AFRICAN SCIENCE: Looking For The New Einstein In Africa - Top Scientists and Policymakers Gather In Dakar For Landmark Forum To Transform Science And Unleash The Hidden Potential For Innovation And Research!

March 26, 2016 - SENEGAL, AFRICA - In the arid outskirts of Senegal's capital, Dakar, a state-of-the-art conference center rose up out of the dust in just 11 months.

The Abdou Diouf de Diamniadio International Conference Center, a showcase of innovative design and technology, played host last week to 1000 scientists, policy makers, private sector and civil society representatives, from some 80 countries, in a three-day showcase of scientific talent from across the African continent.

Thierry Zomahoun, president and CEO of African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), which organized the inaugural Next Einstein Forum (NEF) explained the concept to CNN saying: "Africa has a perception issue.


WATCH: NEF Fellows Spotlight Session.

See more videos HERE.


The news is mostly about corruption, Boko Haram, or poverty. While we do not deny these challenges exist, we believe young Africans can make us dream and tackle the problems that Africa and the world have. It is time to bring young African scientists out of the shadows."

Those dream-weavers, or 'next Einsteins', are 15 world class researchers under the age of 42. Their work covers everything from urban health to space exploration, solving today's problems (HIV, Tuberculosis, lack of transport infrastructure or hazardous household goods) and conjuring up ideas for future challenges.

Egyptian chemist Ghada Bassioni, for example, talked about how adventures in her own kitchen led her to expose the harmful effects of household aluminum on human health.

Ludwick Marishane, 25 – The founder of Headboy Industries is something of a serial entrepreneur, having dabbled in biodiesel, healthy cigarettes and a a security magazine
before he launched DryBath. Spurred on by a friend who was too lazy to take a bath, Marishane came up with a gel that acts as a viable alternative. Marishane, born in
Limpopo, South Africa, has attracted the attention of Google, who named him one of 12 bright young minds in the world and was voted best student
entrepreneur in the world by the Entrepreneur Organization.

Stephen Sembuya, 28 – Seen here with Pink Food Industries co-founder Felix Okuye, Stephen Sembuya (left) has revived his family fortunes in fine style. Sembuya took
over the family's failing cocoa plantation and built a new chocolate empire with the produce. The 700 acre farm is the largest individually
owned cocoa plantation in Africa, now employing 100 workers who produce 60 kg of chocolate an hour.

Bheki Kunene, 27 – The founder of Mind Trix Media has battled the odds on his path to success. In his youth Kunene, from South Africa, was once falsely accused of
murder and survived a horrific car crash that left him with a cracked skull and a three month stay in hospital. He now employs eight people at his website-building
company and is living proof that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Clinton Mutambo, 25 – Empowerment is key for Clinton Mutambo, whose company Esaja acts as a business network for intra-African trade by connecting buyers and
suppliers. Previous experience in marketing and blogging has aided the growth of his website which allows businesses to browse suppliers
and purchase just about anything imaginable.

Kennedy Kitheka, 25 - Education can be expensive and course materials especially so. Kitheka and friends established Funda in 2008 to provide students with
a cheaper way to access the resources necessary to thrive at university. Kitheka argues the generation of young Kenyans he is helping will be game-changers
-- a moniker he arguably deserves too

"As I wrapped up my delicious lamb casserole and put it in the oven I was like, is this really safe? Am I consuming aluminum that has leached into the food?"

Bassioni's research led her to discover that scrubbing aluminum cookware (the most popular form of crockery in the developing world) could lead to aluminum leaching into the body to levels that exceed World Health Organization recommendations. She is now exploring how that accumulation could lead to diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's.

Alain Nteff, 22 – Alain Nteff has previously featured on CNN with his start-up Gifted Mom, an app aiming to reduced the high death rate of newborn babies and pregnant
woman in Cameroon. The app works out due dates and is used in conjunction with health workers to remind mother-to-be of upcoming appointments. Over 1,200 pregnant
women and mothers have benefited so far and antenatal attendance is up by 20% in 15 rural communities using the app.

Olamide Orekunrin, 29 – Orekunrin was studying to become a doctor when tragedy struck: her younger sister died while traveling in Nigeria -- a fate that might have been
avoided if the country had an air ambulance service. Once she qualified as a doctor in the UK -- at the age of 21, she was one of the youngest ever -- Orekunrin took it upon
herself to fix the problem in West Africa, founding Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd. Recognition for starting the region's first air ambulance service has come from the
World Economic Forum, who named her a Young Global Leader in 2013.

Alongside the Next Einstein Fellows like Bassioni, NEF has also selected 54 ambassadors, one from every African country, whose role is to champion African STEM globally.

As an ambassador, 29-year-old Tabot Arreytambe was selected to represent his native Cameroon, despite the fact that he lives and works in Abuja where he runs the EduTeens Science and Development Foundation. Founded only in December 2014, the foundation promotes STEM education and computer science among nine to 18-year-olds, focusing on girls and Nigeria's minority communities. In 2015 Tabot won a Google Computer Science for High School grant.

Presidents Macky Sall and Paul Kagame at the Next Einstein Forum - CICAD Dakar
Photo: Présidence de la République du Sénégal

NEF's 15 fellows and 54 ambassadors are just tip of the iceberg. Africa needs hundreds more - male and female - to truly set in motion a STEM and research revolution. Speaking to CNN about what it would take to create more Einstein, South African cosmologist Amanda Weltman said: "There is unbelievable talent here, but, I'm worried about the next generation."

"What we don't have is an African funding community. We need African grants," Weltman said. "The question is can we find someone who thinks African science is worth investing it?"

Answering Weltman's question, Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation of South Africa, Dr Molapo Qhobela, said the funding needed to come from governments but also increasingly the private sector. To reiterate why it was important, he finished by echoing Zamahoun's words from the first day of NEF: "The most important thing we must do is invest in our young people because it is they who will come up with solutions for the future. We want to be in a situation where it is us who, for example, find the cure for Ebola, HIV or Tuberculosis, rather than wait for others to come in and help us." - CNN.

Bagikan Artikel ini