Author: Millicent Kyei

WACCI graduates its first cohort of MPhil students under the ACE Project

 

The West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has graduated its first cohort of MPhil students under the ACE Project. The Center on July 20 graduated nine (9) MPhil and 14 PhD students.

The first graduating cohort of 9 MPhil Seed Science and Technology students were enrolled under the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) project in August 2015. This 2-year innovative programme was developed in recognition of the dire need of the ailing seed industry in West and Central Africa.

In an interview, Professor Eric Y. Danquah, the founding Director of the Center noted that WACCI is exerting huge impact across the African sub-region and has shown in eleven years that quality plant breeding education is undoubtedly a smart development investment. The Centre continues to produce the much needed human resources who are at the forefront of agricultural transformation and plant breeding activities across sub-Saharan Africa. He stated that, these graduates have been equipped with entrepreneurial skills to enable them set-up and manage seed businesses which will ultimately transform the seed industry in the sub-region.

He also added, “WACCI is evolving into an Agriculture Innovations and Entrepreneurship institution to generate game-changing products needed for the inclusive transformation of African agriculture and urged Governments of Africa and development partners to prioritize institutions like WACCI for sustained core funding in order to transform agriculture in Africa.”

Prof. Danquah further noted that, a multipurpose building to be completed in August 2018 will provide world class research, teaching and learning facilities needed to attract strategic partners from around the world to make WACCI a preeminent global institution for world class agricultural research and training.

The West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), hosted by the University of Ghana is one of the Agriculture Centers under the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Project. The Centre has since inception, enrolled 114 PhD students in Plant Breeding and 36 students in MPhil Seed Science and Technology. A total of 66 PhD and 9 MPhil students would have graduated from the WACCI programme. Also, as the pre-eminent Centre for plant breeding education in Africa, WACCI has over 60 improved varieties of staples such as maize, sweetpotato, rice, cassava, groundnut, cowpea and taro with the potential of increasing Africa’s food production have been released by our graduates in their respective home countries.

Certificate Workshop: Data Ethics and Skills for Reproduction of Research Findings Using Stata

AAU invites you to its Research Transparency and Reproducibility Training workshop titled Data Ethics and Skills for Reproduction of Research Findings Using Stata in Accra – Ghana, 7th – 10th August, 2018.

The Workshop Concept Note can be Downloaded From Here

The four days training workshop aims at empowering the next generation of African researchers with the appropriate skills and ethics to conduct transparent and reproducible research.

Participants will be introduced to the data landscape of Africa; emerging issues with raw data; best practices for data and code management; and using STATA to validate, analysis and replicate variables.

The core objectives of the workshop is to;

  1. Sensitize participant on various academic research misconducts (ethical issues) as well as the lack of sharing and openness in research.
  2. Expose participants to best practices for research Reproducibility, Replicability and Reanalysis (Pre-registration, Pre-Analysis Plan, Data sharing and the construction of a reproducible and transparent workflow).
  3. Equip participants with the requisite competence in data and code management using STATA as a tool.
  4. Provide participants with the necessary introductory toolset to enable them to carry out efficient data analysis in STATA.

Target Audience

This workshop is invaluable to researchers, academics, postgraduate students, policy makers and staff of statistical institutions (working in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, Medicine, Social and Political Sciences, Business Studies, Marketing and Management, Economics and Statistics) wishing to use Stata for applied statistical analysis, and data management.

Prerequisites

  1. Familiarity with computers and a working knowledge of English is required. The workshop does not require any specialized knowledge in programming.
  2. To maximize the usefulness of this course, we strongly recommend that participants bring their own laptops with them, to enable them to actively participate in the practical sessions.

Date and Venue

The workshop will take place on: 7th – 10th August, 2018 at the AAU secretariat, Accra – Ghana.

Fees and Registration

  • Students*: $ 200
  • AAU Member Institutions: $ 350
  • Non-member Institutions, Non-Profit/Public, Research Centres: $ 400

*To be eligible for student prices, participants must provide proof of their full-time student status for the current academic year.

Course fees cover: course materials (handouts, Stata do files and datasets to be used during the workshop), a temporary licence of Stata valid for 30 days from the beginning of the course, lunch and coffee breaks.

Participants will be responsible for their own accommodation and travel-related costs, such as flights.

Registration Process

Individuals interested in attending the training workshop, must complete an online registration forms https://www.research.net/r/YJYHS69 by – 30th July, 2018.

The number of participants is limited to 30. Places, will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. The course will be officially confirmed, when at least 15 individuals are enrolled.

Principal Facilitator:

Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim – Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC)

Useful Texts:

  • Annim, S. K. (2018). Reproducibility of statistical data, academic publications and policy implications: Evidence from Ghana. Data in Brief, 18, 1298–1312
  • The Best Practices for Data and Code Management Manual, Innovations for Poverty Action.
  • A Gentle Introduction to Stata, 5th Ed. Stata Press 2016, (Alan Acock)

Contact Information:

Registration, logistics (accommodation reservation) and visas: Samuel Nyarko Agyapong – sagyapong@aau.org; CC:  Ms Nodumo Dhlamini – ndhlamini@aau.org.

Further details regarding our payment procedure can be found at: https://blog.aau.org/our-bank-details/

Pre-Announcement – Africa Centers of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) Project

Countries Eligible for Participation (Anticipated)

REPUBLIC OF BURKINA FASO
REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
REPUBLIC OF TOGO
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
REPUBLIC OF NIGER
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL
(Other countries may join following the discussions between the World Bank, national governments and other potential financiers)

A. Introduction
The Africa Centers of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project anticipates the formal launch of a Call for Proposals in June 2018. Eligible higher education institutions from participating countries in West and Central Africa will be encouraged to submit proposals that address a regional Development Challenge through a focused program of postgraduate education and applied research.

This pre-announcement letter has been released to introduce the anticipated project, and to share a draft version of the Call for Proposals so that potential applicants can begin developing their proposals.

B. Objective and Expected Results
The Project development objective is to improve quality, quantity and development impact of postgraduate education in selected universities through regional specialization and collaboration.
The expected results of the proposed project include:

  • Increase in the number of students (with a focus on regional and female students) enrolled and graduating from the masters and PhD programs
  • Improvement in the quality of programs (including increase in number of programs and ACE host institutions that obtain international accreditation, stronger regional and global partnerships)
  • Improvement in the relevance of the trainings and applied research evident through:
    • Increase in amount of externally generated income
    • Increase in number of industry/sectoral partners and stronger commitments from these partners (through funding, internships, advisory board participation, etc.)
  • Increase in regional networks
  • Evidence of substantial development impact attributable to the project.

C. ACE-Impact Components
Proposals may be submitted through the national governments to the ACE Impact project either under the Component 1 or the Component 2 process. Please refer to page 4 for the list of contact persons for each participating country.

(i) Component 1 has two Sub-components: Sub-component 1.1 will provide support to newly established centers of excellence; and Sub-component 1.2 will provide additional support to existing centers with a record of excellence in the ACE I Project. Each Component 1 ACE center will address a regional development challenge through high quality postgraduate education, targeted applied research, and short courses for mid-career professionals. Partnerships with national, regional, and global industry, sectoral actors and academic institutions will ensure that the ACEs focus their activities on the relevant education and research needs to solve specific problems associated with the development challenges.

Approximately ten Component 1 centers are anticipated to be supported in pre-identified thematic sectors, and must respond to specific topical Terms of Reference that will be specified in the formal Call for Proposals. These sectors are expected to include water, ICT, power (energy), urban design, coastal degradation, environmental/social safeguards, math/science education, quantitative economics and health. The Terms of Reference will focus on the training/skills needs as well as some particular research priorities that the centers are expected to address.

A further 15-20 Component 1 centers will be supported in topical areas that address a Development Challenge, but are not subject to pre-identified Terms of Reference.

(ii) Component 2 will provide support to strengthen emerging centers in countries with higher education systems that are not yet mature enough to be competitive under Component 1. This component will provide targeted support to build national undergraduate and postgraduate education and support to engage in regional applied research in thematic areas of regional need. Those institutions supported through Component 2 will be expected to partner with ACEs supported under Component 1 to strengthen regional academic networks and build education and research capacity.

D. Draft Call for Proposals
Attached to this pre-announcement letter is the draft Proposal template. While this draft Proposal template may not be the final version formally released in June, the basic structure and objectives of the Call for Proposals is expected to remain consistent. Those institutions that intend to submit a proposal are encouraged to begin proposal development with the expectation that the broad sections described will remain.

This draft Call for Proposals is focused on Component 1.1 – new Centers of Excellence. Current ACE 1 Centers of Excellence seeking renewed (additional) funding through ACE Impact (Component 1.2) will respond to a similar call but are expected to provide additional content as part of their proposal, including incorporating results from ACE 1 to support the appropriate sections of their proposal. Component 2 proposals may address undergraduate education activities in addition to postgraduate education, while receiving needed regional technical assistance.

(i) Regional Scope
The ACE Impact project is designed to strengthen targeted regional higher education capacity of West and Central Africa. This regional focus is a key element of the project. In responding to the Call for Proposals, institutions should describe how the proposed center serves a regional need, and will grow its regional impact through education and research activities. ACE Impact centers are expected to serve as regional hubs – recruiting students from across the region (30% of center enrollments), building regional partnerships, and conducting applied research on a Development Challenge that is relevant for West and Central Africa.

(ii) Industry/Sectoral Engagement
The active participation of companies and/or sectoral1 stakeholders in defining and assisting in the education and applied research activities for each center is essential to the success of the ACE Impact project. Industry is uniquely positioned to inform each center of the skills needs to advance the sector and what coursework is necessary to prepare students for a rapidly changing workplace. In addition, regional industry actors are well-positioned to inform each center of the applied research needs to effectively support regional industry and to address the most pressing questions associated with the Development Challenges.

Institutions intending to respond to the ACE Impact Call for Proposals must reach out now to potential local, regional, and international industry partners. In addition to helping define the education and research goals of the proposed center, industry is expected to join the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB), and to contribute financially to the activities and sustainability of the ACE Impact centers. Evidence of strong commitments and demand from industry/sectoral partners are expected to be submitted (including commitment letters, market surveys, etc.)

(iii) Academic Partnerships
Academic partnerships – national, regional, and global – are encouraged for potential ACE Impact centers, and can be with individual collaborators or at the department/center/institutional level. In the proposal stage, institutions should identify academic partners who commit to collaborate with the center to support its mission. These partnerships may build upon previous collaborations, or may be new and indicate a need or opportunity for the proposed center. Partnerships may: (1) raise the education and research capacity of the proposed center by leveraging the expertise (and/or resources) offered by the partner and that may not exist at the center; (2) increase the capacity of partner institutions in the region to deliver quality education and research; and/or (3) build a network – with specializations among the members – that can raise regional capacity to address a Development Challenge.

E. Evaluation Process
All proposals submitted for Component 1 centers in the ACE Impact project will be evaluated through an open, rigorous, transparent, competitive and merit-based process consistent with international standards for funding centers of excellence. The evaluation process will consist of two sequential steps: Desk Evaluation of the written proposal; and On-site Visit to a short-list of proposed centers. The criteria that will be used to evaluate all proposals will be made available when the formal Call for Proposals is released.

1 Sectoral partners can include relevant public enterprises, Ministries, government agencies, public authorities, chambers of commerce, trade groups, hospitals, policymakers and other appropriate stakeholders.

F. Anticipated Timeline
The formal launch of the Call for Proposals for ACE Impact is expected to occur in June 2018. The Call for Proposals will include details on the evaluation and selection criteria, and again provide a list of national contact points (and, where appropriate, national ACE Impact project websites) for additional information related to the submission of proposals.

Proposals submitted under Component 1 will be due approximately three months after the Call for Proposals is launched (August 2018). The evaluation process is anticipated to be completed in October 2018, with selection of the ACE Impact Centers made by the Project Steering Committee by late October 2018. The formal launch of the ACE Impact Centers is planned for February 2019.

G. Partnerships
The ACE Impact project has sought to establish strategic partnerships with leading international research funding organizations, research performing organizations and national development organizations to strengthen the project. It is anticipated that Agence Française de Développement (AFD) will co-finance ACE centers with the governments and World Bank. Additional higher education and research agencies from France, Germany, Japan, the UK, China, Korea and the USA are expected to support researchers collaborating with the ACE Impact centers.

H. Contact Persons 

Country Contact Person(s) Email
Republic of Burkina Faso Mr Rasmane Kabore ramaneka@hotmail.com
Republic of Cameroon Prof Logmo aaron logmoa2003@yahoo.fr
Republic of Djibouti Dr Fahmi Ahmed fahmi_gamal@yahoo.fr
Republic of Ghana Prof Mohammed Salifu
Mr Edmund Aalangdong		 salifum@ncte.edu.gh
edmoundan@yahoo.com
Republic of Guinea Prof Mamadou Saliou Diallo msbala.diallo@isfad-gn.org
Republic of Togo Prof Kouami Kokou kokoukouami@hotmail.com
Republic of The Gambia Mr Yusupha Touray yusuph77@gmail.com
Republic of Niger Mme Sabo Haoua Seini hseinisabo@yahoo.fr
Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr Joshua Atah jaatah@nuc.edu.ng
Republic of Senegal Prof Amadou Abdoul Sow amadouabdoul.sow@ucad.edu.sn

Workshop on Climate Change and Sustainable Environment

The Africa Center of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE) located at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in collaboration with Galilee International Management institute, Israel is hosting an International Course on Climate Change and Sustainable Environment.

The workshop is aimed at exposing participants to recent developments in the area of Climate Change and build a critical mass of next generation experts with robust understanding to address climate change issues.

The training commences on Monday August 6 and ends on Friday August 11, 2018 at the International Scholars Resource Centre, Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

This Workshop is targeted at administrators from academia and research Institutes, Deans, Heads of Departments, Researchers and government and private sector stakeholders in Climate Change and Sustainable Environment.

Interested participant should visit www.ceadese.unaab.edu.ng or call (+234) – 08035640707, 08034382476, 08020565881, 08069311558

Application Deadline: Friday 27th July, 2018.

Workshop Fee: US$ 200 (70,000 Naira)

 

WACCI receives International Accreditation

The West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), which is one of the 22 African Centers of Excellence under the World Bank funded ACE project, has received International Accreditation for its postgraduate Programmes from AQAS, Germany.

The Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS), a German- based institution noted for accreditation of excelling Higher Education Institutions has accredited two of WACCI’s post graduate Programmes – PhD in Plant Breeding and MPhil in Seed Science and Technology.

The International Accreditation was granted following a thorough evaluation conducted on WACCI, using the standards and guidelines for quality assurance approved by the European Association for Quality Assurance, European Students Union and the European University Association, among others.

Additionally, a panel of experts made up of Prof. Robert Hänsch, Technical University of Braunschweig, Gemany; Prof. Dr. Michael Kruse, University of Hohenheim, Germany; Dr. Victor Afari-Sefa, World Vegetable Center, Benin; Jorge Moreno Herrero, University of Mainz; Doris Herrmann and Dr. Dorothee Groeger, AQAS, visited the Centre from March 12-16, 2018 to inspect facilities and hold discussions with the Management and stakeholders of WACCI, following an assessment of a Self-Evaluation Report submitted by WACCI to AQAS.

Based on the report of the expert panel and the discussions of the Accreditation Commission at its 71st meeting, the Commission decided that the programmes, Seed Science and Technology (MPhil) and Plant Breeding (PhD) offered by the Centre were accredited. This was confirmed in a letter to WACCI, signed by Dr. Dorothee Groeger of AQAS. The accreditation is valid until September 2024.

Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, Director of WACCI has said that this accreditation will pave way for strategic collaborations with institutions in Europe and also increase the Centre’s capacity to boost research and help ensure food security in the sub-region. He noted, “We are currently restructuring with a focus on research for impact. This international accreditation should attract strategic partners from Europe and beyond to work with us in product development using modern science for the efficient and effective development of game-changing products for the inclusive transformation of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa,”

He added, that in order to facilitate the “Ghana and Africa beyond aid” agenda, there should be increased investments in research “We see our work impacting food and nutrition security in Ghana and beyond in the next few years. We believe the Ghana and Africa beyond aid agenda would not be a mirage if governments invest heavily in the food value chains. Innovation should be a high priority. Let’s put some funds in the home for innovations, our universities, and let’s challenge our scientists to deliver,” he said.

The Team Leader of the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project, Mr. Andreas Blom also added that, this is an “an indisputable testament to the quality of WACCI’s education”

WACCI currently runs one of the largest PhD educational programme in Africa with 62 students at various stages of training. It has also evolved into a top-tier plant breeding education institution globally and a leader in maize improvement in West and Central Africa.

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity Celebrated at CEA- CCBAD

The Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Change, Biodiversity and Agriculture (CEA-CCBAD) hosted by Felix Houphouët-Boigny University, La Cote d’Ivoire celebrated World Biodiversity Day on May 22, 2018.

To commemorate this day, the students initiated a series of activities that began with a conference on Saturday, May 19 under the theme “Celebrating 25 years of Action for Biodiversity”. The event was finalized on May 22, 2018, with the planting of trees on the Bingerville Scientific and Innovation Center campus to mark the International Day of Biodiversity. The event was supported by the WABES students.

WABES is an institution advocating the safeguarding of biodiversity, used this platform to educate and inform the participants on the importance of biodiversity in the ecosystem. Also, WABES pledged their continuous commitment to raising awareness on the usefulness of biodiversity.

The Biodiversity Day Celebrations was attended by the Coordinator of CEA-CCBAD, Professor Kone Daouda, and the Deputy Director of CEA-CCBAD, Professor Konate Souleymane. Also present was Director of the Scientific and Innovation Center, Felix Houphouët-Boigny University, Professor AKE, Director of WABES and students of the institution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACEGID Summer Workshop Training

The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases(ACEGID), hosted by Redeemer’s University, Osun State, Nigeria is organizing a one (1) month summer foundational and advanced training workshop in genomics.

The Workshop is in two sessions. The first session, Foundational Training in Molecular Biology and Genomics is to be held from June 4- June 29. Courses in this session includes Molecular Biology Theory, Laboratory Techniques, PCR primer design, Sanger Sequencing, CRISPR Technology, Statistics among others. Rate is USD 500 

The second session, Next generation Sequncing also includes the following courses; qRT-PCR, Library construction, MiSeq operation, Next generation sequencing, Bioinformatics analysis, Science communication and career development. This training also commences on July 16 and ends on August 10, 2018. Rate is USD 1000

Students, Faculty members and laboratory technicians are invited to participate in this workshop.

Click to download registration form

 

ACE stakeholders convene to discuss Progress and way forward for the Project

Opening
 
The Ninth ACE Project Workshop hosted by 2iE in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso featured plenary and parallel sessions. 
Participants were addressed by the General Director of 2iE, Professor Mady Koanda, the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, Prof. Etienne Ehile and the World Bank team, represented by Himdat Bayusuf, who provided update on the milestones achieved by the ACEs and commended their efforts in implementing the project so far. It was mentioned that since the inception of the Project, about 1600 PhDs and 6000 Masters Students have been enrolled and 12 International Accreditation attained.
 
Other dignitaries who addressed participants included the ECOWAS Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Leopoldo Amado, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Burkina- Faso, Prof. Alkassoum Maiga (Representative) and the World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso,  Mr. Cheick F. Kante (Representative).
 
The plenary for day two hosted the following sessions: ACE Project Progress Update by Professor Jonathan Mba; Aggregate M&E Results Progress – including disbursement, fund utilization and DLR achievement by Mrs Adeline Addy and Mrs Himdat Bayusuf; ACE 1 Supervision Mission Findings and a Question and Answer Session.
 
Summary of Discussions from Parallel Sessions
 
Working Group 1A (STEM 1) – CEFOR, CCBAD, PAMI, RWESCK, CEA MEM| Experts – Prof. M. Diallo and Prof. Gos Ekhaguere
 
Centers in this session discussed the fundamental issue of sustaining themselves at the end of the ACE project.  The promotion of university –industry linkages and attracting industry players to invest money into the ACEs was also discussed.  They agreed that the focus here was to approach industry with a win-win concept/proposal following a needs assessment process.
 
Working Group 1B (STEM 2) – CETIC, ENSEA, MITIC, SMA, OAK | Expert – Gen. X Michel
Each center presented their roadmaps, what they seek to achieve and how they plan to sustain the project after the World Bank funding among others. The expert noted that all centers had adopted a similar framework to that of the ACE project with a focus on education, research, linkages with industry etc. They were prompted that though this was a good approach, they could explore other frameworks in finalizing their plans.  ACEs were encouraged to be accurate in their strategy in terms of what they seek to achieve and be aware of competition in the market and strive to be different.
 
 
Working Group 2: Agric ACEs| Experts – Prof. R. Wohome, Dr. C. Larsen, Prof. Abubakar Akpa
The Agric ACEs discussed three key issues as follows 1) Exit strategy for the World Bank funding/sustainability of the ACEs after the end of the ACE1 project a) The Experts also advised ACEs to quickly assess how much DLI amount is remaining and plan a strategy to retrieve the money b) ACEs were encouraged to ensure that money given to them is properly spent and properly accounted for. c) Since there is the possibility that there may some money left unspent at the end of the ACE project, they are proposing that the World Bank sets up an oversight team to ensure that such monies are spent within 6months after the end of the project
2) The Agric team also worked on a joint advert being prepared to market their centers and attract students from different countries. 
3) Lastly, the team discussed a joint research and development proposal to be developed with a focus on promoting mobility and sustainability
 
Working Group 3: Health ACEs – ACEGID, WACCBIP, ACENTDFB, ACEPRD, CERHI, CEA-SAMEF| Expert – Prof. M Niescierenko
The various Health ACEs gave updates on progress made by their centres and the way forward. Based on the presentations, health expert, Michelle Niescierenko advised that the ACEs develop a plan to commercialize their services. ACES were encouraged to intensify efforts in attaining international laboratory accreditation to enable them reach a higher level of service commercialization.
A sustainability planning guide was shared by the Health expert to help the ACEs identify costs related to sustaining the centers core programming (education and research) and the centers operations (administrative and coordination).
 
Day 2 also featured a session on the ACE Impact Steering Committee Meeting which brought together country focal points, Project Steering Committee members, AAU and the World Bank teams. There were also ACE Operations Help Desks that focused on (i) ACE M&E Verification led by Mrs Adeline Addy and Dr Moustapha Lo and (ii) ACE DLI 2.8 and safeguards led by Maud Kouadio
 
EVENING SESSION
All participants were treated to a scrumptious and entertainment-filled dinner hosted by the Government of Burkina Faso at the Laico Hotel. We are extremely grateful for this kind gesture by the Government of Burkina Faso
 
Please access some photos from Day 2 here –
 

Highlight of ACE Higher Education Fair

About 300 participants took part in the maiden “Higher Education Student Fair” of the ACE project held on May 7, 2018 on the campus of the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Fair brought together stakeholders from academia (including students), the private sector, industry, civil society, and others.
 
The event was officially opened through the cutting of a tape by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Leopoldo Amado, the Secretary General of the AAU, Prof. Etienne E. Ehile, the World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso, Mr. Cheick Fantamady Kanté and the General Director of 2iE, Prof. Mady Koanda. 
 
In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Mady of 2iE indicated the appreciation of the institution for hosting this first higher education fair and called on participants to take advantage of the various opportunities availed to them by the Centers of Excellence through the Fair.  
Professor Amado on his part stressed ECOWAS’ support for the event, and reiterated the Commission’s belief in the potential of the ACEs to meet the Region’s challenges.

 

A wide array of exhibits including scientific equipment, laboratory chemicals, sample innovative processed foods and publications were displayed by the participating Centres of Excellence. 
 
The research programs presented to visitors covered the following areas: (i) Genomics and Infectious Diseases; (ii) Water, Energy and Environment; (iii) Agricultural Development and Environmental Sustainability; (iv) Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens; (v) Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology; (vi) Crop Improvement; (vii) Phytomedicine and Development; (viii) Reproductive Health and Innovation; (ix) Mathematical Sciences and Applications; (x) Oilfield Chemicals; (xi) Water and Sanitation; (xii) Poultry Sciences; (xiii) Information and Communications Technology; (xiv) Maternal and Child Health; (xv) Dryland Agriculture; (xvi) Food Technology; (xvii) Statistics; (xviii) Climate Change; (xix) Mining; and (xx) Materials Science and Engineering.
 
The event received coverage by both local and international media including Africable, BBC Africa Radio, RTB television and Pays. The AAU TV also covered this important event. 
 
The day ended with a Project Steering Committee meeting where government representatives of the 22 Centers of Excellence, World Bank and AAU teams, together with other stakeholders convened to review progress and discuss the way forward for the project.
 
The link to some photos from the event is also shared below. This will be updated at the end of the programme;

Celebrating Academic Excellence in Africa

PRESS RELEASE: Ouagadougou Celebrates Academic Excellence in Africa

22 Centers of Excellence presented their education and applied research programs and innovations to the public

Ouagadougou, 7 May 2018. The very first “Higher Education Student Fair” of the African Centers of Excellence (ACEs) was held today on the campus of the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. All the 22 ACEs financed by the World Bank and hosted by universities in 9 West and Central African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo) attended the event.

“This is a great day for Africa, as well as all the ACEs represented here to celebrate academic excellence. The training and research programs presented to the public today demonstrates that we are capable of developing the advanced skills Africa needs to accelerate its development“, said Professor Etienne Ehilé, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), the institution responsible for monitoring the implementation of the ACEs and co-organizer of the event.

The research programs presented cover the following areas: (i) genomics and infectious diseases; (ii) water, energy and environment; (iii) agricultural development and environmental sustainability; (iv) cell biology of infectious pathogens; (v) neglected tropical diseases and forensic biotechnology; (vi) crop improvement; (vii) phytomedicine and development; (viii) reproductive health and innovation; (ix) mathematical sciences and applications; (x) oilfield chemicals; (xi) water and sanitation; (xii) poultry sciences; (xiii) information and communications technology; (xiv) maternal and child health; (xv) dryland agriculture; (xvi) food technology; (xvii) statistics; (xviii) climate change; (xix) mining; and (xx) materials science and engineering.

Each of the 22 ACEs is regionally unique. They aim to support the emergence of regional poles of excellence within higher education and applied research. The centers seek to produce a critical mass of high-level specialists at the Masters and PhD levels as well as providing short term professional training to professionals seeking to improve their skills. These programs are focused on producing the skills needed to address regional development challenges in areas such as water, agriculture, health, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Our programs meet the international standards and our students come from all over Africa. At the end of their training, they are competitive, innovative and immediately access the job market, thus reflecting our slogan of “One diploma, one job”, said Professor Harouna Karambiri, hydro-climatologist and Coordinator of CEA-2iE.

In opening the Fair, Mr. Cheick Fantamady Kanté, World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso highlighted the innovative aspect of the ACEs: “The African Centers of Excellence project that we support is one of the most innovative projects aimed at providing Africa with the technical know-how necessary to meet its many development challenges”.

“I am happy to be here and expect to interact with students and other visitors on the key achievements of our center. Our team is happy to present to the public our high-ranking Master’s and PhD programs which are contemporary, comprehensive and up to date on reproductive health”, said Dr. Mrs. O.E. Obarisiagbon, PhD student at the Center of Excellence on Reproductive Health Innovation, at University of Benin, Nigeria.

Several actors of the academia (including students), the private sector, industry, civil society, and others visited the Fair to discover the research areas covered by the ACEs and to explore opportunities for effective partnerships: “I heard about the centers of excellence and came to find out what programs are available to help me make the best choice for my Master’s studies,” says Hassane Koumare, a third-year undergraduate physics student from Mali who visited the Fair.

For Mr. Andreas Blom, Lead Economist and Task Team Leader for the ACE project at the World Bank, the ACEs are achieving good results and are being successful in attracting more students from the region. He commends its ownership by all stakeholders and indicates the next steps: “Currently, the ACEs have developed more than 15 programs that are accredited and meet international standards. In addition, the ACEs have developed 35 new programs that have already attracted about 6,000 students in Master’s and 1,600 PhD students; of these, 3,000 are regional students”. We are encouraged by the strong ownership of the ACEs at institutional, national and regional levels and we are taking steps to move to the next level to support the creation of new centers of excellence and provide additional financing to scale up on some of the existing ones that are already glowing at regional and international level”.

The African Centers of Excellence initiative is a flagship program supported by the World Bank that is providing an innovative regional response to make higher education more relevant to Africa’s development. With a total investment of $165 million, the project offers an optimal way to build regional specialization, concentrate limited top-level faculty, generate spillovers and meet private sector demand for technical skills.

You can download the following:

  1. Press Release in French – ACE Higher Education Fair
  2. Address by the AAU Secretary General in French

CONTACTS

For more information, please contact:

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