Africa needs to ramp up STEM research

The countries of sub-Saharan Africa need to scale up postgraduate education to boost research capacity, 바카라사이트 World Bank says in a new report.

The pace of growth in 바카라사이트 region¡¯s science base is too slow compared with that seen in countries that had similar research outputs 10 years ago, according to 바카라사이트 report, A Decade of Development in Sub-Saharan African Science, Technology, Engineering and Ma바카라사이트matics Research.

It also raises concerns about 바카라사이트 ¡°high reliance¡± that sub-Saharan science has on international collaboration, which risks making its research irrelevant.

The report, produced by 바카라사이트 World Bank and Elsevier, analyses 바카라사이트 output and citation impact of scientific research in 바카라사이트 region between 2003 and 2012. It compares progress with that made in South Africa and that of 바카라사이트 research bases in Malaysia and Vietnam, countries that had similar outputs to sub-Saharan Africa in 2003.

It finds that although 바카라사이트 region has greatly increased 바카라사이트 quantity and quality of its research, from 0.44 per cent of world share in 2003 to 0.72 per cent in 2012, 바카라사이트 growth lags behind that of 바카라사이트 Asian countries and remains a ¡°far cry¡± from sub-Saharan Africa¡¯s 12 per cent share of 바카라사이트 global population.

The growth in sub-Saharan African research has been driven ¡°overwhelmingly¡± by health sciences, which now account for 45 per cent of all output. Better STEM skills and knowledge will be needed to build stronger economies, it argues.

The report recommends additional national and international investment in master¡¯s and doctorate-level education with a focus on STEM subjects.

It also notes that a large proportion of researchers in sub-Saharan Africa are from outside 바카라사이트 region. Such international collaboration is ¡°highly instrumental¡± in raising 바카라사이트 citation impact of African science, but it remains a ¡°concern¡± for 바카라사이트 World Bank, 바카라사이트 report notes. ¡°[I]t signals a lack of internal research capacity and 바카라사이트 critical mass to produce international quality research on its own.¡±

High researcher mobility may also hinder academia in building relationships with local businesses and government, thus ¡°reducing 바카라사이트 economic impact and relevance of research¡±, 바카라사이트 report adds.

holly.else@tesglobal.com