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Unlocking Africa’s Potential: A Call to Transform STEM for Global Impact

Posted on by Janet Otieno

Key experts from across Africa are meeting in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, for a pivotal three-day conference to establish a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the continent’s STEM ecosystem.

The event taking place from 26th–28th November, organised by UNESCO and the African Union Commission, is aimed at tackling the root causes of challenges hindering STEM education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aiming to develop effective strategies to unlock the continent’s full development potential.

The conference’s main agenda is built on the African Union’s (AU) 2024 theme, “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century,” which will forge a continent-wide strategic partnership to build a transformative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ecosystem.

According to UNESCO, Africa is poised for a transformative leap, driven by its youthful population—the largest in the world. With over 400 million youth aged 15 to 35, young Africans are projected to make up 42 per cent of the global youth population by 2030. This demographic dividend offers immense potential, but a significant skills gap poses a challenge. Millions of young people across the continent need essential STEM skills to thrive in the 21st-century workforce and drive sustainable development.

Speaking at the conference on Tuesday, Dr Julius Ecuru, Manager, Rsif Regional Coordination Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) pointed out that Africa desires socioeconomic transformation to lift the majority of the people out of subsistence farming into the money economy and improve its human development index (including income levels from low to middle to high income status).

“Industry or private sector development is the driver, while scientific research and innovation is the engine. Building STEM capacity is crucial, & bridging skills gap in applied sciences & engineering are essential for growth,” Dr Ecuru emphasized, adding that we should act now and continue learning as we act.

He called for scaling of science and innovation initiatives and models that are already working, as we think of new ones besides collaborating regionally and internationally, even as we develop national science & innovation systems.

He also mentioned how this is being made real through Rsif by strengthening the institutional capacity for quality doctoral training, research, and innovation in transformative technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Through Rsif, we are creating a stock of highly skilled scientists, professionals, and innovators in ASET fields. Rsif is also addressing imbalances in the number of women and disadvantaged groups in ASET fields in Africa besides building African universities’ capacity to provide relevant ASET training,” Dr Ecuru stated.

Dr Emmanuel Efah, one of the Rsif Alumni in AI and machine learning, was also present at the conference. Dr Efah shared his inspiring story of how Rsif scholarship and support has raised him as an academic mentor, researcher, and innovator in Ghana. Dr Effah, who is also a senior lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana, has been actively involved in capacity building in IoT, robotics, and AI for several students in his home country.

As these experts meet in Addis Ababa, Africans remain hopeful that this conference will be a catalyst for transformative action—one that mobilizes resources, fosters partnerships, and drives strategic investments in STEM. Now is the time to build an inclusive, dynamic STEM ecosystem that positions Africa as a global leader in research and innovation.

From research to market: Universities have a key role to play in the transformation of societies

Posted on by RSIF PASET

Universities provide the rich scientific knowledge base, which is the foundation for innovation and economic development. The African Institute of Science and Technology (AUST) in Nigeria is one of the six African universities that have received financial and technical support from the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) to create an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in the university. With initial funding support from the African Development Bank and in collaboration with innovation hubs in the region, the university inaugurated an institutional based technology business incubator called AUSTInspire, to bridge the gap in innovation and research commercialization especially in healthcare, energy, shelter, water, oil and gas sectors in the region. RSIF financial support has picked up to further help the hub implement several activities as well as attract additional funding for its operationalization

RSIF financial and technical support has enabled AUST through its Pan African Materials Institute, African Centre of Excellence in Materials, to strengthen and expand the capacity of AUSTinspire and support and promote a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation among its faculty and students.

Through this support, a strategic policy document on innovation and entrepreneurship including intellectual property (IP) and commercialization of research outcome was developed with support from the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Nigeria.  Further a capacity building workshop on innovation and entrepreneurship was facilitated to 105 students and 65 faculty in collaboration with various industry and government trainers.  A follow-on ten-day innovation and entrepreneurship bootcamp was organized which attracted participation of 150 students and 25 faculty. The bootcamp was culminated by a pitching competition where 13 groups presented their ideas to a panel of judges from the business innovation space. Five start up projects with support from RSIF grants were selected to receive business incubation support from the AUSTInspire.

As an offshoot of bootcamp, which was partly sponsored with matching funds provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the university received additional support from the AfDB to operationalize the AUSTInspire hub. Part of the AfDB funding was used to carry out a feasibility study of some innovation and incubation hubs in the country to draw lessons and best practices for the operationalization of the AUSTInspire hub.

AUST Centre for Lifelong Learning (AC4LL) was launched as an off shoot of the RSIF support. the funding is what supported the establishment of the Centre for life long learnning and rolll out of the courses. The centre offers opportunities for many working-class persons to engage in various continuing professional education programs especially in entrepreneurship, project management and other relevant subjects. Four short courses have already been launched under this program, one on Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, one in Advanced Project Management and two on Monitoring and Evaluation. A total of 55 persons have successfully completed these certificate courses in AC4LL.

AUSTInspire has enabled the university community to engage and collaborate more with innovation hubs within Abuja thus improving our ability to solve real life problems through innovation. Prof. A. P. Onwualu, Ag Vice Chancellor, AUST

The university also organized an industry open day that attracted 28 industries from various sectors of the Nigerian economy to exhibit their products and services and interact with the students and faculty. It was also an opportunity for the university researchers to showcase their research outputs from different departments for possible collaboration with industry partners.

To foster University-Industry collaboration, the AUST Industry Advisory Board (AIAB) was launched in April 2022, with a membership of 11 industrial partners, the board will work closely with the university to strengthen its linkage with relevant industries to enhance it capacity in innovation development.

Higher education institutions are gradually embracing the importance of innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship, and creating value for their communities. African governments together with their development partners have committed to support the strengthening of research and innovation capacity of African universities through the RSIF program of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (PASET). Read here for more information on RSIF funded projects.

University of Rwanda scientists investigate how digital tools could help families monitor indoor air pollution

Posted on by Maureen Agena

Air pollution is a growing challenge for Africa, with the rapid population growth, industrial growth and consumption growth which have greatly contributed to increased levels of pollution.  While a lot of attention has been given to managing outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution is proving to be the silent killer to many African homes where majority of the families still burn wood and use other biomass to cook and heat their homes. Children and pregnant women are significantly affected. While deaths from indoor air pollution in Africa have declined by about 15% since 1990, the overall number of deaths is still high at over 400,000 as at 2017 according to a report published by UNICEF in 2019. It is therefore imperative to create awareness of the dangers associated with the indoor air pollution exposure to African families.

The University of Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence on Internet of Things (IoT), Embedded Computing Systems with funding from the PASET Regional Scholarship’s competitive grants scheme, in close collaboration with a team from Makerere University is implementing a project to assess the levels of indoor air pollution in rural and urban communities in Rwanda. The project aims to develop an IoT monitoring device that will help families assess the levels of indoor air pollution in their homes and propose mechanisms to help families implement measures to reduce the high levels of indoor air pollution detected to the acceptable levels as guided by the World Health Organization. The tool will also provide general information to create awareness to the families on the causes, dangers, and mitigation measures for indoor air pollution.

This far, the project team has completed the design of the IoT indoor air pollution prototype and produced three of the 60 IoT devices to be developed through this initiative, the tool has been deployed to pilot sites and is able to collect necessary data in the homes and feed to a centralized monitoring system for data processing.

The project is also mentoring five PhD students from the university who have received hands on training on developing the IoT prototype in addition to participating in various short courses on the embedded systems which have exposed them to different technologies used in IoT prototyping. The students are also using new tools for data collection and data visualization. Besides mentoring PhD students, other partners involved in the project have also gained more skills such as backend development for centralized data storage systems. The project will also train the local community on the use of the Indoor IoT monitoring tool for increased uptake.

Students soldering the IoT prototyping device

The whole project concept was made clear through the prototype presentation. I got to learn more about the Arduino platform, Sensors (humidity sensor in particular), and programming behind the GSM module said Barbara Asingwire, RSIF Scholar, University of Rwanda

I have learned the basics of embedded systems and knowing the keywords that are used. I have seen that there are plenty of opportunities in that field and I expect to chase them as well. I have learned how I can connect humidity sensor and temperature sensor to Arduino, and we programmed them said Eric Nizeyimana, RSIF Scholar, University of Rwanda

 

RSIF students learning how to design their first IoT Prototype device(s)

The “Real Time Assessment of indoor air pollution in Rwanda rural and urban households” is one of 16 projects currently being funded through the RSIF Research Grants window. The grants are competitively awarded to faculty of RSIF African Host Universities (AHUs), to undertake research that has practical solutions in five priority thematic areas identified by the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET). The project is significantly contributing to Rwanda’s National Strategy Framework on Climate Change and Low Carbon Development. Through this strategy, the country has taken a big step towards achieving socio-economic development that is resilient to economic, social and environmental shocks related to population growth, and climate change as well as global visions to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

RSIF PhD Scholarship Recipients for Cohort 4 announced

Posted on by Maureen Agena

RSIF is pleased to announce the award of 72 scholarships for the 4thRSIF Scholarship call. In response to a call for applications published on 16 August 2022, 1,948 applications were received online by icipe, and upon completion of the selection process, the PASET Executive Board (EB) approved 74 of eligible and qualified applicants; and recommended a further 20 reserve candidates for the award of RSIF PhD Scholarships on 25 February 2022. Of the approved 74 scholarships, 72 candidates have accepted the scholarship award and will join a community of 173 RSIF scholarship recipients undertaking their studies in selected African Host Universities; and will continue to translate scientific knowledge into impactful innovations for Africa.

RSIF offers a unique opportunity for African countries to train doctoral students in high quality PhD programmes in applied sciences, engineering and technology, in selected African universities partnered with international universities.

The scholarship recipients have been notified with exception of those funded by Nigerian Government. Scholarship funding from Nigeria is not yet confirmed and therefore scholarship recipients from Nigeria and/or funded by Nigerian funds should wait confirmation.

View complete list of RSIF Phd Cohort 4 scholarship recipients

Benefits to RSIF Contributing Governments

Posted on by RSIF PASET

RSIF is unique in being an African government-led science fund for Africa. The program, which was initiated in 2015 has supported over 180 PhD students and provided 14 research and innovation grants through African ‘Host’ Universities. As contributors to RSIF, African governments benefit in more ways than through the cost-effective training of its doctoral students.

Countries also benefit from efficient centralized administration of the scholarship and other grants, support for the RSIF scholars to ensure that they complete on time, as well as regular monitoring reports on the progress of their students. The pooling of funds, the highly competitive selection of host universities, international partners and students, and the efficient administration of the fund enhances the value and increases the benefits.

African countries’ participation in RSIF benefits their entire higher education, science and innovation ecosystem. All RSIF scholars will undergo high quality doctoral training in competitively selected SSA universities partnered with international universities, with study abroad for part of the time, at a fraction of the cost of sending students abroad for a full time PhD.  On successful completion of the PhD, the students will be eligible for research and innovation grants.

Highly Skilled Human Capital as a Driver for the African Union Agenda 2063 and National Development Plans

The rationale for RSIF is that Africa requires world class scientists in priority thematic disciplines that are relevant to national economic growth across sub-Saharan Africa. Some of these areas include orphaned research areas such as mining, minerals and materials science, energy and information and communication technology among others. This African led program aims to support the training of African innovators and leaders, with focus on women and faculty, to be able to strengthen the capacity of universities to train at the doctoral level and undertake innovative and impactful research for the future needs of the continent and the participating countries.

Read more in RSIF Country Reports 2021 through the RSIF Repository

RSIF is owned and led by African governments through PASET and icipe is the RSIF Regional Coordination Unit.

RSIF is designed for sustainability and has two components: (i) the General Fund and (ii) the Permanent or Endowment Fund, with proceeds to capitalize the general fund.  Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal have made or are at the final stages of making contributions to PASET RSIF, in addition to the Government of Korea, the ACP Innovation Fund of the European Union and the World Bank, bringing funds to US$ 51.7 million.

Country contributions have been earmarked to doctoral scholarships, and in some cases to support research and innovation projects, aligned with national needs. The potential of African countries’ innovative expansion due to investment in RSIF is multiplied when leveraged by the funds through matching support from various donors, including the Government of Korea, international partner institutions and others.

More importantly, RSIF aims to create a sustainable vehicle for supporting science, technology and innovation capacity building through a permanent fund that is being established by the governments. Many African governments are interested to be part of this.

Find out more

Four African universities join Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF)

Posted on by Sakina Kahindi

 

Four more universities have joined the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) as African Host Universities (AHUs), bringing the new total to 15. RSIF AHUs are universities or research institutes/centres (e.g. Africa Centers of Excellence) in sub-Saharan Africa that offer a strong PhD program in one of the priority thematic areas. Launched in 2017, RSIF is the flagship program for the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), an African-led initiative with the goal of strengthening skills in the Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (ASET) to further socio-economic transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

RSIF focuses on transformative technologies that have a far-reaching positive impact on society. It supports PhD students, post-doctoral scientists and universities in SSA to establish high quality training, research and innovation environments and to develop institutional capacity for the benefit of the whole region. The four new RSIF host universities will host PhD students in RSIF’s fourth cohort, for which the competitive call for PhD scholarships is currently open until 30 September 2021.

2iE – International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering is an international institute for education and research committed to covering areas of water, environment, energy, civil engineering, mining and managerial sciences through training of highly qualified and innovative entrepreneurial engineers in Africa. Located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the selected PhD program at 2iE is in Science and Technology of Water, Energy and Environment, in the African Centre of Excellence for Training and Research in Water and Environment Sciences and Technologies in West Africa (CEA-IMPACT 2iE).

Haramaya University  is a pre-eminent institution of higher learning in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia that have pioneered the field of agricultural sciences and the provisioning of the tripartite functions of education, research, and extension. The selected PhD programme at HU is in Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, under the Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation (ACE Climate SABC).

Makerere University (MAK), located in Kampala, Uganda, is one of the oldest and most prestigious English Universities in Africa, having been established in 1922 as a humble technical school. Committed to providing transformative and innovative teaching, learning and research responsive to dynamic national and global needs, the selected PhD programme at MU is in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, within the Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI).

The University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) is the principal public university in the west African country of Benin. Composed of 19 institutions and six campuses, the selected PhD program is in Information and Communication Technologies of the Institute of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, African Centre of Excellence in Mathematical Sciences, IT and applications (SMIA).

Competitively selected by an independent, international panel of experts and endorsed by the PASET Executive Board, the other AHUs in the program include the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Kenyatta University (KU) and The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in the Minerals, mining and materials engineering thematic area; Bayero University Kano (BUK), and University Félix Houphouët-Boigny (U-FHB) in the Climate change thematic area; University of Nairobi (UoN) and University of Port Harcourt in the Energy including renewables thematic area; Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and University of Ghana (UG) in the Food security and agribusiness thematic area; University of Gaston Berger (UGB) and University of Rwanda (UR) in the ICTs including big data and artificial intelligence thematic area.

This increase in the number of host universities is a big step towards achieving one of the program’s objectives, which is to build African university capacity to provide relevant ASET training and to ensure continued investment in scaling up the ASET education and workforce by incorporating sandwich training options. The program also aims to build research excellence in ASET fields by developing the capacity for PhD training and undertaking applied research and innovation in partnership with a network of renowned International Partner Universities (IPIs) and strengthen research capacity regionwide by prioritizing the scholarships to African faculty that lack PhD training.

RSIF aims to support doctoral training and post-doctoral research and innovation in the five priority economic sectors for growth and development across Sub- Saharan Africa. The program uses scholarships together with research and innovation grants that improve the quality and relevance of the PhD programs to guarantee continuity and sustainability of research and innovations once the scholars graduate. RSIF is currently funded by African governments, the World Bank, the Government of Korea, and the European Union through the ACP Innovation Fund and managed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya, as the RSIF Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU). More funders and partners are invited to join the first Africa-led Pan-African science fund.

 

RSIF Cohort lll Orientation week was a good start for my PhD Journey

Posted on by RSIF PASET

By Hellen Ngunya Mutua

The eagerly awaited session since the reception of my congratulatory note from Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) was finally at hand. Our orientation as Cohort lll recipients of the RSIF coveted PhD scholarships. My name is Hellen Ngunya Mutua, a Kenyan whose RSIF host University is University of Nairobi, Kenya.

The RSIF Cohort III scholar’s orientation took place from 28th June to 2nd July 2021. I thank God and the RSIF team for granting me an opportunity to be among the 98 scholars who attended the online weeklong orientation program via zoom. Scholars from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, Cote d’lvore and Ghana Host Universities converged online for the orientation training and different facilitators took up active roles in running their assigned tasks in training the scholars.

It was my pleasure to virtually meet Dr Moses Osiru, the Manager, Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) of the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), who welcomed the scholars and gave information about icipe’s. The background, location, and operations. I discovered the great efforts that RSIF puts in its scholars when Fatoumata Thiam, a Senegalese cohort I beneficiary, narrated her academic journey. Her story encouraged me to always aim high and confirmed to me that everything is possible in academics, if you are determined, humble, work hard, and completely trust in God.

Listening to Ms. Ruth Charo the Education Specialist from the World bank made me realize that a high-quality doctorate degree was expected from me after 4 years of its pursuit. I thought of the numerous challenges affecting the African community that awaited solutions from many scholars, including myself. The orientation session marked the beginning of a marvelous journey towards success, as stated by Prof. Goolam Mohamdbhai and Prof. Aminata Sall Diallo of PASET Executive Board. Their words of encouragement assured me that I would soon achieve a PhD in Physics and inspired me to soon become a professor in Physics.

I also met people that I have always admired like Mr. Boniface Nyagah, who was always time conscious and ensured all activities went on as scheduled. He patiently went through the chats after every presentation while addressing all the issues raised by the scholars. I would like to congratulate Mr. Nyagah for managing the session well, despite scholars asking questions in no particular order. I would also like to thank Ms. Elizabeth Murimi, for being available to address the scholars’ concerns in a timely fashion, as our issues and questions about the scholarship were clarified and answered.

It was eye opening listening to Dr. Rob Skilton, Dr Daisy Salif, Dr. Henri Tonnang and Ms. Mary Ngure, as they all guided us on how to carry out our PhD research work. Because of their thorough presentations, I now have all the dos and don’ts at my fingertips. Some of the issues discussed at length were research integrity and ethics, research methods and statistics, research data management, workflow and information literacy, all key in the success of our research work. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the RSIF team was not only concerned about our academic achievement but also our safety. This was demonstrated by the eye-opening discussion we had with Ms. Pamela Tuiyott on sexual violence and the need to always be safe because everyone is vulnerable.

Listening to different African Host Universities’ (AHU) coordinators gave scholars a good guide on what awaits them in their respective universities. The fear and anxiety we previously had, begun to fade away and was replaced with excitement. The possibility of earning a successful PhD was clearly tabled by Prof. Baldwyn Torto together with Ms. Sylvia Maina and Emmanuel Effah’s shared experiences. I learnt that the journey we were about to begin as scholars would have its ups and downs, and therefore called for perseverance to reach desired destinations. I also learnt the importance of communicating my research findings and how to efficiently execute it through Ms. Maureen Agena and Ms. Sakina Kahindi’s presentations. I appreciate Ms. Safaa El- Kogali for sharing her story on her desire to thrive amidst many challenges as a woman.

With support from different stakeholders sponsoring my PhD program, I have concrete reasons to shine in my academics as I promise to work hard and achieve a high-quality PhD.

 

Hellen Ngunya Mutua, a Kenyan by nationality is one of the 102 recipients of a RSIF PhD scholarship in Cohort lll.  She will study Physics at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Email: hellenngunya@gmail.com

 

 

My dream is to mentor young scientists

Posted on by Maureen Agena

Richard Kipyegon Koech is a Kenyan RSIF Scholarship recipient pursing a PhD in Material science and engineering at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja-Nigeria and currently at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on a sandwich programme.

Throughout his academic journey, the dream of being one of the best scientists with the ability to address societal challenges and to mentor young scientists has always lingered in his mind. Getting the RSIF PhD scholarship opportunity was a step towards fulfilling this dream, because the scholarship has already opened doors for him to connect with renowned researchers in his field of research. The RSIF scholarship has also helped him to build a network of people from diverse disciplines who have shaped him in ways unimaginable.

When Koech joined African University of Science and Technology (AUST), one of the PASET African Host Universities (AHU) in Abuja, Nigeria in 2018, he did complete the required core courses while working on the literature review and writing his research proposal. While at the AHU, Koech also got opportunities to participate in workshops and conferences which provided avenues for him to interact with experts in different areas of material science. In one of the workshop that was organized by the Joint Undertaking for an African Materials Institute (JUAMI) in Kampala-Uganda, Koech interacted with many researchers from various regions across Africa and US from whom he got exposure on various hands-on activities on materials characterization.

He is currently progressing well with experimental work on the fabrication and characterization of perovskite solar cells at WPI which is one of the PASET international partner institution (IPI). Being in WPI portends well for him as a student and an upcoming researcher. He joined the energy research group; led by Professor Wole who is a renowned researcher in material science; through which he has been able to deepen his understanding on various aspects related to solar cells, light emitting diodes and energy storage devices. Together with the research team, he has co-authored seven publications in peer reviewed journals.  With this teamwork, and the support he receives from his supervisors, he has a lot of hopes that he will accomplish his research goals in WPI and broaden his research collaboration network.

As a student, nothing is as good as seeing the hope of achieving what your heart has always yearned for. Koech has always hoped to be among the best researchers who will inspire many young scientists and with the progress he is making he sees this dream slowly turning into a reality. With the skills he has acquired, he hopes to be seriously involved in research and training other upcoming researchers in his field of specialization.

He admits that Covid-19 is a disaster that has affected everybody in different magnitudes. As a researcher and a family man, Koech says that the effects of Covid-19 have not spared him. Throughout the lockdown period that was meant to curb the spread of Covid-19, he could neither go to the lab to do the experiments nor visit his family back in Kenya. He had to convert his room into a study area and had to spend most of the time doing the write ups; as his research work was mostly experimental and needed physical presence in the Laboratory. Many challenges came along with this, spanning from boredom, psychological disturbance to those related to long period of physical inactivity. Covid-19 therefore affected his research plan which he is now trying to catch up with to be able to finish on time.

He is very grateful for the RSIF scholarship and calls upon more African Governments to come together and invest in the fund so that more bright and talented African youths can have their dreams turned into realities. Investing in the youth is the best way to transform the African continent given the nature of its demographic distribution.

Continue reading “My dream is to mentor young scientists”

My Communication internship experience with RSIF

Posted on by RSIF PASET

 

By Yvonne Ndegwa, Former communications research intern  February-April 2021) at RSIF

“…. This is the defining global health crisis of our time…” Words uttered by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros more than a year ago, but which still ring true today. The pandemic has been a defining moment in the human experience and has drastically changed how we do things. Its fatal effects have been felt the world over and will surely live an indelible mark on our history books. The pandemic also left so many people jobless with the far-reaching economic strain of the pandemic felt by organizations, with their workforce bearing the brunt of it all through job cuts, unpaid leave, and uncertainties of whether the status quo will ever be restored. It also meant that job seekers like me would have to work even harder to secure employment, if any. It was therefore very humbling and almost felt undeserving that in such times, I got to work with the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) as a Communications Research intern for a period of three months. Truly, this is an opportunity that I do not take for granted given the prevailing situation.

My internship has been the most fulfilling and motivational experience because I got to do what I love and offer myself to a project that makes Africa and the African people better-something that is close to my heart. Through the scholarships offered under the fund, researchers can advance their research and solve some of the problems that plague Africa. The fund also enables links with industry leaders and partners who are able to work with African universities that host RSIF students to transform what would have otherwise just been ideas, into innovative projects that offer solutions and opportunities for growth and development of the continent. I am very proud to have been engaged with a project whose heart and soul beats for the African people.

With such empathetic, compassionate, and supportive colleagues, this communication internship has helped me achieve my goal of gaining a world of exposure and experience in how communication can be tailored to drive change. Part of my role as a Communications Research intern was to support in social media engagement between RSIF and its audience- a responsibility that I performed diligently, and which drove our social media platforms spiralling towards the right direction. On Twitter for example, our engagement grew remarkably by almost 30% within 3 months and this is important because in the global village we live in now, almost all your audiences are online and traditional platforms of engagement are not as effective as they used to be. Because of the lessons I learned from the cooperation of my colleagues, I am confident that I will continue to grow and develop professionally and in my personal endeavours.

Within my internship, there were two distinct learning experiences that stand out to me as the most influential aspects of my development: social media is a tool for change and teamwork makes the dream work.

Throughout my internship experience, I was able to develop and foster a truly positive working environment, all through the support, cooperation, and guidance of my colleagues. Through the application of time management, organization, discipline and consistent practice, my presentation skills as well as my interpersonal skills improved remarkably. Additionally, my development both with managing the daily processes within the office and planning and delivering effective content on our social media platforms directly impacted the publicity gains of RSIF.

As I say goodbye, I am pleased by the gains we have made so far and extremely proud of the growth we continue to experience. I am encouraged by the overarching purpose of RSIF for Africa and I believe that through the fund, quality research will translate into transformational change which will tap into the potential of Africa and its people. I have grown remarkably as an individual and as a professional and will use all that I have learnt during my internship to advance and elevate my abilities.

Many thanks to the RSIF team for making my stay a smooth one filled with learning opportunities. To my supervisor, Dr. Moses Osiru, thank you for giving me the freedom to explore my creativity and inspiring growth through your strong leadership abilities. RSIF is indeed headed in the right direction under your leadership. I also wish to thank Kristin Seljeflot, whose dedication and commitment to her work was a great source of inspiration and for offering her guidance and support to ensure I made the absolute best of my time at RSIF. To the rest of the team, I am greatly indebted to the support and cooperation you have accorded me- I wish you all the best as you continue to discharge your duties. RSIF is a fund whose impact will be felt for generations to come and I am happy to have been part of such a programme. I look forward to reading about RSIF in the various news outlets and social media platforms.

I am confident in my own growth and development. I would not have the knowledge or skills I have today if it were not for my internship experience with RSIF, and I look forward to where my career in communication takes me in the future.

This perspective has been shared by Yvonne Ndegwa who was a communications research intern for three months (February-April 2021) with the Regional Coordination Unit of the Regional Scholarship Innovation Fund of PASET at icipe. She is a graduate of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communication, Media Studies and Management. Before joining icipe, she worked at the Central Bank of Kenya as a Communications Assistant. She also has experience working as a Personal Assistant to the Director in IONEC East Africa and a Corporate Communications Intern at Kenya Pipeline Company Limited.

Thought piece on Decolonising Knowledge in Africa

Posted on by RSIF PASET

 

We are pleased to share with you a Thought Leadership column by icipe Director General & CEO, Dr Segenet Kelemu, on the emerging movement around the ideology of Decolonising Knowledge. Published in the latest icipe e-bulletin (Volume 11, Issue No. 1, 2021), the article highlights the impetus for the campaign, primarily ongoing global challenges that have amplified longstanding cracks in the international research and knowledge systems. The Director General states icipe’s stand based on the Centre’s unique practical and epistemic view within the debate. The article also details the urgency, points of contention and six key remedies to achieve the intended goals of the movement. Against this background, RSIF is highlighted as the perfect example of how more homegrown resources may well be the ultimate trump card for Decolonising Knowledge in Africa. The article concludes with a call-to-action to the African intellectual community not to forfeit its right and responsibility to contribute to the theorisation that will influence the outcomes of decolonisation of knowledge.

Please read the piece on the icipe website in Enlish and French