National Academy of Sciences to be created

Burkina Faso’s Transitional National Council has passed legislation to create a National Academy of Sciences of Burkina, or ANSB, with the aim of promoting socio-economic development through science, humanities, arts and culture.

The academy, to be located in the capital Ouagadougou, will be composed of five colleges, for: science and technology; human sciences, arts, humanities and culture; legal, political, economic and management sciences; human and animal health sciences; and natural and agricultural sciences, reported Sidwaya of Ouagadougou.

Members of the ANSB will be Burkina nationals, reported Sidwaya. The 30 founding members will be tenured university professors, directors of research and senior lecturers and researchers, three of whom will also already be members of foreign scientific academies.

Elected members will be nationals elected by their peers after the appointment of the founding members. ‘Correspondent’ members will be tenured members living abroad, whose role will be to spread the academy’s influence outside the country.

Associate members will be eminent foreign scientists who will contribute their expertise. Emeritus members will be those who can no longer take part in the academy’s work because of age or ill health.

The ANSB will be financed by members’ subscriptions, subventions from the state and from public and private organisations, donations and proceeds from sales of publications and services, reported Sidwaya.

Burkina’s Transitional National Council is an interim legislative body established under the Transitional Charter adopted on 16 November 2014. It is intended to return the country to civilian rule and prepare for elections, which are due to take place on 11 October 2015.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.