Empowering African Science: Enhancing Research and Collaboration through Remote Access and Networking

Fostering global scientific collaboration is vital to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. Yet, scientists in Africa are often hindered from effectively contributing to global scientific advancements, often due to barriers such as access to cutting-edge research facilities, including laboratories, specialized equipment and data sources. Moreover, financial constraints, geographical distances and administrative barriers further compound the issue, preventing African researchers from engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations and staying at the forefront of their respective fields.

Remote access and networking offer a significant opportunity for overcoming some of these barriers. These new working methods include leveraging digital technologies, data-sharing platforms, and virtual collaboration tools, to empower researchers to conduct experiments, access equipment, and collaborate with colleagues around the world – all from their home institutions. Such a groundbreaking approach has the potential to revolutionize scientific collaboration, democratize access to knowledge, and amplify the impact of African research on a global scale. This Seminar, moderated by Mr Mohamed Elfarnawany, Director of the Division of Priority Africa Coordination from UNESCO, provided the opportunity to discuss the implementation details of remote facilities initiatives, areas to be improved, partnerships and funding opportunities, as well as the potential for contributing to South-South cooperation.

Opening remarks were given by H.E. Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science Technology & Innovation of the African Union who set the tone of the debate, saying that “Africa is banking on science practices for knowledge sharing and research expansion as a pathway to inspire new innovations. Open science is an awakening not just for Africa, but for the rest of the world.” He underscored that open science is guided by key principles such as open access to data, fair data, fair meaning findable, accessible, interoperable, interpretable and reusable data, it also implies inclusive and participatory citizen science. 

He pointed to examples of open science on the continent, such as the African Union space programme Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa, as well as initiatives which supports monitoring of oceanic climate conditions for fishers in Ghana or drought monitoring in East Africa. What is now needed, he opined, is federated infrastructure, including policies and practices to support open science in this digital era and networks of excellence that maximize the scientific, social and economic benefits of this open science.

Restating UNESCO's commitment to empowering the scientific community in Africa, Mr. Anthony Kwaku Ohemeng-Boamah, Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations, added in his opening remarks the importance of transforming knowledge for Africa's future and empowering African science through innovative solutions. He underscored that remote access and networking “is not just about bridging a logistical gap, it is about redefining important elements of scientific collaboration and innovation.”

Open science: an awakening for Africa and the world

Prof. Lise Korsten, President of African Academy of Sciences, delivered a first keynote on the role of her institution promoting regional programs and initiatives such as African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence Pilot Programme (ARISE) which is developing the capacity of scientists in 38 countries. She also shared initiatives such as the South African Bioimaging Consortium and the Biobanks, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach. Furthermore, she advocated for science special visas to enable the free movement of scientists within the continent “as science knows no boundary”. 

The second keynote, by Prof. Awadelkarim discussed the innovative approach of remote access to equipment in the field of nanotechnology and material science. Known as the Remotely Accessible Instruments of Nanotechnology (RAIN) network, the approach involves broadcasting experiments and measurements over the internet in real-time, allowing students to interact with and analyse specimens remotely. It has proven to be a strong model for collaboration and knowledge exchange, suggesting its potential applicability in African countries, especially in regions with advanced technological capabilities.

A panel discussion, moderated by Ms Amal Kasry, Chief of Section of Basic Sciences, Research Innovation, and Engineering of UNESCO opened the discussion with Prof. Claude Lecomte from Université de Lorraine shared insights into the Support for Training and Research through Distance Measures (Appui à la formation et la recherche à travers les mesures à distance - AFRAMED) project. This initiative provided remote access training on single crystal diffractometers to African scientists and building a collaborative scientific network and Dr Erik Ziki, a researcher from Cote d'Ivoire and beneficiary of the project, attested to the importance of being able to access such sophisticated equipment for research.

Ms Jansie Niehaus, the Executive Director of the South Africa National Science and Technology Forum, discussed the STEMulator project—an online learning platform designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in South Africa. While distinct from remote access initiatives, the STEMulator complements them by providing visual and interactive content to attract learners to the world of STEM. Prof. Malik Maaza, the UNESCO Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from the University of South Africa, noted that since the African Union – New Partnership for the Development of Africa (Nouveau Partenariat pour le développement de l'Afrique NEPAD) initiative, launched in 2001, shifted the regional dynamic. He shed light on the role of African Ministerial Council for Science and Technology (AMCOST) in initiating continental platforms and flagship projects, showcasing Africa's increasing commitment to science and technology, and advocated for the implementation of remote access as a solution to bridge the training gap experienced by emerging young scientists and senior researchers. 

Ms Awa Bousso Dramé, the winner of the L'Oreal Women in Science Young Talent and founder of CoastGIS in Senegal and Cabo Verde, focused on the role of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and the potential benefits of shared lab facilities in empowering female scientists. Her emphasis on creating a supportive research environment, inclusive policies, and opportunities for skills development highlighted the broader societal impact of advancing scientific research. In summarizing the discussion, Mr Shaofeng Hu, Director of the Division of Science Policies and Basic Sciences from UNESCO, mentioned the upcoming International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, which was positioned as a crucial opportunity to advance remote access in Africa, aligning with the broader global agenda.