African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE)

4-6 June 2024. High-level ARISE Scientific ConveningARISE is an innovative Research and Innovation (R&I) support programme implemented by the AAS with support from the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission (EC).

The African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) is an innovative Research and Innovation (R&I) support programme of the the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), implemented by the AAS in partnership with the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). Founded on the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), ARISE provides a vibrant platform and pathway for R&I exchanges within Africa and beyond.


Launched in December 2020, the current €25.5 million pilot phase of ARISE - mainly funded by the European Union with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York - supports nearly 600 early- to mid-career researchers across Africa, led by 47 principal investigators (ARISE Fellows) that are hosted in 38 African countries.

Extracts of the programme

Session 3: Research and innovation for the SDGs 

• Moderator: Dr. Obed Ogega, Programmes Manager, AAS 
• Opening Keynote: the role of Research and Innovation in the realisation of Africa’s Agenda 2063 – the “Africa We Want” Prof. Jean Koulidiati, Rector, Pan African University (virtual) 
• Roundtable discussion: Strengthening the Ecosystem for Development, Use, and Scale of Innovation in Africa 

Panelists: Part 1 

• Mr. Shaofeng Hu, Director, Division of Science Policy and Basic Sciences, UNESCO, France 
• Ms. Brigitte Decadt, Senior Advisor for International Science and Technology Cooperation, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Belgium 
• Dr. Mohamed Ali Marouani, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) Representative in Tunisia 
• Mr. Fabrice Rousseau, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs and Cooperation at the French Embassy in Tunis
• Dr. Wei Liu, Coordinator, Sustainable Development Officer, UN Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs 
• Mr. Lukovi Seke, Programme Officer for STI, AUDA-NEPAD 
• Dr. Victor Konde, Scientific Affairs Officer, TCCNRMD- Green Economy Innovations & Technologies Section, UNECA

Panelists: Part 2 

• Dr. Fadila Boughanemi, DG RTD, European Commission 
• Ms. Eudy Mabuza, South Africa’s Science & Innovation Representative to the EU 
• Dr. Eliud Musotsi, Ag. Deputy Director, Research Grants, National Research Fund, Kenya 
• Ms. Atridah Mulonga, Head of Research and Grants, National Science and Technology Council of Zambia 
• Dr. Cephas Mensah, Director, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana 

Session 5a: Green Transition

• Keynote 1: Connecting climate knowledge with the users: Insights from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Regional Office for Africa Dr. Ernest Afiesimama, WMO Regional Officer for Africa 
• Keynote 2: Connecting climate knowledge with the users: Insights from EU’s Joint Programming Initiative for Climate (JPI Climate) Dr. Rafiq Hamdi, Researcher, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium Research 

Spotlight Presentations – part 1 

• Oyster Shell Models for Hindcasting Holocene Environmental Conditions in Equatorial Atlantic Coastal Waters of Africa: Dr Edem Mahu, University of Ghana, Ghana 
• Impact of climate change on wetlands from the Lake Chad basin and its consequences on groundwater recharge: Dr Abdallah MAHAMAT NOUR, University of N’Djamena, Chad 
• Future Landscape Optimisation for peri-Urban Resilience and ecoSystem Health: Dr Jessica Thorn, University of Namibia, Namibia 
• An experimental approach to optimizing policy for scaling-up climate-smart agriculture in Africa: Dr. Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar 
• MetaGenomics-Led Harnessing of the African Orphan CerealsRhizosphere-Microbiota for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa: Dr. Eltayb Abdellatef, National Center for Research, Sudan 
• Harnessing Oryza glaberrima genomic resources for rice disease resistance in a changing climate: Dr. Geoffrey Onaga, Africa Rice Center, Cote d’Ivoire 
• Agromorphological, genetic and biochemical Characterization of three neglected legumes species grown in Togo and assessment for their adaptability to drought: Dr. Koffi Kibalou Palanga, Université de Kara, Togo