Leaders Support Accelerating Excellence in Science

Leaders Support Accelerating Excellence in Science

By Justine Wangui (ScienceAfrica correspondent)
Email: justinewangui@gmail.com
 

African leaders support the establishment of the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), a science funding pan-African Platform created by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in collaboration with NEPAD Agency, a technical body of African Union (AU).

The recent 24th Summit of AU Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, endorsed the establishment of the platform. When announcing AESA at a recent meeting of twenty African Academies, the AAS President Prof. Aderemi Kuku referred to this development as, ‘‘a new dawn for science development on the continent.’’ AESA is set to strengthen long-term development of research leadership, scientific excellence and innovation that impact on Africa’s developmental challenges. It will also identify challenges hindering rapid scientific advancement in Africa, run open calls for proposals with transparent review processes, and actively manage grants among others.

 AESA will as well promote the collaborative and coordinated implementation of the Africa Union’s (AU) Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024) in the area of health. Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD Agency said that NEPAD is ready to offer relentless support to African institutions in addressing health matters.  “NEPAD Agency is committed to work with African institutions in applying science, technology and innovation in addressing Africa’s challenges in health and is therefore pleased to draw upon the capacity that resides at the African Academy of Sciences to establish AESA.”

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Welcome Trust and UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) have already recognized and offered financial support to AESA saying that we welcome the African Union’s recent call to establish the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA). AESA will be formally launched during the next AU summit in June 2015 in South Africa.