UNU’s Activities in and on Africa
Science, Technology & Energy
Nigeria, Lagos — An overview of Lagos. Photographer © George Osodi
Completed projects appear below those ongoing.
Millennium development short courses
UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP)
Contact: Ingvar Fridleifsson
Timeframe: Annual since 2005
The Government of Iceland's funding of capacity building by annual short courses in geothermal development started in Africa in 2005, Central America in 2006, and Asia in 2008, as a contribution towards the MDGs. East Africa was the priority region for the first workshop with its largely unused potential, and urgent need for power.
“Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects and their Management” was held in Kenya, 2005 in cooperation with KenGen - the local energy agency responsible for geothermal development, ICEIDA and UNEP. The aim of the workshop was to inform decision-makers on geothermal development.
The Annual Short Course on geothermal exploration for professionals including fieldwork, project work and diverse lectures followed the initial African Workshop. In order to promote geothermal cooperation in East Africa and build grounds for a sustainable geothermal training centre, teaching is chiefly carried out by former UNU-GTP Fellows from Kenya and neighbouring countries.
The Short Courses in East Africa are exceptionally valuable to capacity building activities. They establish a first training opportunity for young geothermal professionals. In total, 157 participated in the African Short Courses during 2006-2009 compared to a total of 34 UNU Africans trained in Iceland during the same period.
Location: North and East Africa
Tags: economic growth, energy, gender, sustainability/sustainable development
MSc and PhD programmes
UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP)
Contact: Ingvar Fridleifsson
Timeframe: Annual since 2000
In 2000 the UNU-GTP established an MSc programme in cooperation with the University of Iceland (UI). The MSc degree in Science and Engineering is granted by UI. Since 2001, twenty five former UNU Fellows have completed an MSc degree through the MSc programme. The six months training at the UNU-GTP fulfil 25 percent of credit requirements. The aim of establishing the MSc programme was to further assist selected countries in building up specialist groups and to increase geothermal research capacity. In the MSc programme, 12 of the 25 who have completed the MSc degree have come from Africa, with an additional 3 now pursuing their studies in Iceland.
In 2008 a PhD programme was established at UNU-GTP in the same fashion as the MSc programme that commenced eight years prior. The first three former UNU Fellows have started their PhD studies at UI. Two are on UNU-GTP Fellowships (both from Kenya) and one (from Djibouti) is funded through other sources.
All the MSc and PhD Fellows have been on scholarships provided to the UNU-GTP by the Government of Iceland. With more advanced training at MSc and PhD levels, UNU-GTP is assisting Africa in bringing geothermal research to a still higher level.
Location: North and East Africa
Tags: economic growth, energy, MSc programme, PhD programme, sustainability/sustainable development
Geothermal training in Iceland
UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP)
Contact: Ingvar Fridleifsson
Timeframe: Annual since 1979
Since 1979, UNU-GTP has held annual six month courses at their premises in Iceland for geothermal professionals from developing countries. The aim is to assist in building up multidisciplinary groups of geothermal specialists in selected countries. Priority for training is given where geothermal exploration and development is already under way. The training is tailor-made for local needs.
Amongst the 452 graduates of the UNU-GTP (1979-2010), 132 have come from fourteen African countries, generally located in Northern and Eastern Africa. The largest number of African Fellows (53) come from Kenya, followed by Ethiopia (27), Uganda (13), Eritrea (7) and Tunisia (6). Former UNU Fellows lead the geothermal research and development in all of these countries. The statistics show that the participation of African fellows has gradually grown and has reached 33 percent in the past ten years (2001-2010), and half of those participating in the last two years have come from Africa. This reflects the high current priority of Africa at UNU-GTP, as in the UN system in general.
Kenya is a shining example of capacity building. Other fine multi-disciplinary groups have been established in Ethiopia and Uganda. We foresee similar development in countries like Eritrea, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Location: North and East Africa
Tags: economic growth, energy, gender, sustainability/sustainable development
Role of biotechnology in sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation in developing countries
UNU Institute for Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)
Contact: Ademola Adenle
Timeframe: September 2010 - September 2012
The advances in agricultural biotechnology (genetically modified crops) in developed nations have contributed substantially to sustainable provision of food and other materials for human needs. Advances in developing nations however, are considerably less. There is urgent need for the advancement of biotechnology for agricultural production in developing nations. It has been reported by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) that suggests biotechnology will offer solutions to the problems of hunger and poverty among 800 million people in developing nations in terms of food security and nutritional improvement. And that adoption of biotechnology will help towards solving the climate change problem and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices in developing nations. The research will be assessing the global impact of plant biotechnology in terms of scientific knowledge, benefit, and policy between developed and developing nations. Interviews will be conducted for stakeholders using the questionnaire and focus group discussions to measure the perception and awareness of small scale farmers in developing nations particularly in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Swaziland). The resulting data will provide some understanding with respect to the level of adoption of biotechnology, scientific knowledge, policy and how it can be improved in the area of agricultural production in developing nations.
Location: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Swaziland
Tags: sustainability/sustainable development
The impact of free and open source software for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa (FOSSINA)
UNU Institute for Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)
Contact: Sulayman K. Sowe
Timeframe: 1 September 2010 - 31 August 2012
"Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is impacting all aspects of ICT, ranging from supporting core ICT infrastructure to the development and deployment of e-learning, e-health, e-government, and e-commerce applications. The technology has great potentials in empowering individuals and communities, giving technology users ownership rights, and enabling diverse talents and cultures to collaborate with technology partners of their choice at an unprecedented rate.
These characteristics provide opportunities for small communities and businesses in developing countries to actively participate in the development and shaping of their own technology, stimulate their indigenous software industries, create local jobs, and lower technology acquisition costs.
The global trend in the adoption and utilization of FOSS means that world-class international research, teaching and capacity building institutions with an exceptional ‘reaching-out’ policy towards developing countries must be poised to understand the potential impact of FOSS. Developing countries in general, and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, are experiencing a gradual, yet significant shift from the use of technologies and services based on proprietary software to open source software. Thus, an informed open source strategy grounded on sound empirical findings can position and give centers of excellence a competitive advantage.
The main objective of the FOSSINA research project is to investigate the potential impact of FOSS for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research will:
- develop methodologies and tools and use quantitative and qualitative data from case studies, structured and unstructured interviews, and questionnaires as research instruments to help develop an in-depth understanding of the widespread use of FOSS technologies and services in public and private sectors in sub-Sahara Africa,
- provide guidelines and indicators for policymakers to create a positive environment for creativity, promoting economic growth and sustainable development based on FOSS principles,
- outline a FOSS research and innovation roadmap (RIR) for Sub-Saharan Africa by identifying research and cooperation priorities which are highly dependent on ICT for implementation.
Expected results and impacts of the FOSSINA research project are as follows:
- Serve as a good starting point for a strategic implementation of a UNU postgraduate program in open source;
- Strengthen UNU’s position in the field of FOSS research and reinforce UNU’s leadership in championing ICT for sustainable development initiatives in Africa;
- Contribute to and open new doors for sustainable ICT initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa;
- Provide practical cases and scenarios which can act as model cases for other regions in Africa and the rest of the developing world;
- Create awareness of alternative ICTs opportunities and build confidence by demonstrating the essence of technology ownership culture;
- Create a platform for building a ‘new’ kind of partnership based on a ‘different’ kind of technology;
- Accelerate UNU uptake of new technology initiatives in Africa by accumulation knowledge and building network of excellence.
Location: Sub-Safara Africa
Tags: FLOSS, innovation, IT, open source software, sustainability/sustainable development
ICT@innovation
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Andreas Meiszner
Timeframe: October 2008 - December 2010
The ict@innovation programme builds capacities in African small and medium ICT enterprises to make a business with Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). ict@innovation aims to encourage the growth of African ICT industries, particularly in Southern and East Africa, through three main actions: spreading FOSS business models for enterprises in Africa, fostering FOSS certification and supporting innovative local FOSS applications for social and economic development. ict@innovation is a partnership of FOSSFA (Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa) and InWEnt - Capacity Building International (Germany). The Collaborative Creativity Group (CCG) at UNU-Merit acts as the project coordinator for ict@innovation.
Location: South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique
Tags: E-learning, innovation, IT, open source software, sustainability, sustainable development
Science policy advice for the implementation of the internationalisation strategy of the BMBF
UNU Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE)
Since 2008 UNU-ViE has served as an international platform for the science policy dialogue “Sustainable Solutions - Science for Sustainability”, an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Five key emerging economies – South Africa, Russia, India, China and Brazil – are the current partners in the initiative. The overall strategic objective is to establish common research agendas and therewith to contribute to the global research agenda for sustainability. The establishment of interdisciplinary trans-border scientific networks and long-term strategic partnerships create synergies for the generation of sustainable solutions to pressing global challenges.
UNU-ViE also co-organized the 2nd South African-German Dialogue on Science for Sustainability, which was held on 26-27 October 2009 at CSIR’s Knowledge Commons in Pretoria. The Institute for Economic Research on Innovation (IERI), the International Bureau of the BMBF (IB), the United Nations University (UNU) Vice Rectorate in Europe jointly organized the event with the support of the German Embassy Pretoria.
UNU-ViE facilitated the development of an integrated proposal of the Joined Content Committee (JCC) of the South African-German Dialogue on Science for Sustainability for 2010-2012 and was nominated as the secretariat of JCC. The discussions involved the representatives of University of Stellenbosch Sustainability Institute; University of Pretoria; Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, Faculty of Economics and Finance, Tshwane University of Technology; Competence Center Sustainability and Infrastructure Systems, Fraunhofer Institute Systems and Innovation Research; Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; and TU Berlin. The following high-level and strategic policy-relevant topics have been proposed: Climate Mitigation and Adaptation (2010); Future Urban, Rural and Regional Development (2011), and Natural Resources, Efficiency and Decoupling (2012). Within each of these three themes, there will be at least two subject-oriented sessions and one cross-cutting and methodological in nature. Specifically, the latter will be focused on inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, systems thinking, and analytical tools.
The third South African-German Conference is planned for February 2011.
Location: South Africa
Tags: globalization, innovation, policy, sustainability/sustainable development, energy
UNU-MERIT Ph.D. study programmes and M.Phil. Study Programme
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Robin Cowan
Time frame: continuing
In addition to UNU-MERIT existing Ph.D. study programmes in (1) Economics and Policy Studies of Innovation and Technology, and (2) Innovation Studies and Development, a two year MPhil Study Programme in Economics, Technology and Innovation was launched in April 2008. There are currently 6 African researchers enrolled in the existing two Ph.D. programmes, while another 4 Ph.D. researchers have successfully completed their studies at the institute since 2005 and have returned to their home institutions or found employment in international research organizations in Africa.
At the request of the University of the Cape Coast in Ghana, three of its lecturers took part in the coursework phase of the UNU-MERIT Ph.D. programme to prepare them to start a Master’s training programme at the university. The fact that they offered to pay the full cost of the programme is an indicator of the high value attached to the training.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, innovation, capacity development, Ph.D. programme, M.Phil. study programme, Ghana
UNU-MERIT Training Programme for Policymakers in the Design and Evaluation of Innovation Policy (DEIP)
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Adam (Eddy) Szirmai
Time frame: continuing
UNU-MERIT organized two training workshops in Africa – in Nigeria and Mauritius – as part of the “Design and Evaluation of Innovation Policies” (DEIP) training programme for policymakers. The programme aims to meet the growing demand from developing countries for support in analyzing the latest technological developments and designing appropriate responses tailored to their specific development contexts.
The workshops drew close to 150 senior government officials and technical advisers in the two countries. In addition, close to 20 African participants attended the two more DEIP courses held in Maastricht during this period.
Tags: capacity development, science and technology, energy, Africa, innovation, training programme, policymaking
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project
UNU Maastricht Economics and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Lynn Mytelka
Timeframe: 2008–2010
Following the completion of the UNU-MERIT research and capacity-building project on Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Alternatives in the Transport and Energy Sectors (HFCX), UNU-MERIT reached agreement with the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) in June 2008 to provide support for the follow up phase of the project. The project entails an international dimension – through the continued monitoring of global developments in the hydrogen economy began by the HFCX project - as well as contributing to South Africa’s own Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research, Development and innovation Strategy.
Specific activities to be carried out by the project include the development guidelines for the establishment of the HFCX project in South Africa and the advising of the Green Transport Team in areas of Hydrogen Economy activities and contributing to the work of the 2010 Green Transport Project Steering Committee. Other activities include providing inputs into deliberative processes, working with SANERI and DST staff to design demonstration projects, surveys, etc and creating better linkages with the private sector. A UNU Press book based on the UNU-MERIT project titled Making Choices about Hydrogen: Transport Issues for Developing Countries, was published in September.
Location: South Africa
Tags: energy, hydrogen, innovation, transport
‘Web of Metals’
UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) StEP Initiative
This StEP study focuses on the global dynamic “Web of Metals” with the overall aim of mapping the global flow of selected elements contained within electronics through a dynamic system modelling. This project attempts to map these complexly linked (nano-/micro-) metals (with their associated metals, plastics, etc.) in order to visualize the complex “Web of Metals”. This web depicts the flow of metals/materials into products, as products in most regions and subsequently back into products and/or into nature and/or humans. In a dynamic manner this visualization shows how these materials flow through the system, based on the fundamentals of recycling technology as well as product design.
Research and training support to build African capacity in science, technology and innovation indicators
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Fred Gault
Timeframe: 2010.03.01–2011.05.31
Four case study teams that were successful in their responses to the September 2009 call for proposals in support of the development of case studies of innovation processses in selected African countries have completed their training workhops. Three teams from Mozambique and South Africa participated in three days of training at the Insitute for Economic Research on Innovation in Tshwane. The remaining team was part of UNU-MERIT DEIP and EKI courses in Dakar, Senegal. Training included techniques, approaches, and uses of science, technology and innovation indicators as part of the policy process. The next steps are the preparation of team reports in 2011 and then their dissemination.
Locations: Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa
Tags: adaptation, economy, innovation, NEPAD, sustainability/sustainable development
Completed Projects
Exchange Programmes to Promote Capacity Building for Policy Relevant Science and Technology Management
UNU Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE)
Contact: Virginie Aimard
Time frame: 2008–2009
The programme entitled “Mobility for Academic Excellence: African and Central Asian Scholar Placement” comprising SEED and Diaspora programmes aims at promoting excellence by developing capacity of university scholars and institutions in Africa and Central Asia. This will be done by providing access to high level academic research for PhDs, post-docs, university lecturers and higher level university scholars of these two regions. The geographical scope of designated target institutions covers primarily Germany, France, BeNeLux and Nordic countries at national universities, UNU RTC/Ps, and national and European research institutions. The placement of scholars will be unidirectional: only from Africa/Central Asia to Europe.
Another programme entitled “Policy relevant On-the-job Science and Technology Management Training Programme” (PROST-MTP) targets young professionals, with a focus on African candidates, to develop their competencies in the field of policy-oriented science and technology management. This shall be achieved by designing and implementing a specific capacity development model which provides young professionals with the opportunity of capitalizing working experience in established entities dealing with science and technology management such as ministries, research institutions or international, intergovernmental organizations. This programme will thus contribute to the up-skilling of a highly qualified workforce of science managers who could also work in a policy relevant context in their home countries, in strategic locations (in Ministries of Science and Technology or in Centres of Excellence).
A first pilot action is foreseen for two professionals from Congo Brazzaville to be trained in the field of urban planning and risk zoning. Congo Brazzaville is vulnerable to natural disasters (frequent occurrences of floods and landslides), a situation which is reinforced by the lack of urban planning processes. A clear capacity need has been identified and the embassy of Congo Brazzaville has contacted the Vice Rector in Europe to provide support in the form of tailor-made short term but focussed on-the-job training for two professionals to be trained as urban security planners.
Tags: Africa, capacity development, science and technology, energy, excellence
FLOSSInclude (Free/Libre/Open Source Software)
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Andreas Meiszner
Time frame: 2007–2009
UNU-MERIT’s “FLOSSInclude” research project aims to exploring what is needed to increase the deployment, development and societal impact of FLOSS in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The project aims to develop a solid understanding of the open source-related needs of the target regions, bring together local and regional development initiatives with the support of cooperation with current EU research, and provide a roadmap for future EU research cooperation with developing countries in this area.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, innovation, open source software, FLOSS, knowledge economy, deployment of FLOSS
Programme of Study of the Processes Involved in Technological and Economic Catch Up
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
Contact: Luc Soete
Time frame: 2007–2009
UNU-MERIT participates in the Indicators Group of the international “Catching Up” project spearheaded by Columbia University, which is developing alternative science, technology and innovation indicators for developing economies. The project is necessitated by a shared concern within many developing countries that the dominant S&T indicators (for instance those produced annually by the World Economic Forum, WEF) are mostly relevant in an industrialized country setting and may not always be appropriate for developing country settings.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, innovation, indicators
Research on Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Alternatives in the Transport and Energy Sectors: Policy Issues for Developing Countries
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
This research project entails an international benchmarking exercise as well as networking and information sharing to boost knowledge on the application of fuel cell technology in the transport sector and the likely consequences for developing countries. African countries covered in the project includes Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. Highlights included the publication of a UNU policy brief on this subject; organizing a side panel focusing on policy issues for developing countries at the 15th session of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development in New York in May 2007; and the launch of a website and monthly Hydrogen Fuel Cell Monitor — a digest of policy-related research, industry developments and funding opportunities — primarily targeted at researchers and policymakers in developing countries.
A book manuscript is to be published by UNU Press in 2008 and planning is underway for two book launches in Africa: one in South Africa in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, and a second one in Kenya in collaboration with the Africa Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) network. In addition to building awareness and contributing to networking among African researchers and policymakers in this emerging area, an important achievement of the project was the decision by South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology to take on the future development of this project, thus ensuring its sustainability beyond the initial 18-month research and awareness raising phase led by UNU-MERIT.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, innovation, hydrogen fuel cell, alternative energy, transport, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya
FLOSSWorld (Free/Libre/Open Source Software: Worldwide Impact Study)
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
The use of Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) holds great potential for developing countries. FLOSS uses open standards, avoiding lock-in to proprietary software and allowing for flexible solutions. Programmes can also easily be translated into local languages, while the international developers’ community acts as a free-of-charge training environment. Yet FLOSS use and development in developing countries, particularly Africa, remains extremely low with the exception of research and user communities in South Africa.
As a leading player in this area, UNU-MERIT’s research and policy analysis programme was originally established to strengthen Europe’s leadership in this area. UNU-MERIT’s Collaborative Creativity Group has recently expanded its work to working with, and strengthening the emerging network of open source researchers in Africa through its collaboration with the Free Software and Open Source Foundation of Africa (FOSSFA).
Key activities and outputs during this period included co-organizing a five-day FOSSFA conference in March 2008 on “Making the Knowledge Economy Work for Africa.” The conference explored ways in which African governments and Standards bodies could participate more effectively in the global debate on Open Standards, especially the Open Office Extended Markup Language (OOXML) standard. Conference participants urged African governments to facilitate the debate on Open Standards, and involve national experts in decisions regarding technology standards. The organization also urged African governments to seek a collective African voice prior to taking positions on Open Standards issues, including paying particular attention to procurement practices, especially software agreements between it and software companies.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, innovation, open source software, FLOSS, knowledge economy
UNU-MERIT and UNU Open Courseware Project
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and UNU Centre
Contact: Philipp Schmidt
Time frame: 2007-2008
UNU-MERIT is part of an initial group of three UNU research and training institutes, and the Tokyo-based UNU Media Studio, that has uploaded a dozen courses to the new UNU OpenCourseware Portal. The long term goal of the project is to promote the development, use and distribution of training materials under Creative Commons licenses. UNU-MERIT has uploaded lecture material, including audio recordings, from four courses in its Innovation Studies and Development Ph.D. Programme.
Tags: capacity development, Africa, innovation, OpenCourseWare
G8-AMCOST dialogue – science policy advice support to the German government and to the Heiligendamm process
UNU Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE)
Contact: Janos Bogardi, Virginie Aimard
In the framework of the Heiligendamm process to foster the dialogue between G8 and Africa on Science and Technology and the German G8 presidency, a G8-AMCOST (African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology) expert meeting “Science and Technology for Africa’s Future: Towards a Sustainable Partnership” was convened in October 2007 in Berlin.
The UNU Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE) had been actively involved in the scientific organization and moderation of this event, initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), together with the German Federal Ministry Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology, host of the AMCOST Secretariat.
The expert meeting was initiated to streamline ongoing and planned activities to advance the implementation of the “Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action” (CPA), the main instrument of the NEPAD and African Union to develop and use science and technology for the necessary socio-economic transformation on the continent. The workshop pursued three major objectives: taking stock of the current status of science and technology in Africa and of South/North cooperation; identification of priorities and prioritized fields of cooperation for the CPA implementation; and building future strategies and structures encouraging transnational cooperation networks and fostering innovative partnership models.
One of the outcomes of this meeting was to consider human resources in science and technology as a top priority cross-section area and the urgency to turn brain drain into brain gain by developing new models of scientific exchange or twinning mechanisms between North and South. The UNU and its commitment to advancing capacity building in Africa were brought to the attention of the ministers and high-level government officials who attended the Third Ordinary Session of the AMCOST in November 2007 in Mombasa, Kenya. Partnerships were consolidated with the African Union Commission, NEPAD, Pan African Parliament, European Commission, UNESCO, UNECA, ICSU, Ministry Directors for S&T from Benin, Malawi, Mauritius Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania.
Tags: Africa, science and technology, energy, NEPAD, capacity development
Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV)
UNU Institute for Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)
Contact: Claudia ten Have, c/o Yoshie Oya
Timeframe: February–May, 2008
UNU & TICAD Process, UNU-IAS TICAD
UNU-IAS Report: Environment for African Development: A Sustainable Future through Science and Technology
TICAD IV was hosted by the city of Yokohama for the first time in 2008, which is also the home of UNU-IAS. UNU-IAS has long-standing research programmes and activities of direct relevance to TICAD, and it organized a Pre-TICAD event, “Science, Technology and Innovation for a Sustainable Future: Priorities, Pathways, and Partnerships for Japan and Africa“. The keynote speakers were Calestous Juma (co-chair of the African Union’s High-Level Panel on Modern Biotechnology/Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs) and Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Science Advisor to the Cabinet of Japan). In addition, UNU-IAS convened three official TICAD IV side events: “Critical Intersection: Climate Change and Security,” “Regional Centres of Expertise for Sustainable Development in Africa,” and “High-Level Panel on Science and Technology for Africa’s Sustainable Development.”
In addition, UNU-IAS contributed three newspaper articles to Yomiuri and Nikkei Weekly on TICAD-related issues. UNU-IAS Sustainable Development Governance also published a policy report on science and technology interventions and environment for African development, based on feedback from the African Diplomatic Corps.
Tags: sustainability/sustainable development, food security, adaptation, innovation, drought, policy
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and Centre for Development Research, Bonn, Germany
Contact: Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, Karl Harmsen, Barnabas Amisigo, B. Barry
Timeframe: 19–23 May, 2008
The workshop aims at explaining and demonstrating the Geoportal system and its data management environment developed by the GLOWA-Volta Project to participants.
Location: Centre for Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing, University of Ghana, Legon
Geoportal and Database
UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and Centre for Development Research, Bonn, Germany
Contact: Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, Karl Harmsen, Barnabas Amisigo, B. Barry
Timeframe: 26–27 November, 2008
The workshop aims at explaining and demonstrating the Geoportal system and its data management environment developed by the GLOWA-Volta Project to participants.
Location: Centre for Africa Wetlands, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
SEBAL/METRIC Workshop for ET Estimation using Landsat Images
UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and Centre for Development Research, Bonn, Germany
Contact: Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, Karl Harmsen, Barnabas Amisigo, B. Barry
Timeframe: 19–22 January, 2009
The SEBAL/METRIC training workshop is organized by GLOWA-Volta project in Bonn and United Nations University to:
- explain the physics of the land surface energy balance
- explain the main concepts of the SEBAL/METRIC approach for prediction of regional distributions of evapotranspiration using optical satellite imagery
- teach the use of a simple SEBAL Level 1 Flat Model for prediction of evapotranspiration from Landsat images
Location: Miklin Hotel, Accra, Ghana
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