Name: (07091) Major developments in Astronomy in Africa: Convened by the African Astronomical Society (AfAS)
Start: 2023-03-07T15:30:00+0100
End: 2023-03-07T17:30:00+0100

AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum, 7 - 10 March 2023
The Forum will be designed to inform and engage with policymakers to ensure that the role and contribution of science, enabled through digital technologies, is reflected in European Union and its Member States’ policies concerning Africa. The meetings will also be designed to increase the level of participation and reinforce the networking by African nations’ with their partners in related EU programmes and science and innovation programmes supported by European Union member states and some associated countries. Digital capacities, existing and new, for expanding science inclusion and citizen participation by all groups in society across Africa, will be explored.
Key policy and programme developments include:

The meeting will address a range of themes, including Biodiversity Health, Medicine, Life Sciences, Geoscience, ICT, Digital Transformation, the Green Agenda, Women and Girls in science, Astronomy, reskilling and upskilling and Agri-food systems. In the Forum, we will examine the feedback loops between scientific funding, education funding, and digital transformation to support evidence for policymakers.

The meeting will also consider how emerging regulations covering data protection, medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, and other areas impact science in Africa and science and innovation cooperation between Africa and the European Union.

The global context will be considered through the inclusion of speakers from the UN, OECD and other multilateral bodies.

The programme below is still in development so please check it regularly for updates.

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(07091) Major developments in Astronomy in Africa: Convened by the African Astronomical Society (AfAS)

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Speakers

Michael Backes

Associate Professor & Co-PI Africa Millimetre Telescope, University of Namibia

Prof. Michael Backes is Associate Professor, Head of the Namibian H.E.S.S. group, and of astrophysics at the University of Namibia (UNAM), as well as Extraordinary Associate Professor at North-West University (South Africa) and Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford (UK). He... Read More →

Declan Kirrane

Chair Science Summit UNGA77, ISC

Declan Kirrane is the Founder and Managing Director of ISC Intelligence in Science, the chairman and managing director of the science Summit at the United Nations General assembly, and co-founder of Medicines for Future (MAF). He has over 25 years of experience as a global senior... Read More →

Vanessa McBride

Astronomer, Office of Astronomy for Development

Dr Vanessa McBride is an astronomer at the Office of Astronomy for Development, where she works towards bridging the gap between the community of professional astronomers and the development work. She is co-chair of the National Organising Committee of the IAU’s General Assembly... Read More →

Berry, Simon

Head of Director General's Office, SKAO

Simon Berry is the Head of the Director General’s Office at the SKA Observatory (SKAO) the newly formed intergovernmental organisation responsible for the development and operation of cutting-edge radio telescopes that will transform our understanding of the Universe and deliver... Read More →

Takalani Nemaungani

Chief Director, Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa

Takalani Nemaungani is currently the Chief Director for the Astronomy portfolio at the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in South Africa – Astronomy is a flagship project receiving the single largest investment in the budget within the DSI. Trained as an engineer from Wits... Read More →

Charles Takalana

Head of Secretariat (AfAS) & Co-Chair: IAU-GA2024 National Organising Committee, African Astronomical Society (AfAS)

Charles Mpho Takalana completed his PhD in physics, focusing on Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in December 2020. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Charles currently works at the African... Read More →

Carla Sharpe

Africa Programme Manager, SARAO

Carla has been with the South African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project for several years. The SKA is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, the sheer scale of the SKA represents a huge leap forward in engineering, technology and research & development... Read More →

Tuesday March 7, 2023 3:30pm - 5:30pm CET
Embassy of South Africa, Belgium

Astronomy, Policy

AERAP Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Forum 2023