Knowledge for Development

S&T Organisations / Web resources


African MSc students' work published in the African Crop Science Journal

African MSc students funded through the SCARDA project, with assistance from RUFORUM, have had fifteen research papers published in a Special Issue of the African Crop Science Journal. SCARDA (Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa) was a 4-year project that ended in December 2010 (NRI, 25/05/2012)

11/07/2012


Kenya: The SCINNOVENT Centre

The centre is a Kenyan based research and training centre on science, innovation and enterprise. Its objective is to respond to the needs of the end-user (including farmers, entrepreneurs, innovators) on the one hand; and decision-makers (including policymakers, technocrats, business leaders and industry practitioners) on the other hand, by providing the knowledge, information, tools and skills that enhance their capabilities for innovation, decision-making and wealth creation. The Centre will support research, promote dialogue and facilitate training. They will also target Africa’s young professionals.

13/04/2012


Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science and Technology set to open in 2011

The first phase of the Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania will be completed mid 2011. The institution's vice chancellor Prof. Burton Mwamila indicated that students’ admission would start in late 2011. He pointed out that the college would only enrol students who will pursue post-graduate degrees (doctorate and masters) in various scientific and engineering disciplines. Students would be enrolled from 18 African countries which have shown interest in the project. Nearly half a dozen other colleges/campuses are being set up in other parts of the continent under the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The Arusha campus is devoted to science and technology.(Source: The Citizen, Tanzania; 27 December 2010)

14/02/2011


Caribbean Science and Agriculture Film and Video Competition for Young Professionals – Phase 1

Last December, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation – ACP/EU (CTA), the Caribbean Council for Science and Technology (CCST), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the University of the West Indies (UWI), the National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (NIHERST) and the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company (TTFC) hosted a training workshop on film and video production for successful entrants who had participated in Phase 1 of the Caribbean Science and Agriculture Film and Video Competition for Young Professionals. The training included script writing and the importance of research; camera and lighting techniques; microphone & audio techniques; interviewing tips & techniques; editing/post production techniques; introduction to Adobe Photoshop for video editors and Adobe After Effects and creating 2D Animation in after effects. Entries were received from 39 teams from eight countries; Jamaica, Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Haiti, Grenada, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago and 60 members received training. Five teams have opted to use animation while the majority of teams prefer to utilize the video or film medium. Themes for the productions include “New technologies and youth in agriculture” which is by far the dominant category, followed by “importance of agricultural innovation” and “climate change”. Other topics included water scarcity, biotechnology, and exploring niche markets. The next phase of the competition will be the production and submission of the final film or video for screening and evaluation. Organizers will provide the young professionals with mentors to ensure the scientific and technical merit of their final submissions. An awards ceremony will be held later this year when the short listed teams will vie for the top awards. The pieces will be aired on stations throughout the region and hopefully will also be used in classroom teaching.(Source: CCST, January 2011)

14/02/2011


Teaching science and technology : the case of Senegal

A study produced recently by researchers in Senegal and Belgian experts focusing on the ‘Science and technology’ (S&T) programme of the national education strategy shows that the greatest obstacles to the selection and completion by students of studies in science and technology in schools, colleges and universities are the shortage of teachers, especially in rural areas, the lack of proper lab equipment to conduct experiments and a over-formal, antiquated method of teaching S & T that is too abstract for students. Abdoulaye Samb, co-author of the study, professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar (UCAD) and member of the Academy of Sciences of Senegal, proposes to build ‘Scientific and technical blocks’ (BST) that would boost the teaching of S & T. The BST are special schools built to help improve quality and quantity of S & T teaching. Their mission is to teach students the experimental approach and the scientific method (more details on the BST in Senegal can be found here in french). (Source : Allafrica, 8 december 2010.)

14/02/2011


Jamaica Rural Youth Employment Project

This project contributes to the reduction of rural youth unemployment by increasing the ability of youths to access sustainable livelihood options. This will be achieved by capacitating rural youth through the provision of skills training and increased access to post harvest production facilities. The project aims at increasing the number of youths in the targeted communities within the parishes of St Thomas, St Ann, Trelawny and Manchester, who are actively employed or earning a living directly or indirectly through agriculture. The project which is made possible through the US1.25 million support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is an initiative of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MOA) and other stakeholders. “Applicants must have a business idea in either agriculture or agroprocessing”(Source: SRC Jamaica, End Date : December 2012)

5/11/2010


Rwanda: 200 girls to be sponsored in science and technology

The Equal Opportunity Programme, a two-year project that is coordinated under the Rwandan Ministry of Education and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), targets to enroll a total of 200 young women in tertiary institutions by the end of 2011. According to the project coordinator, Diogene Mulindahabi, the goal of the project is to improve science and technology and industrial skills base by building the capacity of female students. At least 100 girls will, by the end of this year, be selected to join higher institutions of learning pursuing science and technology courses. The young women are currently undergoing a six-month training in science subjects, were selected from all over the country with the help of the national examinations body. The programme will help raise the participation of women in science and technology fields which is still weak at the level of higher education. (Source: AllAfrica, 21 August 2010)

5/11/2010


Rwanda: 200 girls to be sponsored in science and technology

The Equal Opportunity Programme, a two-year project that is coordinated under the Rwandan Ministry of Education and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), targets to enroll a total of 200 young women in tertiary institutions by the end of 2011. According to the project coordinator, Diogene Mulindahabi, the goal of the project is to improve science and technology and industrial skills base by building the capacity of female students. At least 100 girls will, by the end of this year, be selected to join higher institutions of learning pursuing science and technology courses. The young women are currently undergoing a six-month training in science subjects, were selected from all over the country with the help of the national examinations body. The programme will help raise the participation of women in science and technology fields which is still weak at the level of higher education. (Source: AllAfrica, 21 August 2010)

5/11/2010


Nigeria: government donates science kits to schools

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has donated science kits to selected junior secondary schools across the country. The kits, which contain basic science equipment, accessories, charts and models, where distributed in every provincial state. They are meant to improve the quality of teaching and learning, as well as to change the negative perception that students have about science subjects. Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa'I, said the intervention was a wakeup call for states to complement the federal government effort by procuring more kits until all junior secondary schools have adequately benefited from the initiative. (Source: AllAfrica, 25 August 2010)

5/11/2010


Naparima Girls High School celebrates 27 scholarship winners

Naparima Girls’ High School, South Trinidad, celebrated its scholarship winners at a special assembly on 20 September 2010. The school received 27 scholarships, including three open scholarship winners —Zoe Pierre (Mathematics Open), Lynda Sirju (Mathematics Open), Amanda Sang (Science Open). Principal Patricia Ramgoolam congratulated the winners, especially mathematics (open) winner, Pierre. Ramgoolam said she was an example of the holistic student. She said in addition to being head girl, she was involved in the choir and drama festival. ‘She also did volunteer work with one of the primary schools but still managed to excel,’ she added. During the assembly at the school’s auditorium, the scholarship winners were able to share their experiences of form six. They explained to the younger students how they managed their studies, while still finding the time to be involved in extracurricular activities and community service. (Source: Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Online, 21 September 2010)

5/11/2010


Academic support extended to female students bearing fruitful outcomes in Eritrea

The National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) program is dedicated to improving the skills and awareness of Eritrean youth. In a meeting held in Barentu town (Eritrea), it was disclosed that the academic tutorial support extended to female students of 12 schools in Gash-Barka region is registering impressive progress in improving their capacity and increasing their number. The head of the NUEYS branch in Gash-Barka region, Mr. Luigi Husein, said that the tutorial classes have increased female enrollment. The program has opened educational opportunities for 500 young students and has enabled them to bring about tangible change in their academic performance. The tutorial classes provided to these students mainly focuses on English and math, including other subjects, in addition to material and financial support. Female students who scored highest mark in the national Grade 8 examination received awards. (Source: Shabbait, 26 September 2010)

5/11/2010


Academic support extended to female students bearing fruitful outcomes in Eritrea

The National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) program is dedicated to improving the skills and awareness of Eritrean youth. In a meeting held in Barentu town (Eritrea), it was disclosed that the academic tutorial support extended to female students of 12 schools in Gash-Barka region is registering impressive progress in improving their capacity and increasing their number. The head of the NUEYS branch in Gash-Barka region, Mr. Luigi Husein, said that the tutorial classes have increased female enrollment. The program has opened educational opportunities for 500 young students and has enabled them to bring about tangible change in their academic performance. The tutorial classes provided to these students mainly focuses on English and math, including other subjects, in addition to material and financial support. Female students who scored highest mark in the national Grade 8 examination received awards. (Source: Shabbait, 26 September 2010)

5/11/2010


The 2010 ‘South African Women in Science’ Awards

South Africa Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor has acknowledged the country's leading female scientists through the 2010 Women in Science Awards ceremony. The awards are part of an effort to increase the number of female scientists and researchers in South Africa, to facilitate women's access to research professions and to identify scientists and researchers as role models for younger women and girls. The research fields that received awards include the life sciences, social sciences and humanities. (Source: AllAfrica, 13 August 2010)

5/11/2010


IDRC Internship Awards

IDRC’s Internship Awards provide exposure to research for international development through a program of training in research management and grant administration under the guidance of IDRC program staff. Internships are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences in research program management - in the creation, dissemination and utilization of knowledge from an international perspective. The interns will undertake a program of research on the topic submitted when competing for the internship award during a part (often around 50%) of their time. For approximately 50% of the remainder of the time, the selected candidates will be expected to provide support to management and program staff. Deadline: September 12, 2010

30/06/2010


TWAS - AAS & Microsoft in joint initiative to award grants

Microsoft Research in partnership with The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) and The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) has established the TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists for the three year period 2009-2011. The prize has been established to recognize young scientists working and living in Africa whose research in computer science has had, or could have, a positive impact in the developing world. Nominations will be submitted to TWAS and will include details of the candidate’s achievements in relation to the prize, together with the names of two referees.Deadline: 31 July 2010.

30/06/2010


South Africa: National Science Week

National Science Week, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is a countrywide celebration of science involving various stakeholders and/or role players conducting science-based activities. National Science Week is run in all nine provinces simultaneously at multiple sites per province. The focus week will run from Monday 2 August to Saturday 7 August 2010. In addition to contributing to science, engineering and technology among various sections of the population, the National Science Week is intended to expose the public, educators and learners to science-based careers, particularly disadvantaged sections of the population.

3/05/2010


What is TWAS/BioVisionAlexandria.NXT?

The TWAS/BioVisionAlexandria.NXT(BVA.NXT) initiative was launched in BioVisionAlexandria 2008, where the Bibliotheca Alexandrina hosted 99 young scientists from 27 developing countries to discuss the problems these scientists face when conducting research in their respective countries. TWAS/BVA.NXT 2010 will be the second BioVisionAlexandira.NXT to be organized in Alexandria. It will revolve around one of the main concerns of every researcher in developing countries Publishing Scientific Papers in the Developing World. One hundred young researchers (below the age of 35 and holding a Masters or PhD) will be selected to participate in the event, of which 15% will be NXT alumni from both developed and developing countries to promote networking and to ensure the stability and continuity of the program. The event will start on 10 April 2010, and will include various panels and roundtable discussions where the young scientists will be offered the opportunity to meet distinguished scientists, as well as editors and reviewers from several prestigious scientific journals with whom they will share their views regarding the obstacles they face when publishing their research, and explore ways in which they could overcome them. Moreover, each young researcher will demonstrate his/her project/research in the poster session. Furthermore, the young scientists will be invited to participate in the 5-day BioVisionAlexandria Conference program. TWAS will contribute partially to the air tickets. Priority will be given to applied research and research meeting society's needs. Registration will be closed upon reaching 120 applicants. N.B. Limited places are available.Click this link for more information.

Saturday 10 April 2010 - Thursday 15 April 2010


Ugunja Community Resource Centre : Sustainable Development in Western Kenya through Networking, Knowledge Exchange and Service Provision

Ugunja Community Resource Centre (UCRC) was founded in 1988 in Siaya District of western Kenya. UCRC was initially established to provide the local community with access to information and to develop a range of programs for alleviating poverty within the region. In 1997 UCRC registered as a Community Based Organization (CBO) and in 2004 registered under section 10 of the Non Government Organization (NGO) Act. UCRC acts as an umbrella organization for more than 60 local community groups including women, children, youth, farmers and people with disabilities. UCRC strives to: Promote networking and strengthen both groups and individuals on appropriate technologies for environmental development Provide information which is readily available and accessible to groups and individuals regarding appropriate technologies for environmental development. Provide a forum for sharing and exchanging information Facilitate resource mobilization in promoting group activities Find out more about Ugunja Community Resource Centre via the link provided.

22/10/2009


Youth Education Scheme (YES) Granting of a Scholarship

The “Youth Education Scheme (YES)” is one of the cornerstones of the ITU-D “Children and Youth” Special Initiative, in support of needy and deserving young people, from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), developing countries and countries in transition who wish to complete their tertiary education in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and related fields. The objective is to enable motivated young people to contribute to the development of their communities, country and region using their achieved ICT knowledge and skills.

24/03/2009


Zambia: Women media body highlights agro coverage hurdles

The International Women Media Foundation (IWMF) has challenged the media to highlight the big role women play in the development of agriculture. IWMF board member, Tom Mshindi said women in Sub Sahara Africa contributed 70 per cent to agricultural production but for a long time, the media had not brought out that fact. (Source: Sylvia Mweetwa, Times of Zambia, 24 February 2009)

24/03/2009