New council to boost research and innovation

The northwest African nation of Mauritania is to set up a council for scientific research and innovation to strengthen the capacity of universities and research institutions in science, technology and innovation-based development.

The new initiative was approved at a 23 June meeting of Mauritania's council of ministers, as a first step in implementing a plan for restructuring and improving the research sector that was adopted in April 2016.

With an estimated population of 4.1 million people, Mauritania has only two universities – the public University of Nouakchott and the new University of Science, Technology and Medicine Nouakchott.

It also has an agricultural research centre in Rosso, a mining school and specialised institutes in the capital Nouakchott.

Council for research and innovation

The higher national council for scientific research and innovation will fall under the authority of Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and will be headed by Prime Minister Yahya Ould Hademine, giving it political clout.

It will include members from ministries, including Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Sidi Ould Salem.

The new council will focus on preparing effective science and research policies and strategies and a national system of innovation, on advising government on technological issues, and on promoting national, regional and international science cooperation as well as capacity building.

It will identify the country's priority needs, enhance the scientific and technological base in universities and research centres, promote links between universities and industry, and set up businesses to commercialise research findings.

Agency for scientific research

A scientific research agency will be established in order to implement the objectives and activities of the new council for research and innovation.

The agency will be staffed by scientists, technologists and economists with specialist knowledge of science policy, who will provide training for students, government officials and policy-makers.

It will also produce science and innovation policy reviews for the productive and economic sectors, briefing papers for policy-makers and advisors and raise the levels of governance of scientific research and innovation within Mauritania's universities and research institutions.

Further, the agency will support universities to carry out studies and in-depth research aimed at boosting productive and economic development in order to promote a knowledge-based economy.

Mauritania's lack of scientific capacity, weak linkages between universities and industry and low quality education, were outlined in the World Economic Forum's 2015-16 Global Competitiveness Report.

Out of 140 countries, Mauritania was ranked 121 for technological readiness, 123 for quality of maths and science education, 131 for the quality of the education system, 132 for the quality of research institutions, 135 for the availability of scientists and engineers, and 140 each for innovation capacity, university-industry collaboration, and higher education.