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RSIF: An initiative on the rise

Posted on by RSIF PASET

In May 2021, the Government of Mozambique signed an agreement with icipe, for the investment of USD 6 million in the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF). icipe is the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) of RSIF, the flagship programme of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), an initiative established in 2013 by African governments and partners. Mozambique becomes the eighth country to invest in RSIF, joining the governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal, in addition to the World Bank, Government of Korea and the European Union.

In the interview below, Moses Osiru, Manager, RCU-RSIF, discusses the Fund’s tremendous growth over the past two years including rising investments, soaring demand for opportunities from prospective scholars and grantees, surging interest in partnerships, rapid increase inRSIF scholars and body of world class knowledge being generated, as well as progress in promoting gender representation in RSIF.

Q. RSIF is built on the vision of becoming a sustainable pan-African science fund. What is the progress in this regard?

A. Over the past two years, RSIF has gained incredible momentum with rapid evidence of the Fund as an outstanding platform for socio-economic transformation in Africa for example by embracing the fourth industrial revolution. Indeed, many stakeholders are appreciating RSIF as an effective channel for resources to achieve continental visions and agendas, as well as acceleration of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The most significant outcome of this appreciation is growing support by African governments. As of May 2021, the governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal had committed investments in RSIF. In addition, the Government of Korea, the World Bank, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), through the European Union, are supporting RSIF. Private sector partners including Nestlé, South Africa, and the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation, who are also financing various aspects like research activities linked to optimising industrial applications and language support for students on sandwich placements in Korea. Several other private sector partners are supporting collaborative research activities to co-create knowledge related to their for-profit activities. Meanwhile,we are in the process of establishing a professionally and independently managed Permanent Fund that will ensure sustainability of RSIF and its goals of capacity building for science training, research and innovation in Africa. We have also commenced discussions with a range of potential endowers including individuals and family foundations, corporate-sponsored foundations, corporate donors, charity programmes and independent foundations.

Q. How appealing is the RSIF model to the academic and innovation communities in Africa and beyond?

A. RSIF has a unique approach that combines intra-Africa exchange, and international training. The Fund incorporates a network of 11 African Host Universities (AHUs), which are competitively and rigorously selected universities that offer a PhD programme in any one of RSIF’s thematic areas. RSIF is also building a network of international partner institutions (IPIs), globally recognised universities, research institutes, public and private companies. The RSIF hybrid model takes scholars from their home countries to an AHU where they are initiated into research working directly on challenges facing the continent. The scholars then proceed to an IPI for sandwich placements where they have access to state-of-the-art research and training facilities, advance their scientific skills, broaden international networks, and strengthen industry linkages, among other outcomes.

The best evidence for the appreciation of RSIF design is the soaring demand from prospective scholars and grantees. Currently about 8,200 individuals are registered on the RSIF database. In the third call for scholarships in 2021, we received a total of 2577 applications. Also, there is significant demand from top international institutions to be part of the network evidenced by numerous requests received by RCU-RSIF.

Q. How is RSIF demonstrating return on investment?

A. Primarily, this is evidenced by the rapid pace with which the number of RSIF scholars is increasing. In May 2021, following the third call, RSIF awarded 103 scholarships, bringing the total number of scholarships awarded so far to 184. Of these, 117 have gone to countries investing in PASET and RSIF, while the rest have been allocated to other African countries, with geographical diversity across sub-Saharan Africa. Investing countries also benefit from the competitively awarded grants to strengthen research and innovation ecosystems and outputs in public higher education institutions. Yet another indicator is the growing body of world class knowledge generated by RSIF scholars and its potential translation into solutions and innovations for social economic transformation. As of May 2021, RSIF scholars had authored 39 peer reviewed journal articles. We have created a repository for this growing knowledge base:

Q. RSIF has set itself an ambitious goal by reserving at least 40 percent of its support for women? Why is this important, and what is the progress?

A. The issue of gender is very central to RSIF. Women constitute 30 percent of researchers in science fields in SSA, about the same as the global average of 28 percent. Still, this means that only a fraction of women’s potential contribution to science and technology is currently being harnessed. Therefore, enabling more women to enter and thrive in the field will substantially contribute to the overall ambition of increasing the continent’s scientific capacity, and to achieving inclusive and holistic development. Currently, 39 percent (a total of 71 scholars) of the 184 RSIF scholars are women. This is good progress, but we keep aiming higher. Also, RSIF appreciates that achieving gender equity requires a holistic approach that brings together numerous actors, including men. Indeed, we have recently published a study titled ‘Making it to the PhD: Gender and Student Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa’, which illuminates obstacles and opportunities in higher learning. These findings will inform the RSIF gender strategy while also supporting efforts of likeminded stakeholders, and opening avenues for collaboration.

A good example is a recent partnership between RSIF, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and Africa Renewal, the United Nations information programme dedicated to the continent’s economic issues. This collaboration was in honour of International Women’s Day (March 2021), and it was located within the wider view of the UN Decade of Action, launched in 2020 by the UN Secretary General to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The outputs were profiles of three RSIF female scholars published by the two UN partners and promoted through successful social media campaigns. The personal narratives of the selected scholars demonstrated how RSIF is unlocking and nurturing women’s scientific potential, and the impact on critical developmental challenges. These insights should inspire the continent and the world to do more to harness the mighty resource of women scientists, including by supporting RSIF.

This article has been prepared by the icipe Communication Unit for the icipe e-bulletin.

 

 

 

 

RSIF 10th Webinar: Potential of underutilized food resources: Insects for food, feed and other uses

Posted on by Maureen Agena

Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa region is highly biodiverse with large rural populations that are highly dependent on nature, livestock, agriculture as well as consumption of insects and wildlife products. This not only creates a heavy burden on the biodiversity, it also threatens livelihoods because of the human activities that contribute to climate change and Food insecurity.

Through the flagship programme of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) runs monthly webinar series aimed at promoting information and skills sharing in its five thematic areas.

The 10th webinar of its series which took place on 28th April 2021, aimed at helping participants understand the under utilised food resource potential in insects and their other uses. The webinar was based on research conducted on insects as a very important source of protein in the wake of food insecurity.

The guest speaker Dr Chrysantus M. Tanga a research scientist with the Insect for Food, Feed and Other Uses (INSEFF) programme at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) started by introducing participants to icipe’s research for development framework on Insects as Food and Feed,then general understanding of edible insects and the role they can play as an alternative source of protein to both human beings an Animals.

The Value of insects for food and feed

He could not emphasise enough the importance of insect protein, saying that research had shown that it was between 28-73% higher than plant protein and more superior to animal protein, in addition to being rich in iron and zinc. There are 1900 species of edible insects being consumed by approximately 2 billion people globally and Africa is the hotspot, with 45 countries and approximately 330million people actively consuming 552 species of insects as food. He added that two news edible species of crickets (Scapsipedus and Gryllus madagascariensis)  have been discovered and research is being conducted.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia are some of the biggest consumers of insects in Africa. Understanding how different communities use insects for food and feed is critical in informing research on consuming patterns, seasons, benefits and cultural norms around both edible and non-edible insects.

For communities that eat insects, we promote them as food and for communities that do not eat insects, we promote them as animal feeds, so that we enhance mass adoption across the board without leaving anyone behind, said Dr Chrysantus M. Tanga

Some of the benefits of insects include the fact that they are an excellent alternative source of protein, extremely rich in minerals, excellent source of oils for bakery and other nutraceutical products, excellent source of therapeutic sterols in addition to having the potential for development of innovative products and income generation.

Grasshopper widely eaten across Africa

The RSIF webinar series are important forums for capacity building and creating synergies for partnerships and collaboration. Listen to the complete 10th webinar Serie on the “Potential of Underutilized Food Resources: Insects for Food, Feed and Other Uses” by clicking this Link (Access Passcode: SU^%X^N3).

 For more information of how to participate in the RSIF webinar series, please contact Mr. Nyagah Bonface Karugah via bnyagah@icipe.org

Face à l’explosion de la demande continentale, les gouvernements africains tiennent leurs promesses en matière de formation avancée en sciences appliquées et en technologie

Posted on by RSIF PASET

Un total de sept gouvernements africains ont rejoint le Fonds régional pour les bourses d’études et l’innovation (RSIF), l’initiative naissante du continent pour soutenir la formation avancée en sciences appliquées, ingénierie et technologie. Le RSIF offre des bourses de doctorat complètes et des subventions pour la recherche et l’innovation, afin de renforcer les capacités techniques et scientifiques pour l’avancement et l’utilisation de technologies transformatrices afin de relever les défis les plus urgents auxquels fait face l’Afrique. Au moins 40 % du soutien du RSIF est consacré aux femmes.

Lancé en 2017 en tant qu’initiative phare du Partenariat pour les compétences en sciences appliquées, ingénierie et technologie (PASET), le RSIF est soutenu par les gouvernements africains qui versent chacun une contribution minimale de 2 millions de dollars US au programme. Le financement devrait atteindre au moins 65 millions de dollars US d’ici 2024.

En février 2021, le gouvernement du Bénin a signé un accord avec le Centre international de physiologie et d’écologie des insectes (icipe), l’unité de coordination régionale du RSIF, rejoignant ainsi le Burkina Faso, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Ghana, le Kenya, le Rwanda et le Sénégal. D’autres investissements ont été fournis par la Banque mondiale, le gouvernement de la Corée du Sud et l’Union européenne.

« Nous estimons que les objectifs du RSIF/PASET sont alignés avec nos stratégies de renforcement des capacités scientifiques, techniques et d’innovation dans les domaines prioritaires tels que l’agriculture, l’environnement, l’énergie, le numérique, les infrastructures et la santé. Par ailleurs, le partenariat intra-africain et celui avec les autres continents tels que prévus dans ce programme est essentiel pour le développement socioéconomique au Bénin et en Afrique Subsaharienne » déclare le Professeur Eléonore YAYI LADEKAN, Ministre de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique de la République du Bénin

Depuis sa création, il y a eu un intérêt immense et croissant de la part des chercheurs et lauréats potentiels, dont plus de 6 500 se sont inscrits dans sa base de données. Ayant entamé ses activités en 2018 grâce aux 15 bourses de doctorat offertes par les gouvernements du Kenya et du Rwanda, aux 67 bourses en 2020 financées par le Burkina Faso, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Ghana et le Sénégal, et à une projection de 120 bourses en 2021, le RSIF devrait octroyer plus de 300 bourses de doctorat à l’horizon 2022.

« Le grand intérêt des communautés scientifiques africaines à faire avancer leurs connaissances et leurs compétences fait ressortir la nécessité pour les gouvernements africains d’investir davantage dans les talents locaux afin de renforcer les capacités en matière de science et d’innovation. Nous croyons que le Bénin et les six autres pays qui ont jusqu’à présent contribué, serviront d’inspiration permettant à de nombreux autres gouvernements de rejoindre cette importante initiative », a déclaré le Dr Segenet Kelemu, Directrice générale et PDG, icipe.

Le Fonds contribue directement à la mise en œuvre de la Stratégie de l’Union africaine (UA) pour la science, la technologie et l’innovation (STISA) 2024, de la Stratégie continentale pour l’éducation en Afrique (CESA) et des Objectifs de développement durable (ODD) à l’échelle mondiale.

« Le RSIF est le premier fonds scientifique panafricain détenu et géré par des Africains, qui promeut un modèle d’étude intra-africain de haute qualité pour la formation doctorale. Le fonds de dotation du RSIF en cours de création permettra de mettre en place une plateforme africaine durable pour renforcer la production de connaissances et l’innovation au niveau local en vue d’accélérer la croissance économique. De solides partenariats avec les pays du Nord rendent cela possible, » a déclaré le professeur Aminata Sall Diallo, Directrice exécutive du PASET.

 

Télécharger le communiqué de presse en francais | English

Pour les médias et les demandes d’interview, veuillez contacter : Courriel : rsif@icipe.org

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NOTE AUX RÉDACTEURS

Le Centre international de physiologie et d’écologie des insectes (www.icipe.org), dont le siège est à Nairobi, au Kenya, est la seule institution de recherche en Afrique qui travaille principalement sur les insectes et autres arthropodes. La mission d’icipe consiste à veiller à l’amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire, de la santé et des moyens de subsistance en Afrique, en produisant des connaissances de premier ordre, puis en mettant au point des solutions écologiques, accessibles, abordables et faciles à utiliser au niveau des communautés. Ces objectifs sont atteints par le biais de quatre domaines thématiques – santé humaine, santé animale, santé végétale et santé environnementale – qui constituent un cadre unique permettant de s’attaquer de manière globale aux problèmes interdépendants que sont la pauvreté, la mauvaise santé, la faible productivité agricole et la dégradation de l’environnement.

En juillet 2018, la Banque mondiale et le PASET ont retenu icipe, à l’issue d’un processus compétitif, comme Unité de coordination régionale (UCR) du RSIF. Son mandat comprend la coordination globale, la planification, la gestion et le suivi et l’évaluation des activités du RSIF. Plus précisément, icipe assure la coordination du renforcement des capacités de certaines universités africaines et institutions partenaires en matière de formation doctorale, de recherche et d’innovation dans les secteurs prioritaires du PASET. En outre, icipe facilite la création de partenariats avec les gouvernements, les universités et les organismes de recherche nationaux et internationaux, par exemple par le biais de la formation en alternance et de la collaboration avec des centres d’excellence en recherche. Enfin, icipe présente le PASET aux gouvernements africains et à d’autres partenaires stratégiques potentiels, dans le but de développer le RSIF et d’assurer une portée et un soutien continus à l’échelle du continent.

Les gouvernements du Sénégal, de l’Éthiopie et du Rwanda, avec la facilitation de la Banque mondiale, ont lancé le Partenariat pour les compétences en sciences appliquées, ingénierie et technologie (PASET)  en 2013. Il vise à combler les lacunes systémiques en matière de compétences et de connaissances dans les domaines prioritaires du PASET en Afrique subsaharienne, et à renforcer les capacités des établissements d’enseignement et de formation africains à former des techniciens, des ingénieurs et des scientifiques de grande qualité pour répondre aux exigences de l’économie. Depuis 2013, plus de 20 pays africains, ainsi que des représentants du Brésil, de la Chine, de l’Inde, de Singapour et de la Corée du Sud ont participé aux différentes activités du PASET. Le PASET est actuellement dirigé par les ministères de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Bénin, du Burkina Faso, de l’Éthiopie, du Ghana, du Kenya, du Rwanda, du Sénégal et de la Tanzanie, ainsi que par la Corée du Sud et la Banque mondiale. Les organes de gouvernance du PASET, à savoir le Conseil d’administration (CA) du PASET et son Conseil exécutif (CE), se chargent de l’orientation stratégique de l’Unité de coordination régionale (UCR) en ce qui concerne la mise en œuvre du projet RSIF. Le CA est responsable de l’orientation stratégique globale et de la vision du RSIF, tandis que le Conseil exécutif interagit plus régulièrement avec l’UCR, en surveillant l’avancement régulier des activités et en fournissant une orientation générale. Le groupe consultatif du PASET donne des conseils au Conseil d’administration et au Conseil exécutif sur les priorités régionales, les objectifs et les aspects techniques du RSIF.

Le Fonds régional pour les bourses d’études et l’innovation (RSIF) est le programme phare du PASET, une initiative des gouvernements africains visant à combler les lacunes systémiques en matière de compétences et de connaissances nécessaires à une croissance économique durable et à long terme en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS). Le RSIF vise à soutenir la formation doctorale, la recherche et l’innovation dans les universités africaines sélectionnées comme centres d’excellence dans des domaines identifiés par le PASET comme des secteurs économiques prioritaires pour la croissance et le développement : TIC, y compris big data et intelligence artificielle ; sécurité alimentaire et agro-entreprises ; minéraux, mines et ingénierie des matériaux ; énergie, y compris celles renouvelables ; et changement climatique. Régime de subventions concurrentielles, le RSIF comporte deux composantes : (i) le fonds général, qui soutient chaque année des projets de formation doctorale, de recherche et d’innovation et (ii) le fonds permanent ou de dotation, dont les recettes sont versées au fonds général. Les étudiants des pays de l’Afrique subsaharienne, principalement les professeurs des universités de l’Afrique subsaharienne qui n’ont pas de doctorat, peuvent bénéficier des bourses de la RSIF.  Le RSIF renforce la capacité de la région à soutenir durablement ces scientifiques titulaires d’un doctorat au-delà de leur formation, lorsqu’ils se lancent dans le monde universitaire, l’industrie ou deviennent entrepreneurs. Le RSIF fonctionne par le biais de trois fenêtres : la première offre des bourses aux doctorants et renforce les capacités des universités hôtes africaines du RSIF ; la deuxième accorde des subventions de recherche ; et la troisième octroie des subventions en matière d’innovation. Le RSIF se concentre sur les technologies transformatrices qui ont un impact positif considérable sur la société.

African governments make good their pledges for advanced training in applied sciences and technology, as continental demand soars

Posted on by RSIF PASET

A total of seven African governments have joined the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), the continent’s nascent initiative for bolstering advanced training in the applied sciences, engineering and technology.  RSIF provides full doctoral scholarships and grants for research and innovation, to boost technical and scientific capacity for the advancement and use of transformative technologies to tackle Africa’s most pressing challenges. At least 40 percent of RSIF’s support is reserved for women.

Launched in 2017 as the flagship initiative of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), RSIF is supported by African governments that make a minimum contribution of USD 2 million each towards the programme. Funding is expected to grow to at least USD 65 million by 2024.

In February 2021, the Government of Benin signed an agreement with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the Regional Coordination Unit of RSIF, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal.  Further investments have been provided by the World Bank, the Government of South Korea and the European Union.

“We believe that the objectives of RSIF / PASET are aligned with our strategies for building scientific, technical and innovation capacities in priority areas such as agriculture, environment, energy, digital, infrastructure and health. In addition, the intra-African partnership and that with the other continents as provided for in this program is essential for socio-economic development in Benin and in Sub-Saharan Africa“, declared Professor Eléonore YAYI LADEKAN, Minister of Higher Education and of Scientific Research of the Republic of Benin.

Since the establishment of RSIF, there has been immense and growing interest from prospective scholars and grantees, with more than 6,500 registering to its database. Having started off with 15 PhD scholarships in 2018 with contributions from the Governments of Kenya and Rwanda; 67 scholarships in 2020 with contributions from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal; and a projected 120 scholarships in 2021, RSIF is set to top 300 doctoral scholarships by 2022.

“The great interest by African scientific communities in advancing their knowledge and skills highlights the need for greater investment by African governments in local talent to boost science and innovation capabilities. We believe that Benin and the other six countries that have so far contributed, serve as an inspiration for many more governments to join this important initiative,” said Dr. Segenet Kelemu, Director General and CEO, icipe.

The Fund directly contributes to the implementation of the African Union (AU) Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STISA) 2024, the Continental Strategy for Education in Africa (CESA) and the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“RSIF is Africa’s first African-owned and managed Pan-African science fund that promotes a high-quality intra-Africa model of study for PhD training. The RSIF endowment under establishment will ensure a sustainable African platform for strengthening locally grounded knowledge production and innovation for accelerated economic growth. Strong partnerships with the global north are making this possible,” said Prof. Aminata Sall Diallo, Executive Director of the PASET Executive Board.

 

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Notes for Editors

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (www.icipe.org), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is the only research institution in Africa working primarily on insects and other arthropods. icipe’s mission is to ensure better food security, health and livelihoods in Africa, by producing world-class knowledge and then developing solutions that are environmentally friendly, accessible, affordable and easy-to-use by communities. These objectives are delivered through four thematic areas – human health, animal health, plant health and environmental health, resulting in a unique framework to tackle the interlinked problems of poverty, poor health, low agricultural productivity and environmental degradation in a comprehensive manner

In July 2018, icipe was competitively selected and appointed by the World Bank and PASET as the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) of RSIF. Its mandate includes overall coordination, planning, management and monitoring and evaluation of RSIF activities. Specifically, icipe is coordinating capacity strengthening of selected African universities and partnering institutions in PhD training, research, and innovation in PASET priority sectors. In addition, icipe facilitates the creation of partnerships with governments, universities, and national and international research organizations, for example, through sandwich training and collaboration with centres of research excellence. Furthermore, icipe introduces African governments and other potential strategic partners to PASET, with the aim of growing RSIF and ensuring continued continent-wide reach and support.

The Partnership for skills in Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (PASET) was launched in 2013 by the governments of Senegal, Ethiopia and Rwanda with facilitation by the World Bank. It aims to address systemic gaps in skills and knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa’s priority ASET fields, and to build the capacity of African education and training institutions to train high-quality technicians, engineers and scientists to meet the demands of the economy. Since 2013, more than 20 African countries, as well as representatives of Brazil, China, India, Singapore and Korea have participated in PASET’s various activities. PASET is currently led by the education and higher education ministries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania, along with Korea and the World Bank. The PASET governance bodies, comprising the PASET Governing Council (GC) and the PASET Executive Board (EB) provide strategic direction for implementation of the RSIF project by the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU). The GC is responsible for the overall strategic direction and vision of the RSIF, while the EB interacts with the RCU more regularly, monitoring the regular progress of activities and providing overall guidance. The PASET Consultative Advisory Group provides guidance to the GC and EB on regional priorities, goals and technical aspects of the RSIF.

The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) is the flagship program of PASET, an initiative by African governments to address systemic gaps in skills and knowledge necessary for long-term, sustained economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).  RSIF aims to support PhD training, research and innovation in African universities that are selected as centres of excellence in fields identified by PASET as priority economic sectors for growth and development: ICTs including big data and artificial intelligence; food security and agribusiness; minerals, mining and materials engineering; energy including renewables; and climate change.  A competitive grants scheme, RSIF has two components: (i) the general fund, which supports PhD training, research and innovation projects annually and (ii) the permanent or endowment fund, with proceeds going to the general fund. Students from SSA countries, primarily faculty of SSA universities lacking PhD degrees, are eligible for RSIF scholarships.  RSIF builds capacity in the region to sustainably support those PhD scientists beyond their training as they go into academia, industry, or become entrepreneurs. The RSIF operates through three windows: Window 1 offers scholarships for PhD students and capacity building for RSIF African Host universities; Window 2 offers research grants and Window 3 offers innovation grants. RSIF focuses on transformative technologies that have a far-reaching positive impact on society.

 

How to increase the value of intellectual assets in an academic and research setting

Posted on by RSIF PASET

This is a recording of the 6th RSIF Monthly Webinar Series hosted by the RSIF Regional Coordination Unit on 16 December 2020. Dr Julius Ecuru, Head BioInnovate, icipe presented on “How to increase the value of intellectual assets in an academic and research setting”. In case you missed out, here’s a chance for you to catch up. For more about RSIF’s capacity building activities, click here.

Science and Research Key to Unlocking Kenya’s Development Potential, President Kenyatta Says

Posted on by Pauline Achoka

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said science and research are key to unlocking Kenya’s development potential especially in finding solutions to challenges slowing down the country’s progress.

The President, therefore, said the Government will continue implementing programmes aimed at nurturing its growing scientific talent pool so as to create wealth and expand employment opportunities for Kenyans.

President Kenyatta spoke today during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi.

In his pre-recorded video address, the Head of State applauded ICIPE for its prominent contribution to the growth of science and research in Africa over the last five decades.

“As this pioneering institution commemorates its 50 years of service, in partnership with governments across the continent, we note with appreciation the central role you have and continue to play, in insect research, plant health, animal health, environmental health, all aimed at bettering human health and welfare,” the President said.

He said Africa must continue to expand its investment in science and research for it to achieve the aspiration of becoming a prosperous and peaceful continent.

“Indeed, Africa will continue to rely on scientific organizations not only to address present and future development challenges, but also to provide the platform upon which we may be able to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the digital and the biological economic sectors,” he said.

The President praised ICIPE’s training programmes delivered through the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS) and the Dissertation Research Internship Programme (DRIP), saying the initiatives have helped to significantly increase the number of scientists and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Likewise, I note with appreciation that in 2008, ICIPE was selected by African governments to run the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET). The central objective of this Fund is to train up to 1,000 doctoral level scientists annually from sub-Sahara countries in the various core fields of science,” he said.

President Kenyatta said Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063 both recognize the vital role played by science and scientific organizations like ICIPE in achieving developmental objectives.

With this knowledge, the President said his administration will continue working closely with scientific and research organizations as key development partners adding that the Kenyan Government had contributed more than Shs 200 million to the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RIF) of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) where he is the current Chairperson.

“Our contribution in this regard is consistent with the Kenya Vision 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union Agenda 2063,” he emphasized.

The Head of State assured that the Kenyan Government will continue rolling out progressive policies to promote science and innovation, not only as the engine for economic growth but also as a means of addressing enduring social inequalities.

“We have made a commitment to invest up to 2% of our annual national budget in research and innovation which is in line with our national development programmes,” he said.

The President noted that science and research institutions such as ICIPE are important partners in realizing Kenya’s development aspirations as outlined in Vision 2030 and Big 4 Agenda blueprints which he said are consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Indeed, ICIPE and other similar organizations in Kenya have contributed essential technical skills and scientific knowledge that have proved invaluable to our national development.

“These contributions have led to the creation of high quality jobs, especially for young graduates, increased foreign exchange earnings for the country and strengthened our connections, particularly in the field of academia and research, with the rest of world,” the President said.

As part of the celebrations, the President launched ICIPE’s Vision and Strategy for the period 2021 to 2025, which he described as bold and comprehensive noting that it will position the organization as a centre for discovery and provision of solutions.

Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs) and Peter Munya (Agriculture) commended ICIPE for its scientific and research work which they said has been key in transforming the lives of many Africans.

CS Munya said ICIPE has been recognized globally for its research work, which has greatly helped farmers to improve productivity of their enterprises.

“This work has made ICIPE to be a household name in Africa, for it has contributed to providing solutions which are not harmful to animals, plants and human life,” the Agriculture CS said.

Other speakers included the Chairperson of ICIPE Governing Council Prof Bill Hansson and the organization’s Director General Dr Segenet Kelemu.

 

Click here to watch His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking about RSIF.

Click here to watch President Uhuru Kenyatta’s full speech during the icipe@50 celebration.