Building Science Centers in African Academies of Science

6 Apr 2007

Hello Everyone,

My name is Mande. I'm a postdoc in the US who is interested in creating science centers in several African Academies of Science. I have a fairly well developed plan that has been discussed with several people and now am in the position to submit a grant proposal to fund the project.

I writing to inquire if there are members of the WAYS Africa community who would be interested in joining the project.

To briefly summarize the idea is to add a room to regional/national science academies throughout Africa that would serve as a scientific hub to exhibit, propagate, and disseminate knowledge about the research of academy members and other local scientists to the community.

The room would be used as a place where members of the academy and other local scientists showcase science via exhibitions, interactive web programs, and seminars. The room would serve two purposes:

1. Open the regional/national academies to the public and emerging scientists in the community

2. Improve internet accessibility via connections with online programs

If you are interested please contact me by responding to this email or directly at mande.holford (at) gmail.com

Thank you for your attention,
Mande

11 Apr 08:09

Dear Mande, I have been

By kennetharinaitwe

Dear Mande,

I have been thinking about the science centers trying to figure out what they could be like. I had once thought of a similar Idea only that mine would target Secondary school education. Having read the mail from Gaell, I find yours a very exciting and possible proposition that would go a long way to enhance and improve the experience of teaching and learning science. I am in total support of this innovation which clearly falls in the interest and objectives of WAYS.

I am ready to work very closely with you and look into the possibility of starting such a center in Uganda.

As a member of the Executive Committee of WAYS-Africa, I highly recommend this project to all the members of WAYS to consider it seriously and see the possibility of putting up these centers in their countries and/or regions.

I suggest that members who are attached to Universities look into the possibility of laiasing with university administrations to explore the possibilities of having these centers hosted in the University. Ofcourse other options can also be explored.

Thanks for your initiative.

Kenneth Arinaitwe

12 Apr 11:28

Hi Kenneth, Thank you for

By mande

Hi Kenneth,

Thank you for your comment and your support. As mentioned in the email to earlier supporters, at this time I think what is required is we create solid science content that can serve either as exhibitions or lectures for the rooms in the academies...

That being said if you would like to contribute please send any innovative ideas about science content that could be used either as lectures or exhibitions for the space. The content should be specific to your area of expertise and to your
region. If you are familiar with the science academy in your area and
know the research of some of the members of the academy that would be
a good start. Try to develop an exhibition or a lecture centered on
the scientific achievements of an academy member or a junior professor
in your area. How would you showcase his/her work to the general
public in a manner that is exciting and engaging?

I am currently preparing a concept document that will outline the rationale, objectives,
methodology, outputs, budget lines, etc.. for the project. If you are
able to come up with innovative, engaging and resourceful exhibition
or lecture ideas these will be included in the concept document. And
if funded, will be made into reality with your input!

Please send me any ideas you have by the end of the week, April 16, 2007.

Thank you again for your interest.

Sincere best wishes,
Mande

13 Apr 04:53

Dear Mande, Thanks for the

By kennetharinaitwe

Dear Mande,

Thanks for the mail. I had a talk with the chairperson higher degrees and research committee of my department, about your initiative, and he too welcomed it as a splendid idea. He mentioned to me that if we were to be considered for hosting the center, we could probably secure space in one of the several rooms in the department for housing the center.

We realize that there are several topics that have been researched on throughout the whole university and other local research institutions that we could consider for show casing. With our supervisor, a lot has been done on pesticide monitoring, anthocyanines, fish oils - topics which directly impact on the local situation in Uganda. A lot more has been done in other departments, most which is not known to me now, but could be readily accessed when the center is in place. What I feel we need to address now is how

(i) to acquire the gadgets to use (computors e.t.c),
(ii) to ensure continuous performance of these communication aids. For example, in most African countries, power outages(load shedding) and power fluctuations (surges) are common. We need to think of power back up systems and stabilizers(UPS), a person to service them and update software when necessry (because the researchers may need to travel e.t.c, necessitating somebody to be there regularly)
(iii) to acquire and maintain a broad bandwidth that is sufficient for the proper functioning of the network since some real time internet transmissions require a broad bandwidth.
(iv) to ensure accessibility to the center i.e a person would have to be paid to take care of the day to day opening and closing of the center, including the operating of the network such as logging on the machines and shutting down e.t.c.
(v) to acquire other communication devices such as a phone and fax.

We therefore need to know what exactly would be required, the quantity of each item and the cost.

I am sure, it is very possible to get personnel to operate some of these equipment.

I have not yet contacted the National Science Academy and the National Council for Science and technology , but I think they will be in support. I will explore the possibility of them supporting the project which ever way possible.

There are several researchers who may not yet be WAYS members but would be very resourceful for the young scientists once such a center is in place. Members of the general public would also take advantage of this resource.

I encourage the rest of the interested WAYS members to share with you about such and more ideas with respect to their local conditions so that you get a clear picture of where such centers would best be set up.
Thanks.
Kenneth.

14 Apr 19:37

Kenneth, Could you send me

By mande

Kenneth,

Could you send me your email so that I may ask you a personal question?

My email is mande.holford@gmail.com

Thank you,
Mande

15 Apr 08:03

Dear Mande, My email

By kennetharinaitwe

Dear Mande,

My email addresses are

oakenneth@yahoo.co.uk

AND

karinaitwe@chemistry.mak.ac.ug

You can always copy your mails to both addresses just in case one has a problem.

Thanks.
Kenneth.

15 Apr 14:59

btw, when you want to

By Gaell

btw, when you want to contact a member you can select his/her profile and then use the contact form tosend hom/her an email directly.

but please continue to interact online as much as you can, it's exciting for the others to follow your progress :)

15 Apr 19:42

Hi Kenneth, The five topics

By mande

Hi Kenneth,

The five topics you've outlined are exactly what I'm hoping the grant proposal I'm preparing will address. We need to identify potential donors who can pay for the items you've listed in addition to the design of the exhibitions. There are several foundations that we can target. The cost of the science room will depend on the space and scientific content being displayed.

I am encouraged to hear that your chairperson has embraced the idea and would like to do something similar in your university. The project that I initially outlined was for hosting the science rooms in national or regional academies of science, but there is no reason similar rooms couldn't be created at local universities.

Your feedback is exactly what I'm looking for. We need to know what are the local areas of expertise that would lead to successful exhibitions of science excellence.

Please keep the ideas coming.

Mande

16 Apr 04:12

Dear Mande, I agree with you

By kennetharinaitwe

Dear Mande,

I agree with you that the national or regional academies would be the best option for hosting the centers. Once the center is in the university, it has to be subject to the policies, rules, regulations,and conditions prevailing at the University. This could limit the design and execution of certain programs and activities. The center would be viewed as neutral when it is under the national/regional academy.

I had suggested the University to host the center because this would reduce the initial cost of setting up the center. However, with funds available, it would be better to set up the facility such that the design of the physical infrastructure takes into account the nature of exhibitions and activities we intend to have there.

That said, today, I visited the Uganda National Council of Science and technology offices. I met one Catherine Munabi with whom we had a brief chat about this whole idea and how possibly the council could help. She was optimistic that the council would support the idea. She further advised that we come up with some form of Document that clearly indicates the aims, objectives, and projected outputs and a bit about the management plan, which I shall submit to Executive Director. The opinion of the Board of Directors and the subsequent decision of the Executive Director would be in light of the contents oft this document.

Therefore, I see that we have to progress on two fronts: to come up with this document and also to list clearly what we need and how to acquire them.

For the exhibition areas and content, there is alot in the field of science (which is a very wide area) that I may not be able to enumerate. But I think the fact that participants will be targetted within and outside the region means that we have a big base/source of exhibition material and persons. That would be one of the major tasks of the program coordinator of the center.

I hope to hear comments from the rest of the WAYS members.

Thanks.
Kenneth

14 Apr 05:08

Kule Abraham Uganda Martyrs

By kule abraham

Kule Abraham
Uganda Martyrs University
Center for Distance Learning Studies (CDLS)
P.O.Box 5498, Kampala
tel +256 78 2 138237
e-mail: akule@umu.ac.ug/abrakule@yahoo.com
Website:http://geocities.com/kuleabraham/My_page

14 Apr 05:12

Dear Mande, Thank you for

By kule abraham

Dear Mande,

Thank you for the initiative of making science centers in Africa. I support Kenneth's idea of making a case in Uganda. Kindly reveal to him and us the basic requirements to have a center at a certain academia or region. I see it as a good way to enhance science in Africa.

Thanks.

20 May 02:53

Science is Science is master

By waris Ali

Science is
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Science is the knowledge of the whole universe so it should be implemented to boost up the scientific research

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