1. AfDB Partnership ForumMarch 2010HIGHER EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRUST FUND Presenter: Baboucarr Sarr Human Development Department

2. Background • Awareness of African policy makers, decision-makers, researchers and scientists; • Potential to use ST research and innovation, to address our particular development problems and challenges. • the African Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2007, focused on Science and Technology (S&T). • Member states urged to allocate at least 1% of GDP to R&D activities. • Call for modalities for the setting up of a fund for further development of STI. • AfDB, UNESCO, ECA collaboration requested.

3. (Background continued) • African Union included S &T in its 2nd Education Plan of Action (2006-2015); adopted Consolidated Action Plan for S & T; • African Ministerial Council on S&T (AMCOST): policy setting and priorities; political and policy leadership for plan implementation; • Pillars of Plan: capacity building; knowledge prod; technological innovation – (emphasis on devpt of African system of research and technology innovation)

4. Bank’s HEST Strategy: Status • Promotion of ST&I at HEI and research institutions, research networks and centres of excellence. • Bank projects: Higher Education and TVET (2008)(Kenya (UA 25.00M ) Gabon (UA99.30M ) (2009); • Grant-based support: (2008) Rwanda- Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer strengthened; School of Environmental Planning and Design established at the Kigali Institute of Science and Tech (UA6.00M); • (2009) Regional Pole of excellence in areas essential for local devpt and growth: African University of Science and Tech in Abuja:computer engineering, mathematical modelling, oil and petroleum engineering; 2IE International Institute for Water and Environmental engineering in Ouaga, BF. Networking; accessible to ECOWAS region; (UA 12.00 M) • NTCF support for country capacity building in STI policy and planning; (USD 1.00M)

5. Continuing Challenges and Opportunities • Examples: challenges like malaria, HIV/AIDS, sleeping sickness and river blindness, higher yielding crop varieties; and pest resistant; • efforts may be more sustained and dedicated if the drivers come from within the continent. • Absence of cataloguing and use of existing research constrains partnership between research institutions and industry • AMCOST/stakeholders recognise that funding remains huge challenge

6. Examples of Collaborative Relationships • Scientific entities interested in Bank role in programme and fund administration; • African Network for Drugs and Diagnostic Innovation (ANDI); launched in 2008; coordinates R&D activities for new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for diseases predominant in Africa thru: health research, STI, capacity building, networking, regional integration, public and private partnerships, intellectual property management. • AAVP • The African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP), formed in 2000; network of African HIV vaccine stakeholders; advocates for/supports coordinated international effort to promote the development of and future access to HIV vaccines suitable for use in Africa; • Scope for such forms of collaboration to be promoted;

7. Objectives and Thrusts of Proposed Fund • to contribute to the economic and social advancement of the regional member countries by providing scientific research and innovation products which can enhance national capacities to meet the technological, industrial, health and agricultural development challenges.

8. Typical action areas • promoting research and innovation activities; • targeted support for African universities and other institutions of higher education to enhance their work in in science, technology and engineering education; • promoting regional as well as south-south and north-south cooperation in science and technology; • strategic support to centres of excellence through increased funding of priority programmes in science, technology and innovation; • The creation of a regional S&T Research Catalogue of major research findings of potential interest to industry

9. Within the frame of the HEST and the Bank‘s business- illustrative key areas are: • Biotechnology- potential to impact on the Health and Agricultural sectors and to alleviate poverty; technologies to reduce post-harvest food loss; • Engineering, particularly manufacturing, value addition to African natural resources and raw materials; (econ. growth) • Adapting ICT to our social and economic systems

10. In this regard, the Fund will: • stimulate and support work of African scientific communities and networks; • Facilitate, strengthen work being carried out at selected regional African centers of excellence; • Catalytic support to university research; links with industry; knowledge and innovation transfer to local comunities and entrepreneurs • Nature/ management of Fund: core resources; dedicated and entity-specific resources; programme specific resources