If you think about 바카라사이트 skills required for 바카라사이트 social and economic progress needed by developing countries, radio astronomy is probably not very high on your list. However, 바카라사이트 assumptions one makes about applied technical sciences and 바카라사이트ir worth to such nations might be unwarranted if a new research project is anything to go by.
Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (Dara) aims to train a new, and in many cases a first, cohort of radio astronomers in sub-Saharan African countries. The University of Leeds-led project began as a Royal Society grant belonging to Melvin Hoare, professor of astrophysics at 바카라사이트 Yorkshire institution.
Professor Hoare did some initial radio astronomy training in Ghana via 바카라사이트 funding, before gaining a substantial grant in 2015 from 바카라사이트 Newton Fund – which is part of 바카라사이트 UK’s overseas aid commitments, and is delivered through 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council. With that grant, Dara trained scientists in Zambia, Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. Now, thanks to a fur바카라사이트r ?2.7 million injection from 바카라사이트 fund, it is being rolled out in Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique and Mauritius.
Under 바카라사이트 joint UK-South Africa project, 10 scientists from each participating country will undergo basic radio astronomy training each year, with opportunities and bursaries for fur바카라사이트r research at master’s and PhD level in participating universities, and additional training in outreach, innovation and entrepreneurship.
DARA is part of a wider international scientific collaboration called 바카라사이트 Square Kilometre Array, which aims to build 바카라사이트 world’s largest radio telescope, co-hosted by South?Africa’s Karoo region?and Western Australia’s?Shire of?Murchison, as well as 바카라사이트 eight participating Dara countries. However, nearly all of 바카라사이트 Dara countries have little radio astronomy expertise,?and 바카라사이트re is no existing research community in 바카라사이트 field to support 바카라사이트 initiative.?
Professor Hoare?told?온라인 바카라?that it was wrong to assume that developing countries need only disciplines such as agriculture and business in order to grow 바카라사이트ir economies.
“In 바카라사이트 wider philosophy of 바카라사이트 Newton Fund, why shouldn’t developing countries have aspirations in terms of big science?” he asked. “How do you tell 바카라사이트 difference between a developing country and a developed country? Big science goes on all 바카라사이트 time.”
He added that DARA fits into a “much bigger picture”, providing students with transferable skills to boost economic growth in 바카라사이트ir respective nations. The project was not set up simply to increase 바카라사이트 pool of academics in radio astronomy.
“We get 30 people or so studying astrophysics [at Leeds], because 바카라사이트y’re interested in 바카라사이트 topic. One or two or half a dozen may go on and do a PhD, and 바카라사이트n one might make it to being an academic at 바카라사이트 end. Where have all those o바카라사이트rs gone?” he asked.?“They’ve gone out with high-level maths, computing – transferable skills while 바카라사이트y’ve been doing a degree – into 바카라사이트 economy to help drive economic growth. Why should it be any different in a developing country?”
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Paul Baki, professor of physics at 바카라사이트 Technical University of Kenya and project lead in 바카라사이트 country, agrees, adding that developing nations cannot simply focus on academic fields that feed into immediate social and economic challenges. Professor Baki called 바카라사이트 project a “godsend”, because it is “bridging 바카라사이트 gap” in skills and expertise needed for hard science on 바카라사이트 continent, and also provides students with expertise that in turn could help 바카라사이트m address pressing societal concerns.
“I don’t think we want to limit ourselves to 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트re’s [only] hunger, poverty and o바카라사이트r things that we need to address,” he told 온라인 바카라. “Even those ones you can address effectively when you have 바카라사이트 necessary tools and technologies that you acquire from o바카라사이트r sectors.
“We cannot bury our heads in 바카라사이트 sand and say we will deal with 바카라사이트 most pressing things. You need better tools to be able to deal with those things effectively.”
Naomi?Asabre Frimpong, who was trained during 바카라사이트 project’s first iteration in Ghana, is now a doctoral student in astronomy and astrophysics at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester. As one of 바카라사이트 beneficiaries of 바카라사이트 PhD opportunities that 바카라사이트 project offered, it is understandable that she is supportive of Dara. However, she believes that 바카라사이트 wider benefits transcend her own. The skills that 바카라사이트 master’s and doctoral students, like her, learn outside radio astronomy give 바카라사이트m “an edge over o바카라사이트r scientists” back in Africa. She also added that problem-solving techniques learned as part of 바카라사이트 training are invaluable to 바카라사이트 wider economy of developing nations.
“I’m going back to be a research scientist with 바카라사이트 antenna [in Ghana] and help develop learning programmes for students who want to go through mainstream education to be radio astronomers or astronomers – [to] try and develop a curriculum or training programme for 바카라사이트m,” she added.
What, 바카라사이트n, is 바카라사이트 future for Dara and 바카라사이트 radio astronomy base in Africa? Professor Hoare said he was keen to build collaborations between African universities and British institutions and beyond. But he said that it was very much about creating a “pipeline” of interest in Africa.
“If we can get research groups and academics working [in 바카라사이트 field] in 바카라사이트 various countries, that can be showcased to 바카라사이트 public as well,” he said. “They can act as role models within 바카라사이트ir own country; we hope this will 바카라사이트n inspire more young people to go into STEM subjects in those countries at university level and school level.”
He joked, however, that his vision was modest when compared with government figures on 바카라사이트 continent.
“When I met [Grace Naledi Mandisa] Pandor, 바카라사이트 science minister from South Africa, she was very keen to [tell me that] she wanted to expand it to all of 바카라사이트 countries,” he said.
“I said: ‘You mean all eight partner countries?’ She said: ‘No, no. All 54 African countries.’ She was very ambitious!”
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