WORKSHOP SERIES
Presented by World Academy of Young Scientists WAYS
& The Scholar Ship Research Institute
CAPACITY BUILDING OF YOUNG SCIENTISTS
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
First Edition: 01–03 March 2008, Cape Town, South Africa
AFRICA
Effective application of science requires a combination of sound knowledge and a good understanding of the socio-economic environment within which science operates. However, knowledge evolves over time. Knowing how to access and manipulate knowledge and information is thus crucial, and IT skills and tools are now essential for research, discovery, development and dissemination. Moreover, the value of scientific literacy can be harnessed through the power of these IT tools to support policy definition and decision making for national governments. In addition, the career development of young scientists has been significantly neglected, and this needs to be supported in a manner that is sensitive to local opportunities and constraints.
In response to these needs, the World Academy of Young Scientists is partnering with The Scholar Ship Research Institute to set up a workshop cycle aiming at developing a scientifically literate and empowered world community of young scientists. Scientific workshops will be organized to promote the capacity building of young scientists to conduct research and to commercialise the results of that research, particularly in developing and transitional economies.
The first such workshop will be held in Cape Town in March 2008. The model used to develop and hold this workshop will be replicated and scaled up in the future to offer additional regional workshops across the world in a manner which emphasises local involvement, invites local ownership and meets specific local needs.
Profile of participants (Deadline for selection 17 Dec 2007):
1. Young scientists from Sub-Saharan African countries.*
2. Currently doing her/his
a. PhD, or recently completed within 3 years. (Tracks 1&3)
b. Masters degree, or recently completed within 3 years. (Track 2)
3. Women are particularly encouraged to apply.
Interested young scientists should send their cv and letter of support from their respective institutions to the following persons: Dr Archana Bhaw-Luximon - a.luximon (at) uom.ac.mu, Mr Kenneth Arinaitwe - karinaitwe (at) chemistry.mak.ac.ug.
* Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
This is a welcome development! Keep it up! Such training workshops will assist the Young african scientists!
Very timely training workshop for young scientist in Africa!
Thanks for the posting. It is important for us. I sent in my application already.
More on capacity building in developing countries:
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080102/full/451008a.html (subscription required; if you know open sources on this topic, please link them from here).
Actually this is an golden opportunity to exchange information with one an other .Really through such activites young scientist can improve and overcome on theire defficiences. secondly women and young intreset can be catched for the capacity development and advancement in the science and technology.
PRESS RELEASE FOR CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
19 February 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
African Scientific Responses to African Challenges
The Scholar Ship Research Institute and the World Association of Young Scientists have organised a capacity building workshop for young African scientists. The objective is to promote science-based responses by Africans to challenges and opportunities facing their continent.
The workshop will take place from 1st to 3rd of March 2008 onboard The Scholar Ship docked at Cape Town, South Africa.
Capacity building will be through use of information technologies to plan and conduct research, to support policy decisions based on geographic information systems, and to promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
A key emphasis of the workshop will be the promotion of Open Source software applications and Open Access databases, so as to help their wider dissemination in developing countries.
Participants will come from several countries across the African continent, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Half of the participants are female, in order to support African women scientists.
Judith Mbau, Research Scientist with the Department of Zoology at the National Museums of Kenya, said “Geo-spatial information provides knowledge which in turn gives power for decision making. This is critical on the African continent where the majority of our people are entirely dependent on natural resources. This workshop will not only serve to improve our capacity as young scientists, but will also enhance the effectiveness of conservation efforts on the continent.”
Several organisations have provided generous financing of participant costs, including SPIDER, the International Science Programme, and the National Research Foundation of the Republic of South Africa. Many other organisations have kindly provided in-kind support and released staff members to teach the workshop tracks.
About the Organisers:
The Scholar Ship Research Institute performs interdisciplinary research in the natural and social sciences by harnessing the expertise of global academic partnerships to address critical global challenges. The Scholar Ship’s teaching takes place onboard a cruise ship that traverses the globe. The University of Cape Town is an academic partner of The Scholar Ship.
www.TheScholarShip.com
WAYS – AFRICA provides young African scientists with an arena to interact and exchange information in order to extend scientific knowledge; to improve collaboration between different generations of scientists worldwide, and communication between scientists and Society; and to create a platform to make the voice of young African scientists heard about present problems and concerns through regular input into science policy and decision-making.
www.ways.org
Basically thre
Basically the purpose of organizing the workshops, seminars is sharing of ideas and it allocate the ways for the creativity. during these wokshops the scientists juge himself what I am doing? and What others are? therefore this one is the great chance to learn more benifical things