1、AfDB Partnership Forum March 2010 HIGHER EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRUST FUND,Presenter: Baboucarr Sarr Human Development Department,Background,Awareness of African policy makers, decision-makers, researchers and scientists;Potential to use ST research and innovation, to address our particula
2、r development problems and challenges. the African Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2007, focused on Science and Technology (S&T). Member states urged to allocate at least 1% of GDP to R&D activities. Call for modalities for the setting up of a fund for further development of STI. AfD
3、B, UNESCO, ECA collaboration requested.,(Background continued),African Union included S technological innovation (emphasis on devpt of African system of research and technology innovation),Banks HEST Strategy: Status,Promotion of ST (USD 1.00M),Continuing Challenges and Opportunities,Examples: chall
4、enges like malaria, HIV/AIDS, sleeping sickness and river blindness, higher yielding crop varieties; and pest resistant;efforts may be more sustained and dedicated if the drivers come from within the continent.Absence of cataloguing and use of existing research constrains partnership between researc
5、h institutions and industry AMCOST/stakeholders recognise that funding remains huge challenge,Examples of Collaborative Relationships,Scientific entities interested in Bank role in programme and fund administration; African Network for Drugs and Diagnostic Innovation (ANDI); launched in 2008; coordi
6、nates R,Objectives and Thrusts of Proposed Fund,to contribute to the economic and social advancement of the regional member countries by providing scientific research and innovation products which can enhance national capacities to meet the technological, industrial, health and agricultural developm
7、ent challenges.,Typical action areas,promoting research and innovation activities; targeted support for African universities and other institutions of higher education to enhance their work in in science, technology and engineering education; promoting regional as well as south-south and north-south
8、 cooperation in science and technology; strategic support to centres of excellence through increased funding of priority programmes in science, technology and innovation; The creation of a regional S&T Research Catalogue of major research findings of potential interest to industry,Within the frame o
9、f the HEST and the Banks business- illustrative key areas are: Biotechnology- potential to impact on the Health and Agricultural sectors and to alleviate poverty; technologies to reduce post-harvest food loss; Engineering, particularly manufacturing, value addition to African natural resources and r
10、aw materials; (econ. growth) Adapting ICT to our social and economic systems,In this regard, the Fund will: stimulate and support work of African scientific communities and networks; Facilitate, strengthen work being carried out at selected regional African centers of excellence; Catalytic support to university research; links with industry; knowledge and innovation transfer to local comunities and entrepreneurs Nature/ management of Fund: core resources; dedicated and entity-specific resources; programme specific resources,
