The University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Global Young Academy and Robert Bosch Stiftung, has recently launched the Africa Science Leadership Program (ASLP). This initiative has been developed to support early to mid-career African academics in developing research leadership skills, and is the first of its kind in the developing world. 

FABI research leader and also leader of the Africa Science Leadership Initiative, Prof. Bernard Slippers, says that the program draws from successful similar programs in others parts of the world, such as the Leopold Leadership Program. Apart from developing skills in the fellows of ASLP, the program will also develop a blueprint for leadership training for researchers in Africa at various levels. 

Dr Eva Alisic, co-chair of the Global Young Academy and researcher at Monash University in Australia, spent the first two months of the year in FABI to support the launch of the program. Eva says that: “Enabling young researchers in Africa to lead international, collaborative and transdisciplinary projects which focus on the challenges of their region is essential. We anticipate this program will attract and prepare some of the best academics from all over Africa to become research leaders with eye for societal impact.”

The program will commence with a first group in June 2015, and will run annually for an initial period of three years.

More information on the Africa Science Leadership Program (ASLP). 

Reference

Slippers B, Alisic E. 2015. Leadership training for African scientists. Nature 519, 414. 10.1038/519414c