Africa Science Week Research and Innovation Showcase 2018 - Call for Applications

Ghana will be hosting her first Africa Science Week (ASW) in September 2018. ASW is an initiative of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) aimed at engaging members of the general public with scientific information and activities. This will enable them to appreciate the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as part of everyday life.

2017-2019 NEF Ambassador Peter Asare Nuamah is leading this effort with support from AIMS Ghana, Ghana Science Association and other stakeholders in the Ghanaian STEM space. The theme for Ghana is 'Accelerating Growth and Development through STEM'. Series of activities are being planned for ASW Ghana 2018 including:

• Conversations in mainstream and social media on the importance of STEM to national development
• A National STEM Forum/Conference to project local science and make a case for greater investments into STEM
• Field Visits by Basic School Pupils to the Ghana Planetarium and other interesting locations

During Africa Science Week, the relevance of science and technology for national development would be brought to the fore. We would hear from leading Ghanaian and African scientists and innovators including AIMS Ghana President Mrs Lucy Quist and Ghana's first Next Einstein Forum Fellow, Dr Aku Kwamie.

As part of the festivities, scientists, storytellers, and other innovators would be given the opportunity to showcase their work through a special Research and Innovation Showcase segment. Successful applicants would be given the platform to present to a live audience including policymakers, academics, business leaders, and potential funders. They would receive extensive publicity through both mainstream and social media, reaching audiences across Africa and beyond.

Applications are welcome from any STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) field, including the humanities. If you're interested in being one of the featured scientists and innovators during ASW Ghana 2018, kindly fill this form.

Join the Next Einstein Fellows Programme and Help Promote Science in Africa

One of the communities I enjoy being part of is the Next Einstein forum (NEF), which is a movement to grow science and technology for development in Africa. I'd written previously about being a NEF Ambassador, my experiences at the inaugural Global Gathering, and a collaborative fundraising drive we were executing.

NEF is currently accepting applications for its next cohort of fellows! NEF Fellows are high achieving young scientists and technologists who're passionate about using their knowledge and skills to solve African and global problems. If you're African, have a PhD in any discipline, have a great research/innovation track record, and have the desire to promote #ScienceInAfrica this is perfect for you!

At the next Global Gathering scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda in 2018, you'd have the opportunity to present your work and ideas in a TED-style format to a global audience. You'd also have awesome opportunities to grow your career through engagement with Noble scientists, Fields Medal winners, government leaders, and captains of business.

Basic requirements for this opportunity are listed in the flyer below. More information can be found at http://nef.org/fellows.

We don't have a Fellow from Ghana. As Ghana's NEF Ambassador, I'm particularly keen to see young Ghanaian scientists featured in the next class of fellows. I believe we can match the quality required. But that can only happen with the first step - applying for the fellowship! Please share with friends who may be qualified and interested.

#AfricasEinsteins

Raise Public Understanding of Science in Africa

As you may know, I have been involved with the Next Einstein Forum and have been working to help promote science in Africa and inspire the next generation of African scientists and innovators. For the past few weeks, I and colleague Ambassadors from other African countries have been leading a crowdfunding campaign on Fiat Physica. We are inviting you to join us in our efforts to increase public understanding of science to advance development in Africa. 

We feel that low public interest in science is slowing down Africa's development. While some scientists are able to undertake useful research on the continent, public skepticism makes it difficult for their discoveries to move from the lab to the community. Our youth stand at a disadvantage if they are not empowered with adequate skills and knowledge to reverse the status quo.

With our campaign, we want to draw attention to scientific advances in our countries by creating platforms through which scientists engage with the public.Our goal is to demystify science so that it becomes a bigger part of the cultural fibre of African societies.

We need YOU to join us in our effort by raising $8650 to help support the Public Understanding of Science for Development (#Sci4D) project.

Help us to connect Africa's scientists to the community and advance progress on the continent. Support us as we work toward changing mindsets and building a community of public engagement with science. Thank you!

Please take a minute to check out the full suite of NEF Ambassadors crowdfunding campaigns.

NEF Ambassadors Share on Expectations and Experiences - #NEF2016

The Next Einstein Forum, hosted by Senegal in Dakar, brought together various stakeholders including presidents, scientists,technologists, policymakers, entrepreneurs and activists to deliberate on the future of African science and how it can be applied to benefit society. During the global gathering held from 8th to 10th March, some NEF ambassadors took time to share on their expectations and experiences. Find out more in the video below.

Also, fellow ambassador Yassine Harzallah from Tunisia made a brilliant video that captured how the ambassadors interacted with the event. His video evoked the sense of friendship, cooperation, happiness and positivity that pervaded the NEF ambience. 

We look forward to support the work of NEF in order to raise the profile of African science and encourage more young Africans to enter into the sciences. We are all keen to work with the fellows, volunteers, and mentors within the NEF network, as well as colleagues in our own countries and all over the world, to realise the above objectives.

NEF Chronicles: Arrival in Dakar, Senegal

Last time, I blogged about the Next Einstein Forum and it's drive to promote STEM in Africa. One of the most important aspects of the initiative is the Ambassador programme, which I happen to be part of. Yesterday, I arrived in Dakar, the capital of Senegal yesterday, to begin my NEF experience. The main event, dubbed Global Gathering, is slated for 8th to 10th March 2016. This blog summarises my NEF experience so far.

Happy 59th Independence #Ghana! Off to represent you at #NEF2016 in #Dakar, #Senegal. Let's use #STEM more for development #AfricasEinsteins

— Gameli Adzaho (@gamelmag) March 6, 2016

Journey to Dakar

I got to Kotoka International Airport in Accra at around 8:40 am, checked in and took a one hour flight to Abidjan. From Abidjan I transferred to another flight to Dakar which lasted 2 hours 45 minutes. I was so amazed by the duration of the journey; it made me realise that West Africa was much bigger than I imagined. Immigration and security procedures at all airports were pretty smooth and efficient. NEF volunteers were on hand to wish all arrivals a warm welcome to Senegal, promising us a time of our lives. We were then transported to our hotels by bus. In the bus to the hotel I met my room mate from Guinea Bissau. Our interactions revealed why we were paired together: we have international development, education, and civic participation in common. Throughout the ride I couldn't help but notice how Dakar was different from Ghana's capital Accra: there was little traffic, hardly any street vendors, cleaner streets, and the buildings had this stylistic essence.

Orientation/briefing with NEF
After checking in to the hotel and getting acquainted with our room, we stepped out to explore our surroundings. In the hotel lobby, we met the NEF Ambassador from Gambia who is also one of the cluster leaders. He used his Wolof skills to help navigate our way into town to get some food. Back from our outing, we had a brief meeting with NEF content lead Janny who oriented us on activities lined up for ambassadors and provided us with all we need for a successful stay in Senegal. I had a taste of Senegalese bissap a.k.a sobolo and it was good!

We're here & very ready for #NEF2016! @gamelmag @NextEinsteinFor pic.twitter.com/lElqytcAnO

— Kebba-Omar Jagne (@KO_Jag) March 6, 2016

Day 1 in Senegal ended really well. I already like the city of Dakar. The vibe around the NEF is infectious, and I'm bracing myself for an experience of a lifetime. On y vas!

Promoting African Science Through the Next Einstein Forum - #NEF2016

I am delighted to be named among the first cohort of Next Einstein Forum Science Ambassadors. According to NEF.org, "the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) is a platform that brings together leading thinkers in science, policy, industry and civil society in Africa to leverage science to solve global challenges." Believing that the next Einstein will be African, NEF works to make Africa a global hub for science and technology. It is an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

The Ambassadors scheme aims "to build a targeted team of 54 young Ambassadors, one from each African country, to participate in the NEF Global Gathering 2016, champion African science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] globally and become part of the growing NEF community."

 As a NEF Ambassador, I would among other things:

1. Represent Ghana at the NEF Global Gathering event in Dakar, Senegal, the first of its kind in Africa. We would celebrate African science, including the work of the elite NEF Fellows, and showcase how to apply scientific knowledge to sustainable development in Africa. 
2. Promote Ghanaian STEM stories, research, and innovations to the global audience. For example, my inaugural post on NEF.org highlighted pressing environmental issues in Ghana, and how various actors are working to resolve the challenges. In the future, I plan to share more on social innovation projects and research of the STEM community in Ghana
3. Promote the Next Einstein Forum's work in Ghana and contribute to the growth of an all-inclusive community for science, technology, and development in Africa. I plan to share NEF news with my online networks, such as Global Lab Ghana, join STEM projects, and participate in relevant events and conferences here in Ghana

The NEF fellows embody African scientific excellence, inspiring the next generation of African scientists

Check out some of the ideas I shared during the application round in the YouTube video below:

In addition to the above, my hope is to network effectively with colleague ambassadors, the NEF Fellows, and other participants, creating opportunities for future collaborations. I am truly excited to be part of this pan-African initiative. Find out more about the awesome current NEF Ambassadors here and here.

What issues would you suggest to be on top of NEF's agenda? Are there any researchers or innovators whose work excite you that you think could use some visibility? I would be keen to hear your ideas as to how best to represent Ghana and Africa to the global audience. Follow the conversation via @NextEinsteinFor and @gamelmag on Twitter. Also get the latest updates via #NEF2016 and #AfricasEinsteins on social media.