2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Enhancing African STEM Research and Capacity with International Collaboration

Research in STEM-related fields has doubled in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade and vastly improved in quality. The improvements in research capacity that enabled these successes have been closely tied to the high levels of international collaboration between African-based researchers and those in Western countries. A 2014 report by the World Bank and Elsevier, A Decade of Development in Sub-Saharan African Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Research, found that international collaboration is a major driver of African research and its impact and visibility. In many cases, Africa still lacks sufficient production and absorption capacity to independently produce quality research, in particular in STEM-related fields. In response, African higher education and research networks, such as the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences and African Research Universities Alliance, are developing strategies to overcome this gap. This symposium provides evidence-based metrics, case studies, and policy recommendations demonstrating successful, sustainable, and beneficial research collaboration between Africa and the international research community. Speakers will focus primarily on Africa’s existing research talent and capacity, and on ways to generate Africa-centric, research-driven solutions to best address African social, health, and economic issues.