Pan African science agency forms unit to mobilize research funds

NAIROBI, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences (AAS) has formed an autonomous unit to help mobilize financial support for Research and innovation, an official said on Friday.

Felix Dapare Dakora, president of AAS said the Coalition for African Research and Innovation (CARI) will help bridge financing gaps in scientific Research and innovations across the continent.

"The continent accounts for only 1.3 percent of the money spent globally on Research and development hence the inability to train adequate scientists," said Dakora when he met a team from European Research Council (ERC) led by its president, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon.

Dakora said that CARI will foster a systematic collaboration between governments, organizations and individuals to ensure that Research funds are pooled for the benefit of the continent.

"The approach will reduce the fragmentation of resources and inculcate innovative approach to conducting Research," said Dakora

He said CARI is expected to change the status quo by leveraging resource mobilization for investment, undertaking strategic advocacy to harness leadership and fostering systematic collaboration to coordinate Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Africa.

He revealed that plans were underway to expand AAS to make it an African STI oasis providing a space to nurture scientific ideas and provide African governments with the trust-worthy, locally-relevant evidence needed to yield game-changing financial and philanthropic funding commitments.

"It would be ecologically sustainable, a place where recycling, solar energy and organic sustenance would prevail," said Dakora.

He revealed that its futuristic design approach incorporates technologically-advanced buildings that could ably support state-of-the-art data generation and collation.

"We are keen at making contributions to programs that are aimed at sustainable development and boosting employment, competitiveness and growth in Africa," said Stefano Dejak, ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Kenya.

He said that science and technology are key components of the Africa-EU partnership and will strive to ensure that the projects picks up and benefit ordinary citizens.