Research In Africa (Research, Innovation and Commercialisation)

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Developing countries will benefit from creating more opportunities that allow women to make full use of their scientific capabilities. One reason frequently cited for the low level of scientific activity in the developing world is a lack of resources. Yet there is a readily available resource that, for a complex web of social and cultural reasons, is still too often neglected in these regions: the brainpower of their women. The picture is not uniformly bleak. Women play a significant role in the research community in Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, where they make up almost half (45.0 per cent) of ...

Students checking for their names from the University Government Sponsorship list at Makerere University

The tendency of Ugandan universities to split courses has eroded our intellectual output, thus putting our economy at stake. Several course units have been expanded into courses, thus every year, a chunk of graduates are out on streets without employment. I do not think there is much sense in splitting a course. For example, teaching procurement as a full course at a time when Bcom( Bachelor of commerce) students have the option of specialising in the same field gives Bcom students an upper hand to outcompete procurement graduates in the job market. This implies that in a few years, we will ...

Women teachers can help bridge the science gender gap

More women teachers and better teaching methods will encourage girls to engage with science, says science educator Minella Clutario Alarcon. The lack of women scientists in high positions is quite common in both developed and developing countries. But in many developing countries, women find it particularly difficult to participate in science. Several obstacles stand in their way: negative attitudes arising from cultural and societal values; the decreasing number of science and mathematics teachers; persistent use of outdated methods of teaching science; and a lack of government support for promoting state-of-the-art methods in science education. Cultural attitudes and societal values can be a significant ...

Creating a climate for policy change in Malawi

A conflict between climate adaptation and food security policies shows we must create the right conditions for change, says Blessings Chinsinga. The adverse effects of climate change on the livelihoods of the rural poor can no longer be ignored. They are threatening to cause tremendous damage to agriculture, which is a critical source of income for most people around the world. This alarming prospect has triggered a wide range of actions to manage the adverse effects of climate change. These actions are both short- and long-term — communities have to build the capacity to deal with the immediate effects of climate change, ...

Women in science: still an untapped resource

Developing countries will benefit from creating more opportunities that allow women to make full use of their scientific capabilities. One reason frequently cited for the low level of scientific activity in the developing world is a lack of resources. Yet there is a readily available resource that, for a complex web of social and cultural reasons, is still too often neglected in these regions: the brainpower of their women. The picture is not uniformly bleak. Women play a significant role in the research community in Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, where they make up almost half (45.0 per cent) of ...

Africa Analysis: Don’t miss this Research and Development data goldmine

Source: SCIEDEV 'Hard' data are rare in Africa, and journalists mostly have to make do with rough estimates and half-empty spreadsheets. So we should pore over fresh new data sets when they appear, shouldn't we? It seems not. Last month, the African Union finally launched the first African Innovation Outlook — a survey of African research, development and innovation activity. It may contain research and development (R&D) figures for only 13 of Africa's 50 or so countries, but it's the most detailed picture yet of what the continent spends on science. But coverage so far in the media has been disappointing, which is ...

Time for Africa to harness smart grid technologies

Sub-Saharan Africa can improve access to electricity services by adapting 'Smart Grid' technologies to suit the region's pressing needs, say energy experts led by Morgan Bazilian, special advisor to the director-general of UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). At least 585 million people lack access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa and this is set to increase to 652 million by 2030 — the target year for an ambitious goal of assuring universal access to modern energy, set by the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change. To meet this goal, the region will need to develop extensive electricity infrastructure. Bazilian and ...

Telecommunication Transformatio

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Environmental impact research urged for fish farming

More research and sharing of best practice could minimise the environmental impacts of aquaculture, and maximise its potential to alleviate food insecurity, according to a report by the WorldFish Center and the non-profit organisation Conservation International. Almost half of all seafood consumed originates from aquaculture — the farming of aquatic animals and plants in coastal and inland areas — according to the report 'Blue Frontiers: Managing the environmental costs of aquaculture', launched last week (14 June). Production reached nearly 66 million tonnes in 2008, and the report projects that this could increase to up to 110 million tonnes by 2030. "The growth ...