What if Africa were to become the hub for global science?

Julian Siddle:

At first sight, it seems unlikely - a continent most associated with war and famine producing globally significant scientific research.

However, in many ways, the groundwork is there - knowledge, ingenuity, willingness to learn and adapt, coupled with the rapid expansion of digital technology. All of this is really allowing Africa to play a major part in global scientific collaborations.

Holding development back, higher education remains poor.

Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches and development agencies push basic literacy - it is a huge international industry.

But there is nothing at the higher end, very little money for tertiary education. It is quite hard to study in Africa, and encouraging talented students to leave is an industry in itself, with a large variety of academic bursaries available for study in the US and Europe.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 6, 2013 1:57 AM
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