The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) has an obligation, as a transnational intellectual platform, to help Africa tell its own stories, generate its own knowledge and be free.
Addressing a global audience at the Second Biennial Conference of ARUA on December 4, 2023 in Nairobi, Ghana’s Country Director of the Institute of Knowledge Development and Productivity (IKDP), Mr. Sebastian Syme, challenged the alliance, made up of over 350 African researchers, to provide leadership by ensuring that Africa generates more solutions to address the continent’s development goals.
“If Africa can’t tell its own stories and generate its own knowledge, it has no capacity to be free,” he said. “The big challenge at this time is that Africa produces only 1% of research, which is a crisis for the world and Africa. We can’t speak about inclusion, development and the African renaissance if we don’t have the capacity to generate our own knowledge,” Mr. Syme said.
The ARUA conference was hosted by the University of Nairobi and sponsored by United Kingdom Research and Innovation in collaboration with the Carnegie Corporation of New York, South Africa’s National Research Foundation and US-based Clarivate Analytics.
Mr. Syme who is currently rallying the ARUA to expand its tentacles to encompass its traditional target audience received applause from the audience including Ghana’s Minister of Education. He is using his communications and media expertise to good effect by courting media support to execute his agenda.
Also with rich background in logistics and supply chain, Mr Syme has formed alliances with international logistics firms to source funding to drive thr ARUA agenda.
The conference brought together over 300 delegates, including top management from Africa.
