Canada-African S&T initiatives highlighted

A new brochure outlining collaborative science, technology and innovation (ST&I) activity between Canada and Africa is helping to highlight the international dimension of many Canadian government organizations. Often lost in the overwhelming focus on improving Canadian competitiveness and productivity, Canada-Africa initiatives are increasing and and are tied to the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.

From traditional aid organizations to others like the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), a host of organizations are providing funding and expertise to connect ST&I to the host of challenges facing the African continent.

The brochure was tabled at a G8- Africa meeting of S&T experts in Berlin in October. It was prepared by the Office of the National Science Advisor and the International Development Research Centre, in collaboration with several other science-based departments and agencies. It contains the most up-to-date data on a selection of Canadian initiatives ranging from the CSA’s $3.4-million investment in seven projects involving RADARSAT-1 satellite imagery to efforts by IDRC to increase Internet bandwidth at African universities.

In the area of health, the Global Health Research Initiative is providing $22 million to the Teasdale-Corti Global Health Research Partnership Program. It has begun launching a suite of activities aimed at combining applied research, knowledge translation and capacity building. Last March, 13 team grants were funded.

Earlier this year, the CFI provided $3.8 million to building an infectious diseases research facility in Nairobi. The facility is part of a long-standing research collaboration between the Univ of Manitoba and the Univ of Nairobi and includes two Level 3 biocontainment laboratories.

In the area of agriculture, IDRC and the Canadian International Development Agency support sustainable agricultural techniques through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Five of CIGAR’s 15 research centres are based in Africa.

FMI: dufour.paul@ic.gc.ca

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