AERAP Virtual Conference

A new era for Africa-EU Science and Innovation Partnerships.

The Africa - EU AERAP science platform organised a virtual conference on the 9-10 September 2020.

Entitled “A New Era for Africa-EU Science and Innovation Partnerships”, the meeting will bring together scientists, innovators, networks policymakers and others.

The AERAP platform has been in existence since 2012, the same year South Africa and its partner countries won the right to host the SKA.

AERAP has widened its scope beyond radio astronomy sciences to serve as an engagement platform for Africa-EU wider science collaboration.

A special parallel session today saw the announcement of a Draft White Paper on Inclusiveness titled  ‘Women in Science and Technology Africa-EU’ co-chaired by Professor Lizbeth Goodman of the Inclusive Design Research Centre of Ireland (MME) and Professor Zeinab Osman Professor in Biocomposites/Director General, National Center for Research (NCR), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khartoum, (Sudan).

The virtual conference’s aim to bring together representatives from every African nation and every EU member state.

Speakers include executives, commissioners and ministers as well as intergenerational researchers from across the EU and Africa, including Abigail Ruth Freeman of SFI and Paul Hearn of the Joint Research Council of the European Commission.

This will be an essential occasion to facilitate dialogue and strengthen EU-African cooperation and maximise the potential of EU initiatives to make a difference.