Centre celebrates 50 years, continues snowballing number of scientists

A programme by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya, which emphasises PhD training in select science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields and skills in applied sciences, engineering and technology, is set on accelerating its work in the service of societal challenges such food security and combating disease and climate change.

The centre, which celebrated its jubilee in November, is harnessing the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) aimed at training at least 1,000 doctoral-level scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa per year. African governments started the regional scholarship fund to bridge the skills gap in STEM on the continent in 2008 and, in 2013, selected ICIPE to run it.

The programme includes collaboration with selected host universities, including the University of Gaston Berger in Senegal, the University of Ghana, the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria and the University of Rwanda.

“We need to create a talent pool of researchers on the African continent who can solve societal challenges,” said Sagal Abdulle, who is in charge of the programme. “We need to train more world-class scientists who can translate research into innovative solutions that address our development challenges,” she said.

Abdulle said the programme aims at improving the socio-economic transformation in the region, initially targeting five priority sectors: ICT, including big data and artificial intelligence; food security and agribusiness; minerals, mining and materials engineering; and energies, including renewables, as well as climate change.

Facing society’s challenges

Alan AtKisson, assistant director-general for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), said ICIPE has been nurturing researchers and scientists on the African continent, which has improved research for capacity building in low-income countries.

“ICIPE’s model for capacity building at masters, PhD and postgraduate level is very relevant, with African universities being responsible for examination, co-supervision and practical research with ICIPE,” said AtKisson.

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said at the function to celebrate ICIPE’s 50 years that science and research institutions such as ICIPE were important partners in realising Kenya’s development aspirations as outlined in Vision 2030 and Big Four Agenda blueprints, which are consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

He said that the Kenyan government had contributed more than KES200 million (about US$1.8 million) to the regional scholarship.

Kenyatta said that the Kenyan government would continue rolling out progressive policies to promote science and innovation, not only as the engine for economic growth but also as a means of addressing enduring social inequality. “We have made a commitment to invest up to 2% of our annual national budget in research and innovation, which is in line with our national development programmes,” he said.

More women with PhDs

Abdulle said the programme looks at building a cadre of women PhD holders in applied sciences, engineering and technology fields in Sub-Saharan Africa.

ICIPE’s training programmes are delivered through the African regional postgraduate programme in insect science and the dissertation research internship programme, which have also helped to significantly increase the number of scientists and researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Segenet Kelemu, director-general and chief executive officer of ICIPE, said the centre looked forward to increasing scientific innovation and to providing more PhD scholarships, nationally and continentally, in accordance with its innovation strategy for 2021 to 2025.

“Our aim is to be a regional and global hub acknowledged for its scientific expertise. We shall continue to do this through partnerships with other scientists and universities across the globe,” she said.