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PEI Campaign for Scientific Independence of Africa

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Author: Mehta Garima, June 28 2014 - The Millennium Development Goals for Africa are due to run out in 2015 and this has led to some of the best minds on the continent and the UN [United Nations] turning to what future targets should be set to follow them. A primary concern of many is the successful growth and development of science and technology in Africa and a leading campaigner for this is the Planet Earth Institute (PEI).

The main aim of PEI is scientific independence for Africa and to this end, as reported on the Africa Business Blog, they recently led some of the continents best science, academic, and business people to an event at the UN complex in New York. This was attended by Ambassador Antonio Tete and advisor Amina J. Mohammad, who are important figures at the UN in terms of establishing a sustainable development agenda for Africa to follow on from the Millennium goals. 

The PEI delegates set forth to these and other attendees a number of targets that they consider should be included in future goals when it comes to African science and technology. The aim is to see these achieved by the end of a 10 year period from 2015 and they include:

  • A twofold increase in the number of university students taking up scientific, technological, engineering, and math subjects, which are collectively known as STEM.
  • Aiming for the number of PhD researchers in Africa to match world averages.


Both the Africa Business Blog and the Africa Brains Blog also reported that the PEI delegation called for closer links between Africa's business and education communities, with collaboration between the two seen as a positive step towards the successful development of technology, science, and innovation in Africa.

Dr. Alvaro Sobrinho, Chairman of the Planet Earth Institute, indicated that the organization's drive towards scientific independence for Africa had been receiving growing support in recent times from partners across the continent and called for all those with an interest in this to get involved. Ambassador Antonio Tete’s closing remarks included that the comments and suggestions at the conference would be circulated to those responsible at the UN for Africa's post 2015 development goals. Hopefully this will lead to a new era of scientific excellence and achievement on the African continent in the years to come.

Image credit: African Brains Blog