Author: ACE Comms Team

Profiling the African Centre of Excellence for Biotechnical Innovations for the Elimination of Vector-borne Diseases (CEA/ITECH-MTV, Burkina Faso)

Written By Bunmi Ruth Odufala

The African Centre of Excellence for Biotechnical Innovations for the Elimination of Vector-borne Diseases (CEA/ITECH-MTV) hosted by the Nazi Boni University in Burkina Faso, is a center of excellence in biotechnology targeting vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and trypanosomiasis. More specifically, gene drive technology and the use of hereditary endosymbionts such as the symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia will be developed. This centre provides a large pool of specialists in disease vectors through quality diploma training supported by an effective research program. The center brings together more than 17 leading technical institutions, each in its field at national, regional, and international level, to achieve its training and research objectives. A strategic partnership with the chamber of commerce representing the world of industry, sectoral ministries of health, education, and research including local communities is being established with the aim of promoting the absorption of graduates from the centre, as well as encouraging the creation of companies exploiting the results of the centre’s research. To this end, the spirit of entrepreneurship, the promotion of intellectual property, and risk-taking are instilled in learners early on, teaching them to capitalize on opportunities for innovation.

 CEA/ITECH-MTV is characterized by the following unique features:

  • Provides a large pool of human capital (more than 150 Masters, more than 50 PhDs and hundreds of short-term training courses for health and research professionals in the health sciences) through high-level quality training through access to an international standard research and teaching platform.
  • enhances the results of research and teaching by absorbing graduates into the host structures concerned by this technology, the scientific publication of the results, the implementation of the recommendations of the results of the research at the service of the sectoral ministries concerned and their subdivisions such as the national program to fight against malaria, the direction of the disease, the municipalities and hygiene services and;
  • promotes the creation of businesses by learners through the involvement of the national agency for the promotion of research results and innovations (ANVAR) and the chamber of commerce and industry representing the business world in the formatting curricula, monitoring results, and setting up special start-up funds for innovative ideas.

 

“Our center is leading the research on entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium in Africa. To make them more virulent, we have genetically modified them so that they can kill mosquitoes faster and in low concentration. We have isolated a few strains from the field that readily kill mosquitoes and our hope is to use them in the future to control malaria mosquitoes” – Prof. Abdoulaye Diabate, Centre Leader, CEA ITECH MTV.

He further noted that Malaria mosquitoes have become resistant to most conventional chemical insecticides and the centre’s work has shown that the Metarhizium can effectively kill mosquitoes that are resistant to chemical insecticides. Click and find leading contactor for storm drains Rochester. Its combination with these chemicals increases the efficacy of the chemicals. The fungus is easy to grow and, in the future, CEA ITECH MTV hopes to establish partnerships with local industries to locally produce the fungus. The centre still has a few open field tests to do in small and large scales to confirm efficacy in the real world before proceeding with the product.

At CEA ITECH-MTV, students are at the forefront of leading research.

Etienne Bilgo said: “We have been able to successfully evaluate the efficacy of this fungus against malaria vectors in a confined semi-natural environment. We are currently working to move on to field studies, but a lot of preliminary work is needed before we can move on to field studies, in particular, studies of the perceptions and commitment of the local populations. We also want to find the best formulations for the use of this fungus. Finally, we are also working on biosecurity issues”.

The Fight against COVID-19: How ACE-Impact health centres supported a stronger regional response through cutting-edge & innovative research

The Fight against COVID-19: How ACE-Impact health centres cutting-edge & innovative research supported a stronger regional response

Written By Mrs. Felicia Nkrumah Kuagbedzi

The African Continent, and by extension the world, suffered the brutal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its various sectors including the higher education sector.  This article profiles the impressive contribution of the Health Centres under the ACE Impact project, in responding to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic on society.

Responses by the Centres, included the conduction of groundbreaking scientific research, technological innovations and sensitization of the general public.   Others included the provision of technical advice to governments and various national and continental level institutions on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Interventions

The centres have been instrumental in conducting cutting-edge research to guide the development of new approaches to disease diagnosis, prevention, and control. During the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) hosted by the Redeemer’s University in Nigeria and the West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) hosted by the University of Ghana were the first institutions in the sub-region to sequence the SARS-CoV 2 virus genomes to track mutations. In addition, CERHI and ACENTDFB (both in Nigeria) made available their ultra-modern laboratories in support of PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus.

The Conduction of Groundbreaking Scientific Research

 

Centres of Excellence in the fields of genomics and infectious diseases were instrumental in the genomic sequencing of the virus. Notable among the centres were ACEGID and WACCBIP The centres successfully sequenced genomes of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) and also tracked mutations of the virus leading to the discovery of the new variants in the respective host countries and the continent at large. ACEGID alone tested over 141,000 samples from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Rwanda, Gabon and Algeria, and was one of the first within the region to identify the Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20G, among other variants of the virus. WACCBIP was also the only center to conduct nation- wide sequencing covering all the 16 regions of Ghana. Between 2020-2022, over 20,000 tests were conducted across Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. The center also identified the first cases of Alpha, Eta, Omicron, BA2, BA4 among other variants in Ghana.

Again, ACEGID developed a COVID 19 screening tool to measure individual risk levels. WACCBIP also developed a scalable test that can perform large scale screenings and rapidly test thousands to millions of samples at a given time as well as an affordable Antigen test developed in collaboration with the University of Southampton. Several research publications on mutations and management of the COVID-19 virus have been published by both centres including the first African manuscript of genetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variations published by WACCBIP.

Collectively, ACEGID and WACCBIP supported over 30 other African countries in terms of genome sequencing, training of scientists, and guiding government policies in terms of managing the spread of the virus. These countries include Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, among others.

The contributions of these centres have been acknowledged by governments of the host countries, continental and international bodies -including the World Health Organization and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, media houses and various stakeholders within and outside the science fraternity. In addition, WACCBIP and ACEGID received funds from various donors and development partners to strengthen COVID-19 research among other research activities of the centres. ACEGID received over US$ 58million from the Rockefeller Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. WACCBIP also benefited from over US$6 million in funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the ACE-partner Programme through the WANIDA Network, K FCDO Ghana Partnerships Beyond Aids Programme, WELLCOME/FCDO Grant, the Rockefeller Foundation, among others.

Other centres such as the Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation (CERHI) and the Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB) both in Nigeria also availed their centres’ laboratories for further relevant research.

Technological Innovations

Some of the non-health thematic ACEs came up with technological inventions which contributed greatly to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre for Mathematics, Computer Science, and ICT (CEA-MITIC), Senegal developed a software for the electronic management of COVID-19 patients’ files and an application (app) for self-screening. The app is used to assess user symptoms and exposure to determine their risk of infection. In addition, ACEGID developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which showed over 90 percent effectiveness during preclinical trials. The centre for the Teaching & Learning of Math and Science for Sub-Saharan Africa (CEA-MS4SSA) produced solar-powered hand washing equipment for institutions in Niger. Given that power supply is intermittent in many places across Africa, such solar-powered handwashing equipments are highly essential, as they ensure a smooth and uninterrupted operation process, thus facilitating frequent hand washing, and curtailing the spread of Covid-19 in many communities and environments.

 

Public Sensitization and Mass Production of Protective Items

The Centres worked closely with their host universities to raise awareness about the need for heightened hygiene practices. This was achieved using different channels such as posters, digital campaigns, memos and publication in the media. ACEs such as the Centre for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP), Africa Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS), engaged in diverse sensitization campaigns to enhance knowledge of the public on the pandemic. These centres contributed greatly to the production of protective items for use in their respective countries

Propelling Health Research & Innovation in Africa through Africa’s Higher Education Institutions

Africa aspires to a future of quality health and excellent well-being. Sustainable Development Goal three (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) builds on this hope by providing guidance to ensure the attainment of this goal as the continent progresses toward sustainable and equitable health. To achieve this, African governments have made commitments through various initiatives to strengthen health care systems as well as build capacities for innovative research in addressing health-related challenges in the region. One of the core interventions is Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence- a World Bank initiative in collaboration with African governments to strengthen the capacity of universities to deliver quality education to address regional developmental challenges. Considering that health is one of the key sectors with challenges needing critical interventions, the ACE Project has health as one of its six priority areas. The aim is to enhance the capacity of the participating universities by providing the needed facilities and infrastructure to deliver quality training and applied research for an extension and transfer of knowledge and skills to other institutions within and outside the continent. Again, the  project seeks to promote locally skilled researchers and health professionals equipped with quality training within the region. 

There are 13 centres of excellence focusing on various aspects of health including cell biology and genomics of infectious diseases, tropical diseases, reproductive health, maternal and infant health, pharmaceutical science, and genetic and herbal medicines. The centres have played pivotal roles in leading transformative research contributing to managing critical health issues in the sub-region and continentally. The 13 centres of excellence promoting the innovative drive to scientific research in health are: Centre for Training, Research and Expertise in Drug Sciences  (CFOREM), University of Ouga; Centre for Bio-technological Innovation for the Elimination of Vector- Borne Diseases (CEA-ITECH_MTV)-both in Burkina Faso; West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) both hosted by the University of Ghana; Centre of Excellence for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases (ACE-PCMT, Guinea); African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University; Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB), Ahmadu Bello University; Reproductive Health Innovation (CERHI), University of Benin; Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP); Centre for Mycotoxin and Food Safety (ACEMFS); Africa Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS); Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR, University of Port Harcourt)- all in Nigeria; Centre for Maternal and Infant Health (CEA-SAMEF, Senegal). 

Community Health Engagement  

Community engagement remains crucial to project implementation to deepen the impact of centres’ activities.  In line with this, some centres have successfully organized various community outreach programmes aimed at awareness creation on diseases as well as free medical screenings.  Notable among these social interventions include WACCBIP screenings for COVID-19, HIV and breast cancer for over 10,000 residents of Accra; Over 2,500 residents of the Akyem Abuakwa State, a suburb in the Eastern region of Ghana also benefitted from free health screening exercise (physical examination, mental health screening, etc.) conducted by WAGMC.

Partnerships and Collaborations

As strategic partnerships and collaborations hold significant potential to transform and strengthen centres’ goals in line with project implementation and sustainability, centres have forged valuable partnerships with other institutions, industries and inter-ACE networks. The African Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP) has collaborated with the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) and seven Kenya Universities (Maseno University, Pwani University, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Karatina University, Technical University of Kenya, and University of Eastern Africa) in the areas of teaching, research, community outreaches, training as well as staff and students exchanges. In addition, the partnership is geared toward partnership in finding lasting solutions to challenges in nutrition towards achieving the SDGs.

Regarding inter-ACE collaborations, the World Bank, AFD and the RFU in partnership with other institutions established the Inter-ACE Thematic Networks to foster collaborative research and learning among the ACEs in various thematic areas including agriculture, energy, and digital education, transport and logistics. Two of the eight Thematic Networks are focused on health.

The West African Network of Infectious Diseases ACEs (WANIDA) was created in 2020 to facilitate interactions, collaborations and networking among the infectious diseases ACEs, other health-related ACEs and non-ACE institutions in the sub-region to address the inadequacies of existing health systems across Africa for responding to significant public health threats. The participating centres are ACEGID, WACCBIP, ACE_PCMT, ACENTDFB, CEA-ITECH-MTV and ACEMFS.-+  With funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), WANIDA seeks to: Promote greater cooperation between the participating institutions to pursue high-quality research and excellence in training; Develop mechanisms for sharing research resources and technical expertise; Develop sustainable research and training capacities at WANIDA partner and collaborating institutions; Build and maintain or strengthen existing ties with industry partners. As part of promoting high-quality postgraduate training and an enhanced capacity to deliver applied research, WANIDA launched a Master’s and PhD fellowship programme for the 2020/2021 academic year and planned for a conference among other key initiatives.

The Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health ACE Network (ReMCHAN) also seeks to improve the reproductive, maternal and child health indices through strategic partnerships, collaborative research, and capacity enhancement in Sub-Sahara Africa. The participating centres are ACEDHARS, ACEPHAP, ACEPUTOR, CEA SAMEF, CEA PCMT, CERHI. The Network’s activities have been focused on strengthening research coordination through collaborative efforts and joint publications as well as facilitating staff and students exchange. In addition, the first of the Network’s seven proposed webinar series was organized virtually on 26th April, 2022. The webinar, themed “The Role of Family Planning in Reducing Maternal and Child Mortality, and the Opportunity for Contraceptive Research and Development in Africa”. brought together key health stakeholders in both academia and industry as well as development partners. The webinar emphasized the need for Sub-Saharan Africa which still carries the burden of maternal and child mortality and morbidity to continue to develop policies and research to reduce these deaths. The need for research and development of new contraceptives methods for both females and males was also highlighted as well as available funding bodies for the promotion for research.

Grants and Awards

In recognition of leadership and contributions to addressing health issues on the continent and globally. Click here for the national and international awards won by some centre leaders:

  1. Prof. Lorna Awo Renner, Deputy Centre leader for WAGMC received the 2021 International Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award
  2. Prof. Diabate Abdoulaye, Centre Director for the African Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Innovation for Vector-borne Disease Elimination (CEA/ ITECH-MTV) also received the Newcomb Cleveland Prize for his outstanding research on fighting malaria in Africa.
  3. Prof. Christian Happi, Centre leader for ACEGID has received the 2020 Bailey K. Ashford Medal by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
  4. Prof. Gordon Awandare, Centre leader of WACCBIP received two awards from the University of Ghana during the College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) Meritorious Awards ceremony. One in recognition of his outstanding service to the College and University and another for his leadership in COVID-19 research to support the national response.

Centres have accessed competitive funds to further their research activities. ACEPHAP won a US$553,054 Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct an E-MOTIVE Trial (Early detection of postpartum haemorrhage and treatment) in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. CERHI in collaboration with ACEGID was awarded a Grant by the Nigerian government to validate Rapid Diagnostic Tests kits (RDT) for COVID-19 testing in Nigeria. Also, the West Africa Centre for Genetic Medicine (WAGMC) received a US$3 million Grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to sequence the whole genome DNA of children with sickle cell disease in Ghana.

PRESS RELEASE: 7th ACE Impact Regional Workshop to hold from June 13-17, 2022

For Immediate Release

PRESS RELEASE

53 Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Convene In-person for the First Time Post-Covid to Enhance the Drive toward Achieving Development Impact

7th ACE Impact Regional Workshop to hold from June 13-17, 2022

Accra, Ghana (May 27, 2022) – The 7th bi-annual meeting of the Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) is scheduled to take place from 13th-17th June 2022 in Cotonou, Benin. Considering the impact and mobility restrictions posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACE Impact stakeholders are meeting for the first time in-person in two years (the last in-person meeting was held in February 2020 in Abuja, Nigeria).

The meeting which will make provision for virtual participation is bringing together leaders of the fifty-three (53) Centres of Excellence, government representatives from the 11 participating countries, key higher education stakeholders, policy think tanks, and partners such as the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Association of African Universities (AAU).

Committed to enhancing the capacity of universities to deliver high-quality training and applied research to address regional development challenges, the ACE Impact project is convening stakeholders to accelerate project implementation by measuring the impact accrued and exploring ways to address bottlenecks. With the project reaching its Mid-Term Review (MTR) in 2021, results of the MTR process will be evaluated during the upcoming workshop, with the teams finalizing recommendations and next steps. ACE Impact is being implemented over a five-year duration, 2019 -2024.

The workshop will further provide an opportunity for peer-learning and regional knowledge sharing among the centers and strengthen partnerships and networks to drive successful project implementation and sustainability. The meeting seeks to provide implementation support and share global best practices with centers on the project objectives, especially development impact, entrepreneurship and innovation, gender initiatives, digital transformation, and institutional impact activities.

In addition, selected students from the three centers in Benin will be given the opportunity to share their innovative research outputs during a poster exhibition on 14th June 2022 at the Palais des Congrès. The opening and closing sessions of the workshop will be held on 14th and 17th June, respectively, at 10:00 GMT+1.

The ACE Impact project remains committed to training and providing Africa with the needed skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Agriculture, Environment, Applied Social Science, Education, and Health to realize its economic transformation.

– END –

Note to Editors

A press conference will be held virtually/in person on 14th June 2022 at the Palais des Congrès in Cotonou. Benin To participate or for further information, kindly contact Millicent Afriyie via email makyei@aau.org.

Background Information:
The Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project is a World Bank initiative in collaboration with governments of participating countries to support Higher Education institutions specializing in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Agriculture, and Health. It is the first World Bank project aimed at the capacity building of higher education institutions in Africa. The first phase (ACE I) was launched in 2014 with 22 Centres of Excellence in Nine (9) West and Central African countries; Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. The Project aims to promote regional specialization among participating universities in areas that address specific common regional development challenges. It also aims to strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver high-quality training and applied research as well as meet the demand for skills required for Africa’s development. The second phase (ACE II) was launched in East and Southern Africa with 24 centers across Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Based on the initial successes, the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) in collaboration with the African governments, launched the ACE Impact Project in 2018 to strengthen post-graduate training and applied research in existing fields and support new fields that are essential for Africa’s economic growth. There are 43 ACEs (25 new ones and 18 from ACE I); 5 Emerging Centers;1 “top up” center in Social Risk Management; and 5 Colleges and Schools of Engineering. The new areas include sustainable cities; sustainable power and energy; social sciences and education; transport; population health and policy; herbal medicine development and regulatory sciences; public health; applied informatics and communication; and pastoral production.

About Organizers
About the Association of African Universities (AAU): The Association of African Universities is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization created by African Universities to promote cooperation among them on the one hand, and between them and the international academic community on the other. Created in 1967, the AAU is the voice of higher education in Africa. AAU aims to improve the quality of African higher education and to strengthen its contribution to Africa’s development by supporting the core functions of higher education institutions and facilitating critical reflection and consensus building on issues affecting higher education in Africa. The AAU is the Regional Facilitation Unit of the Africa Centres of Excellence project.

• About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group is a multilateral development institution that works to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity. Its subsidiary IDA (International Development Association) finances the Africa Centres of Excellence series of projects. Established in 1960, IDA helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. If you need move out cleaning services, contact Dust and Mop from North Hills, Raleigh NC. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 percent going to Africa.

• About the French Development Agency (AFD): For more than 75 years, the French Development Agency (AFD) has been fighting global poverty by supporting policies and investments that benefit the poorest populations. Strengthening the social link between individuals, groups, and territories are now at the heart of its actions in education, health, employment, urban planning, climate or biodiversity

Harnessing the Potential of Women to become Leaders in African Higher Education

Notwithstanding their many successes and significant progress in the professional sphere, women in Sub-Saharan Africa remain underrepresented in both strategic and essential sectors across board, including in higher education. For instance, only 2.5% of vice-chancellors are women and 5% of CEOs are women. However, women make up 43% of those who receive tertiary education but hold 28% of formal sector jobs.  While there are several initiatives such as scholarship opportunities for women and increased awareness for the need for gender diversity in leadership roles, aimed at increasing and training the number of women in the leadership pipeline, there is substantial gender imbalance particularly at executive and management levels within higher education. A 2019 Education Sub- Sahara Africa (ESSA) study reported that only 24% of academic staff in tertiary education across Sub-Saharan Africa are female. Institutional efforts to increase the representation of women in academia are improving, but there needs to be greater efforts to avail management and leadership roles in higher education to women.

As part of initiatives to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women in the African higher education space, the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) Project (under the auspices of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities) organized a webinar on Tuesday March 29, 2022. Themed “Inspiring Women as Leaders of African Higher Education”.  The webinar sought to encourage young women in academia, particularly students, to actively take up leadership roles in the African higher education sector as well as make efforts towards systemic change through different ways such as entrepreneurship and initiatives to empower women. Over 150 students and stakeholders from across the continent participated in this event. Also, in attendance were, the Secretary-General of the AAU, Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, the ACE Impact Project Manager, Dr. Sylvia Mkandawire, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader for the ACE Impact Project, Dr. Ekua Bentil and World Bank Education and Gender Specialist for ACE Impact Project, Djénéba Gory.

In his welcome remarks, Prof. Oyewole commended the ACE Impact Project for being instrumental in addressing gender disparity through initiatives such as encouraging female enrolment in the Centres of Excellence. He reiterated the AAU’s commitment to driving the agenda of female empowerment and ensuring that women can contribute equally as key actors in the African higher education space. Dr. Bentil noted on her part that the World Bank considers the gender agenda as a top priority as it seeks to champion the development of the African continent through inclusivity and called on stakeholders to be gender conscious especially as regards leadership positions.

Panel discussions were held on various areas relating to driving gender inclusivity in African Higher Education. The Panel members, seasoned women in STEM, Agribusiness, and Entrepreneurship, shared their experiences and challenges as women in their respective fields. They included Dr. Agnes Kiragga, a Research Scientist and technical lead for data science at the African Population Health Research Council (Kenya); Dr. Angela Tabiri, a Research Associate, and an Academic Manager for the Girls in Mathematical Sciences Program (GSMP) at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Ghana; and Mrs. Zeinabou Hamani, a Coordinator at Agrifocus (Niger), a food security expert and an Agripreneur advocate. The session was moderated by Professor Aissetou Drame Yayé, the Deputy Centre Director for the Regional Centre of Excellence for Pastoral Production: Meat, Milk, Hide and Skin (CERPP), Niger.

Speaking on the relevance of STEM to global development, Dr. Kiragga explained that Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are key solutions to various developmental challenges globally, providing statistics crucial for policy formation in all sectors of the economy, as well as improving productivity and work efficiency. Dr. Tabiri highlighted the importance of Applied Mathematics in everyday life, noting that in Agriculture especially, it can help predict rainfall patterns among other things. She also mentioned the need for mentorship for young girls especially at the basic level. She said, “There are few inspirations for young girls at the basic level of education as compared to their male counterparts especially in STEM. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen the campaign to increase women in STEM right from the basic level.” Ms. Hamani also emphasized the critical role of Data Science and AI in Agricultural production chains.

The panelists mentioned structural and institutional barriers, societal expectations, gender stereotypes, and the patriarchal nature of many African academic institutions as some of the challenges that inhibit women’s rise to leadership positions in higher education. The lack of female role models and mentors to guide young talented women through their academic careers further worsens the gender disparity.

To address these challenges, the panelists acknowledged the need for stakeholder engagement to understand these barriers and, proffer and implement practical solutions. Furthermore, restructuring of institutional policies to accommodate measures to catalyze women’s progress in African higher education is key to bridging the gender divide. Finally, mentorship programmes driven by female higher education role models would serve as a springboard for bringing more women on board in the sector.

In the Q&A session, participants expressed their appreciation for the experiences shared by the panelists and noted they were encouraged to follow their dreams and build themselves up to be leaders and authorities in their respective fields. The Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project intends to follow up with a series of events focused on inspiring and empowering young women in higher education within the region.

TRECK enhances it’s centres digital infrastructure to expand online training & regional access

TRECK to Employ Digital tools for Traffic Data Collection and Monitoring: The Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) – Regional Transport Research and Education Centre Kumasi (TRECK) has acquired various digital tools to provide hands on training for its graduate students.  Since November 2019, TRECK annually embarks on training workshops for students aimed at mainstreaming the use of digital tools for traffic data collection and project monitoring in Kumasi. The studentsare able to setup, retrieve data, and conduct analysis with various tools including a) speed measurement and monitoring using the radar and laser speed guns, the pneumatic tube and counter for vehicle classification, spot speed measurement, headway and other video-based equipment including monovision counters. Another aspect of the training involves the use of Unmanned Ariel Vehicles or drones for traffic monitoring, Construction project monitoring, use of drones for geographical data for design of roadway alignment and area wide traffic congestion surveillance and software for the design of road infrastructure.

Senior PhD students teaching newly enrolled MSc student in Drone piloting

TRECK Sets up Studio and Embarks on Digitization of Courses: TRECK has also acquired studio equipment to enable its staff to offer hybrid courses, webinars and provide online teaching. The Centre is currently embarking on a driver to digitize its MSc Transport Leadership course to enable participants to take over 60% online classes and only 30% residential on campus activities. Property management cleaning can be a lucrative option for experienced and qualified cleaning experts and cleaning companies in California. This will make its courses accessible to more participants across the regional countries, reduce the time spent off work to attend graduate school classes, and make individual courses accessible to the working class.

Use of digital Apps to Improve the Transport System in Ghana: Researchers at the Africa Centre of Excellence – Regional Transport Research and Education Centre Kumasi (TRECK) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana have developed a Mobile App which gives detailed route guidance and location identity for travel planning in Twi (a local Ghanaian language) and English. It also has a Twi travel dictionary, local business database, cultural and social information and uses popular landmarks to provide location information based on data collected through in-depth research conducted by the team. Read more about the MyTroski App.  The App is available on Google play store.

 

KNUST and TRECK Unveiled myTroski Mobile App: the smart way of finding places and planning your travel in Ghana

Researchers at the Africa Centre of Excellence – Regional Transport Research and Education Centre Kumasi (TRECK) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana have developed a Mobile App which gives detailed route guidance and location identity for travel planning in Twi (a local Ghanaian language) and English. It also has a Twi travel dictionary, local business database, cultural and social information and uses popular landmarks to provide location information based on data collected through in-depth research conducted by the team. Speaking at the launch of the MyTroski App in Kumasi, Ghana, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ellis Owusu Dabo, who was represented by Prof. Charles Marfo, Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, indicated that MyTroski would benefit businesses, schools, public transport users, security services, fire service, municipal revenue collection, national disaster management organization, Ghana Police service, and the Municipal authority. Present at the launch were representatives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA), National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Bolt, Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, KNUST Security services, the Chief of Boadi, among others.

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The innovation was developed by Dr. Gift Dumedah, Prof. Charles Marfo, and Dr. Samuel Ato Andam-Akorful. In his introductory remarks, Prof. Charles Adams, Centre Leader for TRECK expressed joy that the interdisciplinary applied research of the Centre is yielding dividends and this is a good example of collaboration between the College Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Engineering. He hinted that myTroski would become a spinoff business of TRECK to extend the project to other municipalities in Ashanti region and Accra Metropolitan Area. He called on stakeholders and partners to provide support through the downloading and use of the App. The stakeholders were awed with the innovation and reiterated the benefits it will bring to their work. MyTroski is downloadable from the website, https://mytroski-gh.com or directly at Google play store. MyTroski is at its initial stage and is available for only Android phones, and it is yet to be made available on Apple devices.

 

ACE Impact project releases Guidebook for Successful Implementation of Digital Education

ACE Impact project releases Guidebook for Successful Implementation of Digital Education 

The ACE Impact project has successfully published ‘The Guidebook to a Successful Implementation of Digital Education’.  The Guidebook, which is made available in English and French, explains e-learning effectively and aims to guide decision- makers of higher education institutions  through the major change processes that digital education implementation represents. It also attempts to provide institutions with ideas on how to choose the most effective learning methods based on the competencies to be developed by their student body, and the broader institutional context. Among other relevant topics, this book presents content covering the following areas: Digital Education definitions and related terms; innovation and trends in higher education; and digital education readiness assessment and approaches to successful implementation.  The Guide also provides decision makers with introductory knowledge of digital education. The rapid evolution of methods, techniques, and approaches surrounding the development of digital education required the establishment of a guide to support higher education institutions, governments, and other stakeholders in navigating this important terrain. These programs must meet quality requirements for both the content they are delivering, as well as the technologies they use to deliver it.

 

 

 

The Guidebook was developed based on specialized literature and is inspired by global best practices of institutions that are leaders in this field. The book further provides readers with practical support tools that will help them better understand the concepts presented in this guide and facilitate the implementation of digital education at their respective institutions. The guide integrates content on pedagogical strategies, which are sometimes overlooked but are essential to the success of any digital education program. The book concludes with a call on all stakeholders to make the necessary efforts to contribute to the successful implementation of an e-learning initiative within their institution.

Promoting Digital Education in African Universities

Promoting Digital Education in African Universities

Building the next generation of African ICT Specialists through the ACE Impact Project

The rise of Digital Education

Digital education has assumed growing importance over the past several years, as higher education institutions, and a growing number of institutions of all sizes are now adopting digital education programs. Disruption to the academic calendars, influenced by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted the need to strengthen digital education by building pedagogical and technological capacities in quality online education. Report from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), 2021 confirms that during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, unlike other parts of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa struggled in terms of digital tools and personnel to meet the demand in supporting online teaching and learning, especially during the school and university closures. Efforts are being made by various African governments as well as development partners to improve digital education in African universities.

Centres and their achievements

Since its inception in 2014, the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project has been committed to projecting STEM Education and digital development in African universities. The aim is to bridge the knowledge gap in digital development, train students and professionals to meet the growing demands in the continent’s digital market, in digital education and beyond; in health, finance, agriculture and other sectors. There are eight centres of excellence dedicated to promoting digital development in the sub region:

These centres are the Africa Center of Excellence for Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Applications (CEA-SMIA- Benin); Africa Centre of Excellence for Teaching / Learning Math and Science for Sub-Saharan Africa (CEA MS4SSA -Niger); OAU ICT-Driven Knowledge Park (OAU-OAK- Nigeria); Africa Center of Excellence for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL- Nigeria); Africa Center of Excellence for Applied Informatics and Communication (CAPiC- Nigeria); Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education (ACENPEE – Nigeria); Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (ACEITSE – Nigeria); Center of Excellence in Mathematics and ICT (CEA MITIC – Senegal).

Collectively, these centres have made immense impact in the training the next generation of ICT specialists and professionals that can support digital infrastructure and the needed ecosystem to further improve adoption of digital technologies in the region. Over 1273 MSc students and 453 PhD students have been enrolled under these centres. Also, 1064 professionals have enhanced their knowledge and skills through Short Course Programmes offered by the centres.

Through the ACE Impact project, centres are provided with the needed digital tools and infrastructure to facilitate quality teaching and learning. These include state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, libraries, among other key infrastructure.

How ACE Impact Thematic Networks are driving Digital Development on the Continent

How ACE Impact Thematic Networks are driving Digital Development on the Continent

Under the ACE Impact project, two thematic networks are working diligently to promote digital development in Africa. These are the African Digital Education Network (ADEN) and the Digital Science and Technology Network (DSTN). The regional network approach is unique and offers a wide range of advantages, including the ability of ACE Impact centres involved and their partners to pull resources together to achieve a common goal.

ADEN focuses on raising awareness of the benefits of digital education across Africa, sharing resources with institutions of higher education in Africa, among other core mandates. DSTN is working to develop a range of skills and research in e-health, e-agriculture, e-environment, intelligent cities and transport, e-education, critical for AFrica, in a growing global digital economy. Its mission is to promote collaborative research, and a training offer adapted to the job market and socio-economic partnerships.  DSTN relies on a community of scientific experts in data science, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, etc.

ACEs involved in ADEN and DSTN

The four (4) Africa Centres of Excellence involved in the African Digital Education Network are:

1) Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education (ACENPEE)

2) Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL)

3) Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (ACEITSE)

4) the Africa Centre of Excellence for Teaching / Learning Math and Science for Sub-Saharan Africa (CEA MS4SSA).

For the Digital Science and Technology Network (DSTN), the six (6) centres involved are:

1) Africa Center of Excellence for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL).  Through ACETEL’s involvement in this network, it hopes to bridge the technology knowledge gap by building capacity in information and communication technology (ICT)

2) Africa Center of Excellence in Applied Informatics and Communication (CAPIC). CAPIC is developing several impactful activities in the following fields: High Performance Computing, Data Science with a special focus in involving biologists and medical partners

3) Africa Center of Excellence in Statistics and Applied Economics (CEA-ENSEA). This centre is also developing activities (lectures, training, workshops/conferences, responding to regional and international calls etc) in the field of Data Science – data management, statistics and data analysis, deep learning, with application to health, agriculture, environment, among others.

4) Africa Center of Excellence in Mathematics and ICT (CEA MITIC). CEA MITIC is focusing on implementing activities in the following areas –   Big Data and Trusted Artificial, Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and SDN (Software Defined Network) in poorly connected area, Cybersecurity, Data Science with a special concern on involving companies and social partners.

5) ACE in Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Applications (ACE-SMIA). CEA SMIA is implementing activities in Big Data and Trusted Artificial Intelligence, High Performance Computing, Data Science with a special focus in involving companies and social partners.

6) OAU ICT-Driven Knowledge Park (OAU-Oak Park). The scientific thematic focus areas of OAU-Oak Park, under this Network are Cybersecurity, IoT systems and SDN (Software Defined Network) in poorly connected areas, High Performance Computing.

Key Achievements of the Networks so far

Both ADEN and DSTN have recorded remarkable progress since their formation in 2019, furthering digital development on the continent.

ADEN has been able to organize a successful virtual staff and student symposium (on 17th May 2021) which featured scientific paper presentations from 10 participants. ADEN is actively promoting the use of digital education resources through its members in various participating universities. They work to establish collaborations with various institutions (such as EPFL), for capacity building and technical support to help drive digital education in Africa. In addition to these, ADEN has made progress towards achieving its various objectives which include – 1. Strengthening collaboration amongst the four (4) STEM Education ACE Impact centers 2. Training faculty in the design and production of quality online digital resources and integrating digital technologies in courses. 3. Producing quality educational resources, adapted to local context, for distribution amongst the centers and other institutions. 4. Organizing seminars for students on the use of digital resources 5. Facilitating joint research activities within the ADEN, including faculty and student exchanges 6. Organizing meetings to share and disseminate knowledge and publish the outcome of such academic efforts. 7. Setting up a common educational platform to store and distribute e-learning resources

DSTN key achievements include the hosting of a highly successful symposium dubbed “Digital Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in Africa”, from 6th to 10th December 2021 at the Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal. The symposium provided a framework for multidisciplinary scientific discussions between the major actors of the African digital transformation (public and private actors, socio-economic actors such as NGOs, companies, foundations, and international partners) to collectively address the crucial links between research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer.  The DSTN has hosted various thematic workshops, including on e-Agriculture and on Digital Science for health. These workshops are targeted at (1) identifying strengths and complementarity of the partners on each topic, (2) promoting networking and collaboration to apply for the DSTN call for Research-Team and other calls for funding, and (3) identifying lecture and training needs and opportunities for the ACEs.

The ACE Impact project thematic networks remain committed to working hard to achieve their respective targets and call on all institutions of higher learning to join hands with them in promoting digital education in Africa for the advancement of Higher Education on the continent.

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