{"id":93512,"date":"2017-05-23T22:47:41","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T20:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/african-scientists-are-punching-above-their-weight-and-changing-the-world-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2017-05-23T22:47:41","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T20:47:41","slug":"african-scientists-are-punching-above-their-weight-and-changing-the-world-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/african-scientists-are-punching-above-their-weight-and-changing-the-world-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"African scientists are punching above their weight and changing the world | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

African scientists are punching above their weight and changing the world<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Africa's scientists are doing remarkable work.<\/span> Shutterstock<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past five years, Africa\u2019s contributions to the world\u2019s research \u2013- that is, new knowledge \u2013- have varied from a low of 0.7% to the present and highest level of 1.1%. <\/p>\n

There are many reasons for Africa\u2019s small contribution to world research. One of them, sadly, is that at least some of this new knowledge is produced by African scientists working beyond their own countries and continent. Many have chosen to leave because they feel the facilities and funding opportunities are better than those \u201cat home\u201d. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to point out that the sum of knowledge generated each year, including Africa\u2019s contribution to it, is measured using research articles published by scientists and scholars in scientifically recognised journals. This means some of the actual work that\u2019s being done isn\u2019t getting the attention or credit it deserves, yet. The journal system is not a perfect way of assessing scientific productivity. For now, though, it\u2019s a means that can be applied fairly to document peer reviewed research from around the world.<\/p>\n

These concerns aside there is, I\u2019m happy to report, much to celebrate about research in Africa. For starters, the world\u2019s largest collection of peer-reviewed, African-published journals, is growing all the time. African Journals Online currently carries 521 titles across a range of subjects and disciplines.<\/p>\n

Women researchers are also well represented, though there\u2019s still work to be done: three out of 10 sub-Saharan researchers are women.<\/p>\n

The continent\u2019s researchers are working on challenges as varied as astrophysics, malaria, HIV\/AIDS and agricultural productivity. They are making significant advances in these and many other critical areas. The projects I talk about here are just a few examples of the remarkable work Africa\u2019s scientists are doing on and for the continent.<\/p>\n

A range of research<\/h2>\n

Africa is establishing itself as global player in astronomical research. The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is the largest single optical telescope of its kind in the Southern hemisphere. Work undertaken at this facility, in South Africa\u2019s Northern Cape province, has resulted in the publication of close to 200 research papers.<\/p>\n

The telescope has support from and working relationships with universities in 10 countries. Its recent work helped a team of South African and international collaborators to uncover a previously unknown major supercluster in the constellation Vela. <\/p>\n

SALT has two siblings: MeerKAT, which is already producing results, and the Square Kilometre Array, which is still being developed.<\/p>\n

In a very different sphere, Professors Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim have won African and international awards for their groundbreaking and lifesaving work in the area of HIV\/AIDS. Professor Glenda Gray, the CEO of South Africa\u2019s Medical Research Council, has been honoured by Time magazine as one of the world\u2019s 100 most influential people. She, too, is a pioneer in HIV\/AIDS research.<\/p>\n

In Kenya, dedicated research institutes are tackling agricultural challenges in areas like crop production and livestock health. This not only boosts Africa\u2019s research output, but contributes greatly to rural development on the continent.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Nigeria has established a number of research institutes that focus on a range of agricultural challenges. Research is also being undertaken in the important area of oceanography.<\/p>\n

Although it operates from the University of Cape Town, the African Climate and Development Initiative has been working as a partner in Mozambique. There it\u2019s addressing the critical \u2013 and interrelated \u2013 challenges of climate change and adaptation responses for horticulture, cassava and the red meat value chain. This is important work in one of Africa\u2019s poorest countries, which is battling drought and hunger.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s also research \u201cout of Africa\u201d. This involves discoveries about the human past and the origins of homo sapiens. Historically, this sort of research was often undertaken by people who didn\u2019t come from Africa. More and more, though, African scholars have come to the fore. The scientists who discovered a new human ancestor and mapped a cave system that\u2019s serving up amazing fossil evidence are following in giant footsteps: those of Robert Broom, Raymond Dart and Phillip Tobias.<\/p>\n

Research that matters<\/h2>\n

What does all of this tell us about research in Africa? Perhaps three ideas are worth considering. <\/p>\n

First, while Africa and its universities, institutes and scientists need to make far greater contributions to world knowledge, high quality and important research is happening. Its overall contribution might be small, but smart people are undertaking smart and important work. <\/p>\n

Secondly, the range of research being undertaken is remarkable in view of the size of Africa\u2019s overall contribution: from galaxies to viruses; from agriculture to malaria; and from drought to oceanography. <\/p>\n

And thirdly it is notable, and of great significance, that irrespective of the disciplines involved, the research is tackling both international concerns and those specific to the African continent and its people\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

Yes, 1.1% is a small figure. What\u2019s actually happening, on the other hand, adds up to a pretty impressive score card.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

John Butler-Adam does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong> The Conversation \u2013 Articles (AFRICA)<\/a><\/small>
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African scientists are punching above their weight and changing the world: Africa's scientists are doing remarkable work. Shutterstock Over the past five years, Africa\u2019s contributions to the world\u2019s research \u2013- that is, new knowledge \u2013- have varied from a low of 0.7% to the present and highest level of 1.1%. There are many reasons for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4584],"tags":[6002,3050,3761,8890,25910,4422,2434,6003,2213],"class_list":{"0":"post-93512","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-africa-news-2","7":"tag-above","8":"tag-african","9":"tag-changing","10":"tag-conversation","11":"tag-punching","12":"tag-scientists","13":"tag-their","14":"tag-weight","15":"tag-world","16":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93512\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}