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People & Power: Africa Needs More Women In Science, Opinion

People & Power: Africa Needs More Women In Science, Opinion

The first female president of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is scheduled to speak July 21 in London at a Planet Earth Institute conference.

A charity that describes itself as having “African science and technology at its heart,” the Planet Earth Institute has U.K. headquarters and an office in Angola. It works for scientific independence of Africa.

President Gurib-Fakim spent much of her career as a biodiversity scientist researching medical and nutritional potential of indigenous plants in Mauritius.

She’ll be speaking tomorrow in London at the #ScienceAfrica UnConference, put together by Planet Earth Institute. The conference will bring together 200-plus delegates interested in how business can do more for Africa’s scientific development.

Álvaro Sobrinho is an Angolan philanthropist, businessman and chairman of the Planet Earth Institute.

If Africans are truly committed to spurring scientific and technological advancement on the continent, they must ensure that women are better represented in science, he said in a HuffingtonPost report.

Besides the president of Mauritius,  other speakers on the agenda at the ScienceAfrica UnConference include: Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa; Sandy Tickodri-Togboa, Minister of Higher Education, Uganda; Mary Teuw Niane, Minister of Higher Education, Senegal; Shiferaw Shigute, Minister of Education, Ethiopia; Goolam Mohamedbhai GOSK, Former Secretary General, Association of African Universities; Alan Kalton, Commercial Director, IBM Research-Africa; and Cosmas Milton Obote Ochieng, Executive Director, ACTS.

The conference is “for all those who share a passion for Africa and want to help build a movement for sustainable development on the continent,” according to the Planet Earth Institute website.

From HuffingtonPostUK. Opinion piece by Álvaro Sobrinho.

If we are to ensure that the continent remains an attractive place to do business and that sustainable development is a reality for all, we must redouble efforts to increase African countries’ scientific and technical output.

As the biggest source of job creation and a recognized engine of growth, private sector companies can and should spur scientific and technological advancement for the continent.

First of all, they can help equip Africa’s young and ambitious population with scientific and technical skills. For example, they can help fill the much documented skills gap by partnering with local universities to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) curricula. Businesses could help cash-strapped faculties design courses that equip graduates with both a deep understanding of science and technology, as well as practical workplace skills.

For instance, Phillips unveiled a state-of-the-art medical training simulation lab on the University of Johannesburg’s campus in recognition of the lack of trained and skilled healthcare professionals on the continent. As a result, students will gain exposure to current medical technologies and prepare them to succeed in a high- pressure work environment. This can help companies to reduce the costs of investing in workforce training, as well as assist universities to market themselves as destinations for ambitious students.

Businesses should also provide talented young scientists with financial assistance so that they can undertake postgraduate and postdoctoral training in African universities, by increasing industry focused scholarships and placements.

Major global players are doing so including IBM with its IBM-Research labs in Kenya, which has established a new resident scientist program for schools in Kenya and other African countries.

The applicants are leading scientists and researchers from pre- and post-doctoral backgrounds, as well as from academia, government, or industry, and work with IBM researchers in the physical lab environment. Such initiatives allow private companies to build a pipeline of skilled local talent and encourage our best scientists to stay on the continent.

If we are truly committed to spurring scientific and technological advancement on the continent, we must ensure that women are better represented in science.

With significant financial resources and strong brand equity at their disposal, businesses are well positioned to encourage young women to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.

They can also recognize talented women scientists for their achievements. For example, 17 years ago, L’Oréal and UNESCO founded the For Women in Science program to promote the importance of ensuring greater participation of women in science.

Every year, they acknowledge five brilliant young female researchers in Africa and the Arab States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America for their contributions to physical science. The prizes they receive will give them the means to pursue their most cherished research projects, thus removing some of the barriers and obstacles that prevent many women from pursuing a career in science.

It is now time that more of the businesses that have reaped the rewards of Africa’s continent for decades seriously begin investing in its scientific and technological development. It is this scientific and technological excellence that will equip the work forces of the future in Africa and enable us to compete and lead with confidence in the globalized 21st century marketplace.

Read more at HuffingtonPostUK.