Wednesday, 21 September 2022
09:00 – 11:00 EDT
The AfricaConnect3 project was featured at the Science
Summit during the United Nations General Assembly 77 (UNGA77) with an online
session titled “A Panel Discussion on Digital Infrastructures to Enable Science
Cooperation in Africa” held on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, from 09:00 am to
11:00 am EDT (GMT-4).
The session focused on enabling Science Cooperation through
advanced research and education on digital infrastructures, typically operated
by NRENs. NRENs were highlighted as key stakeholders in Digital Cooperation and
Digital Diplomacy, representing a diverse community of researchers, scientists,
academics, and students. They are heavily involved in various aspects of
"Science" including "Science Cooperation," "Science
Diplomacy," "Open Science," and "Science Communities of
Practice," as well as Open Access and Community-Based Services.
The African research and education landscape comprises NRENs
from African countries operating under three regional networks:
- UbuntuNet
Alliance for the Research and Education Network of East and Southern Africa
- WACREN for the West and Central Africa Research and Education Network
- ASREN for the Arab States Research and Education Network.
AfricaConnect3, the
third phase of the AfricaConnect project, works on supporting the creation,
development, and use of advanced, reliable internet connectivity for the
teaching, learning, and research communities of Africa. It is co-funded by the
European Union and delivered locally by regional organizations - UbuntuNet
Alliance, WACREN, and ASREN, together with the European GÉANT R&E Network.
The discussion panel consisted of the following
personalities:
1- Madara Ogot, CEO of UbuntuNet Alliance, “What
are research and Education Networks with insights on Africa”
2- Boubakar Bary, CEO of WACREN, “Services and
activities conducted by NRENs to enable collaboration”
3- Yousef Torman, Managing Director of ASREN,
“NRENs role and engagement in Science Cooperation and Diplomacy”
4- Angelica SARTORI CONTE, Programme
Officer – Digital Connectivity, European Union Delegation, Belgium
5- Phoebe Oduor, PoC AfriGEO Secretariat/
Thematic Lead Land Use Land Cover RCMRD, “How can NRENs support collaboration
for the African Group on Earth Observation (AfriGEO)
6- Islam Abou El-Magd, Vice - President, the
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, Egypt
7- Nicky Wako (Moderator), Advocacy and
Donor Engagement Manager, GEANT, the European Research and Education Network,
“AfricaConenct3 project: a key enabler”
The discussion addressed the following questions/topics:
- The
status of NRENs in Africa and what are the main challenges facing the
developments of these NRENs.
- NREN
services and activities and what role they can play?
- What
is LIBSENSE project about and how it supports science cooperation
- What
makes AfricaConenct3 a key Science Cooperation “Enabler”?
- NRENs
role in achieving the United Nations’ SDGs
- Main
challenges regarding AfriGEO community collaboration across continents
- NRENs
and “Science Engagement”
- What
NREN need to do the expected role?
- Examples
of Science Collaboration within and beyond Africa
- What
is your call to the UNGA77?
For more information visit the following Link.
