dormant in many of us; And an so doing
enable the continent to ultimately emerge as a competitive bastion of
science and technology on par with or surpassing that which already
exists in places like United States, India, China and Europe.
We need to be able to exploit the natural examples of science at work in
the environments of the Diaspora so that members of the Diaspora can
tell these scientific and technological stories to the continent on a first
hand basis.
Exchange programs are to be encouraged at all levels. Sister school
relationships are to be developed. Science clubs are to be formed. Dual
experiments are to be conducted with comparison of results. These
activities should occur at all levels of the academic ladder. Well trained
science teachers should be encouraged to come from the Diaspora to the
continent to teach science, if only on an exchange or temporary basis.
Such activities will be mutually beneficial. Because of the vastness of the
continent, there will always be room for more science instruction.
We must instill the competitive spirit in our students. Just as we have
the cricket and soccer matches with their accompanying prizes and
much being at stake, we must elevate to higher level of involvement and
performance, science competitions and projects. There should be major
research, with emphasis on addressing African problem.
On a yearly basis there should be a an African Diasporal Science
Conference, held in Africa where the Diaspora will present their
scientific discoveries, based on work related to some aspect of an
Africa’s problems. In many instances these may be collaborative
projects.
In addition to research activity this conference will also serve to provide
science teacher workshops and demonstrations projects that might lead
to adaptations in the classroom and enlightenment of the communities
at large. There would also be ministerial and private sector components
to this conference, again; the major emphasis being placed on
infiltrating the scientific mind set into a greater cross section of the
community.
It is to be strongly recognized that unless the leaders of our countries
understand, buy into and support the significance of science and
technology, the maturation of this process will be stymied. Therefore
there should be constant communication between the science ministers
of respective governments and the Diaspora.
Several years ago, Singapore, recognizing that the biotechnology
revolution would change the face of the pharmaceutical industry, made
a commitment to train and expose its students to biotechnology. This
calculated maneuver will ensure the generation of a population of
Singapore citizens who would provide the basis for tomorrow’s
pharmaceutical industry. This model is worth noting and emulating.
The Diaspora can further be of tremendous assistance to this proposed
scientific and technology renaissance by helping to open the doors of the
institutions in which they work to increase the exposure of African
students faculty, staff, governmental and private sector individuals to
their respective institutions. Just prior to coming to Egypt, in browsing
through my alumni magazine, I saw where a Chinese delegation was
visiting the campus of Yale University.
Through the wisdom of WHADN, the Diaspora network is already in
the process of being established with this new science and technology
agenda, further emphasis should be placed on developing a more
comprehensive base of the scientific activities performed by our
Diasporas scientist. While we want to invent a new wheel or improve on
an existing wheel, we do not want to have to engage in reinventing the
existing wheel. Those of us who already know how to perform a
technique should be prepared to impart that knowledge to those who
have not been so exposed. This type of activity could occur at workshops
held at the annual African Diaspora Science Conference.
At the first WHADN conference held some two years ago I proposed the
establishment of the African scientific council comprised of the top
scientist of the continent with regional representation. This would be an
ultimate body that would be able to receive the scientific challenges of
the continent and to be in a position to outline an approach to
addressing such problems. There should emerge a similar Diasporal
Scientific Council, which would act as an inventory and clearinghouse
for research activity in the Diaspora as well. This would allow for a
more organized, and strategic communication on matters related to
science and technology between the continent and its Diaspora.
A special area of contribution is that or the Historically Black Colleges
and Universities in the United States of America. Dr. Karl Wright
Provost of Florida Memorial College, Miami, Florida has a prepared
presentation addressing this issue.
Time does not permit me to elaborate further on this awesome but
exciting task of developing the scientific and technology agenda for
Africa with emphasis on the role of the Diaspora. In closing, however, I
want to reemphasize the following:
1. The science and technology agenda is a long range ambitious
process but one that is vitally important if we as a continent are to
be in a position to control our destiny.
2. We must not adopt a quick fix approach.
3. We must start at the cradle in order to create the mindset for
these nascent minds to develop. We have to develop a critical mass
of well-trained minds.
4. The significance of the scientific mindset and the importance of
science and technology must be understood by the leaders of our
communities both government and private sector alike.
5. Members of the Diaspora should demonstrate an added sense of
commitment towards this science and technology agenda.
6. Ongoing exchange programs and communication should be
stressed at all times and at all levels.
7. The success of our agenda and the engine that will drive our
agenda would be dependent upon our ability to develop our young
minds.
EWE will have exchange programs at all levels of the academic civic
society and government levels.
The engine that will drive all of this is the development of the young
minds.