PARTCIPATE WITH RECIRCULATE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WEBINAR

THEME – WHY ARE INTERNATIONAL/AFRICAN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIPS CHALLENGING AND CAN IT BE MADE BETTER?

OBJECTIVES – TO UNDERSTAND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS BETTER

DATE – APRIL 28TH 10.00AM UK Time

DURATION – 2.0 HOURS

Venue: Teams Webinar Link – Join Here

THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WEBINAR

One of the biggest challenges that Sub-Saharan African universities and research organisations face is the huge gaps between academic research, the private sector/industry and government. By geographical and operational disposition, African universities and research organizations seem cut off from industry and this has affected its relevance, capacity to produce high quality and employable graduates and the capacity to produce goods and services that solves practical challenges in the society.

There is no arguing that huge gaps exist between scientific research and industry in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This provides an urgent need to design policy tools, knowledge transfer programmes and pathways-to-impact models that ensures a new era of impact-oriented research and innovation in African countries. At the heart of this, is the need for strategic equitable partnerships and collaboration strategies for societal transformation.

An important question is why African academics and researchers do not collaborate with industry. Is it because they operate in different worlds with little or no mutual interests? Is it because there are no industry partners for them to collaborate with in the first place? Or is it just a question of institutional or societal challenges? It is becoming clear that there are mutual interests and there are industry partners to collaborate with especially when most universities would usually have between 100 and 1000 SMEs within and outside the campus within a kilometre radius. The multi-layered market that universities provide, and its centralised high population tend to attract lots of SMEs, who aim to supply goods and services to this huge pool. However, most universities do not take advantage of this pool of SMES, and that is a lost opportunity.

As Sub-Saharan Africa witnesses an increase in private sector investment, technological development and industrialization across a wide range of sectors, there is need for national policy level discussions on sustainable strategic partnership models that consider equity, fairness and sustainability. Currently, global models show that African universities and research organisations can be ‘anchors’ for co-designing and supporting research-driven eco-innovation partnerships with the businesses which ultimately deliver “sustainable solutions”. Universities can also play the key role in delivering the high level (graduate/post-graduate) training that is essential to drive forward eco-innovative policies, products and services. However, exploiting the power of universities to drive African eco-innovation will require significant collaboration for it to be sustainable.

In order to support in the mitigation of some of these funding challenges, Lancaster University has won two projects with African partners from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana: (i) RECIRCULATE (7 Million Pound Capacity Building Project) and (ii) ACTUATE (700,000 Pound Waste to Energy Demonstrator Plant Development Project). Key components of these projects focus on the circular economy and waste-energy-food nexus, involving capacity building for research, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and innovation with over 200 young African professionals trained from over ten African countries.

The objectives of this International Partnership webinar therefore include:

1. Highlighting the objectives and progress of the UK Government funded Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) 7 Million Pounds RECIRCULATE and the 800,000 Pounds ACTUATE Project and the projects progress so far in Africa.

2. Exploring the challenges and opportunities for ‘effective, equitable and sustainable research partnerships’ in Africa and internationally.

3. Highlighting case studies of successful strategic research partnerships and lessons learnt from them.

4. Providing an opportunity for further engagement with current and new stakeholders in different African countries for future collaborations, investments and development work.

Brief Programme

10.00 – 10.05 Introduction of Participants/Stakeholders (Moderated by Dr. Akanimo Odon Lancaster University, UK)

10.05 – 10.15 Introduction to RECIRCULATE/ACTUATE Projects – Prof Kirk Semple, Director RECIRCULATE/ACTUATE

10.15 – 10.35 The Lancaster University Partnership Experience - Prof Steve Bradley, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Prof Simon Guy, Pro-Vice Chancellor Global (Digital, International, Sustainability & Development)

10.35 – 10.50 ‘The Valley of Death – Academia/Industry Partnerships’- Prof Lawrence Ezemonye, Nigerian Lead RECIRCULATE & Chair CGE Nigeria

10.50 – 11.00 Stakeholder Interaction (some questions on mentimeter)

11.00 – 11.15 ‘Multi-layered research partnerships – the AFRII Experience’ – Dr. Felly Mugizi Tusiime Head of the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program at the Africa Innovations Institute (AFRII), Kampala Uganda.

11.15 – 11.30 ‘Understanding the strategic partnerships between African countries on big agenda – Climate Change” - Mr Maximus Ugwuoke, Senior Consultant C40 Cities Africa

11.30 – 11.45 Research-Industry Partnerships, Challenges and Opportunities – Dr Edu Inam, Director, International Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Research (ICEESR), University of Uyo, Nigeria

11.45 -11.55 Stakeholder Interaction (some questions on mentimeter)

11.55 – 12.00 Conclusion/Wrap Up

International Partnerships Webinar