In the media - 2008

• Mozambique to launch science parks for development
  29 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  The Mozambican government will develop four 'science parks' to encourage scientists to find solutions for health and infrastructure.
  
  
• Egypt to host first Northern African nanotech centre
  10 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  A partnership between Egypt and IBM will establish the first regional nanotechnology research centre in Cairo.
  
  
• Zambia's molecular biology lab ' fully functioning' at last
  7 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  Zambia's first molecular laboratory is fully active after years of setbacks, and will prioritise the detection of genetically modified crops.
  
  
• Europe backs African research grants project
  6 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  African and European officials have identified six science and technology projects, including a scheme for research grants, for priority funding.
  
  
• Malawi joins Africa-wide science and development survey
  3 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  Malawi has signed up to contribute to an Africa-wide initiative to gauge the impact of science on development.
  
  
• Rwanda set for first research endowment fund
  1 October 2008, SciDev.Net
  Rwanda plans to launch its first endowment fund for researchers in early 2009, with priority areas including agriculture and biotechnology.
  
  
• Biotechnology 'no cure-all' for food insecurity
  26 September 2008, SciDev.Net
  Biotechnology will not offer the full solution to Africa's food problems, warn scientists at the All Africa Congress on Biotechnology.
  
  
• African agricultural research 'neglected ' by donor policies
  24 September 2008, SciDev.Net
  A UN report cites a lack of emphasis on agricultural research in development policy as a key reason for African farming problems.
  
  
• Shortage of engineers bites
  2 September 2008, The Citizen
  Tanzania needs to train about of 20,000 engineers annually if it is to catch up with developed countries.
  
  
• Accept GM, urges senior African Union official
  29 August 2008, SciDev.Net
  A senior African Union (AU) official has urged African presidents to cast aside any apprehension about allowing genetically modified (GM) crops to be grown commercially in their countries.
  
  
• Ghana, Madagascar, Mali get agricultural revamp
  19 June 2008, SciDev.Net
  African small-scale farmers will benefit from the rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure, with Ghana, Madagascar and Mali first in line.
  
  
• African molecular biologists receive European boost
  18 June 2008, SciDev.Net
  South Africa has signed an agreement with the European Molecular Biology Association, providing African molecular biologists access to greater resources.
  
  
• G8 should support high-speed web access in Africa
  3 June 2008, SciDev.Net
  Calestous Juma argues that G8 countries should support provision of cheap, fast Internet access in Africa - particularly to universities.
  
  
• Finances 'almost there' for west African super-cable
  3 June 2008 , SciDev.Net
  Financial arrangements are almost in place for a new African super-cable — bringing cheaper broadband access closer to reality.
  
  
• EU Strengthen Co-Operation in Research, Education
  7 May 2008, AllAfrica.com
  South Africa and the European Union (EU) agreed on further cooperation at a meeting in Pretoria. Forty-seven South African scientists are taking part in the EU's Seventh Framework Programme, receiving over six million Euros in funding for research in sectors such as aeronautics and nuclear energy. New priorities for future work include information and communication technologies, and biotechnology.
  
  
• New science ministry — and minister — for Kenya
  22 April 2008, SciDev.Net
  Kenya has created a new ministry that will bring together scientists and university researchers — and appointed a new minister to run it.
  
  
• Africa’s bioethics legal system about to see the light
  22 April 2008, Research Africa
  Africa will soon have its first legal framework for bioethics if the bureau of African conference of ministers for science and technology (Amcost) agrees to a proposal for its establishment.
  
  
• Who was asleep as GM maize entered Kenya?
  22 April 2008, Research Africa
  Revelations that Kenyan farmers may be planting genetically modified maize seeds have sparked a chorus of denial, accusation and counter-accusation.
  
  
• US$40 million funding boost for African researchers
  15 April 2008, SciDev.Net
  The UK-based medical charity the Wellcome Trust announced last week (11 April) that it would give £20 million (nearly US$40 million) towards training scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
• World risks 'scientific apartheid', says top African scientist
  15 April 2008, SciDev.Net
  The world risks "scientific apartheid" between rich and poor countries unless research and technology is better used to benefit the poor, says one of Africa's leading science experts.
  
  
• Uganda gives go-ahead to biotechnology policy
  11 April 2008, SciDev.Net
  Uganda has approved its first National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy, for promotion and regulation of biotechnology use.
  
  
• PhD boost takes off in Ethiopia
  25 March 2008, Research Africa
  Ethiopia has embarked on a programme to expand its graduate programmes. Its biggest university, which traditionally focused on undergraduate training, is doubling and tripling its output of master’s and PhD students.
  
  
• AU and Nepad science divisions bury hatchet
  25 March 2008, Research Africa
  The continent's top science policy bodies have agreed on a plan to overcome their differences and avoid duplication in the future. The move follows a period of conflict between the two that has hampered the implementation of the pan-African Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) for science.
  
  
• Place your bets now
  25 March 2008, Research Africa
  Nigeria’s scientists have waited a long time for the country’s federal government to put its money where its mouth is and boost funding for science. Abiose Adelaja reports on a sector tired of holding its breath.
  
  
• World Bank Report - Building STI Capacity in Rwanda
  2 April 2008, SciDev.Net
  
  
• African finance ministers 'must boost R&D spending'
  9 March 2008, SciDev.Net
  African finance ministers have been urged to increase funding for R&D in order to boost innovation systems on the continent.
  
  
• MEPs call for increased involvement of African scientists in R&D
  21 February 2008, European Parliament Press Service
  In adopting a joint resolution on the importance of supporting measures to improve international scientific cooperation with Africa, the European Parliament underlines the need to increase the involvement of African scientists in international collaborative science and R&D projects in order to keep and develop R&D knowledge in Africa, in particular in specific sectors such as food, health and energy.
  
  
• Why Uganda's science policies are failing to bear fruit
  6 February 2008, The Monitor
  Over the years, the government has pursued an ambitious policy of enforcing science subjects in a bid to boost the move towards industrialisation. However, the results on the ground doesn't match the ambition.
  
  
• Sub-Saharan Africa needs S&T policy help
  5 February 2008, Research Africa
  Many sub-Saharan African science policies are "vacuous", "uncritical" and "fairly inappropriate", according to a study published last month. The study was presented at a symposium for research policy experts in Paris, France, and identifies a need to support African governments in policy development.
  
  
• ASIF and 1% ambition benchmarks for 2008
  22 January 2008, Research Africa
  What is in store for African science in 2008? This issue of Research Africa, we depart from our usual format to take a look back at the year that was < and forward to the challenges of the one to come.
  
  
• The battle that remains to be fought
  22 January 2008, Research Africa
  In an editorial, Research Africa's Linda Nordling looks at the successes and setbacks from 2007 in the arena of African science and innovation policy and comments on the philosophical shift towards self-reliability in the funding debate.
  
  
• One worth fighting for
  22 January 2008, Research Africa
  Looking at progress on the continent in reaching the goal of spending 1 percent of GDP on R&D by 2010, Research Africa finds frustration with progress to date and skepticism among some policymakers and scientists as to the sincerity of the pledge. But it also finds a large group of people who believe Africa can still win this race against time.