2nd AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum, 7 – 10 March 2023

The 2nd AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum will take place from 7-10 March 2023. The Forum will be hybrid, with meetings taking place in Brussels also with virtual participation.

 

The Forum is designed to inform and engage with policymakers to ensure that the role and contribution of science is prioritised in European Union and its Member States’ policies for Africa: target areas will include biodiversity, Digital Transition, Green Agenda, genomics, astronomy, research infrastructures, amongst others.

The Forum will aim to increase the level of participation by African partners in both science collaboration and science policy making with European Partners.

Key speakers include:

  • Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, CEO, National Research Foundation, South Africa
  • Daan du Toit,Deputy Director-General: International Cooperation and Resources, Department of Science and Innovation
  • Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Global Approach & International Partnerships, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
  • Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo, Director, Government Affairs Africa & EMEA, Intel
  • Rose Mosero, Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Kenya
  • George Essegby, Chief Scientist, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana
  • Solomon Benor, Ministry of Education and Science, Ethiopia
  • Karina Angelieva, European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, Bulgaria
  • Takalani Nemaungani, Chief Director, Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa
  • Her Excellency Ms Tokozile Xasa South Africa Ambassador, Embassy of South Africa Belgium
  • Mario Cervantes, Senior Economist, Science and Technology Policy Division, OECD
  • Nair-Bedouelle, Shamila, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO. France
  • Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, Director General of the Sahel Institute, Mail
  • Zatloukal, Kurt, Diagnostic and Research Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Director of BBMRI.at, Medical University of Graz, Austria
  • Dr Shetonde Mihigo, Ministry of Science and Education, DR Congo
  • Julie Makani, Sickle In Africa consortium, Tanzania
  • Abdoulaye Mohamadou, Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Burkina Faso

 

The Forum will draw on a range of processes, including AGENDA 2063, Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse; the AU Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024); the European Commission’s Communication Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa which foresees future cooperation built on five partnerships: green transition, digital transformation, growth and jobs, peace and governance and migration and mobility.

All of these priorities will rely on science and innovation cooperation between Africa and Europe.

The Forum will take a global perspective. In addition to focusing on Africa-Europe collaboration, will lay the groundwork for the EU and African input to the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism and preparations for the UN Summit of the Future in 2024 and the UN Global Digital Compact.

AERAP responds to the European Parliament Written Declaration 45 on Science Capacity Building in Africa. This call was repeated by the Heads of State of the African Union through their Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.407 CXVIII. AERAP encourages policymakers to understand the need for an enabling policy and regulatory environment for science cooperation with Africa and to champion leadership in Africa to demonstrate the contribution of science to society and digital technologies to enable science capacity and collaboration between various stakeholders.

Key policy and programme developments include:

 

The meeting will address a range of themes and associated calls for proposals, including Biodiversity, Hydrogen, Health, Medicine, Life Sciences, Geoscience, ICT, Digital Transformation, the Green Agenda, Women and Girls in science, Astronomy, reskilling and upskilling and Agri-food systems.

The Forum also will consider how emerging regulations covering data protection, the European Health Data Space, medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, and other areas impact science in Africa and science and innovation cooperation between Africa and the European Union.

 

The draft programme is available here: https://aerapforum2023.sched.com/

 

Please register here: https://aerapforum2023.sched.com/signup

 

Further information https://aerapscience.org/

2nd AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum, 7 – 10 March 2023

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