African Academy of Sciences

African Academy of Sciences
Name	African Academy of Sciences
Formation	1985
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Region served	Africa
Leader title	President
Leader name	Quarraisha Abdool Karim

African Academy of Sciences The African Academy of Sciences is a pan-African learned society that promotes scientific research and recognition across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia and other nations. Founded by leading scientists and policymakers from institutions such as the Kenya Medical Research Institute, University of Ibadan, University of Cape Town and Cairo University, it seeks to strengthen links with bodies like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, African Union and World Bank to advance research, innovation and evidence-based policy across the continent.

History

The Academy was established in the mid-1980s by eminent scientists who had ties to institutions such as Imperial College London, Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and by regional research centres including the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, African Union Commission, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, International Livestock Research Institute and West African Health Organization. Early leaders collaborated with figures associated with Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Haile Selassie and Julius Nyerere in advocating continental science agendas. Over time the Academy developed strategic plans influenced by reports from UNESCO, World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Rockefeller Foundation and panels including members from Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Chinese Academy of Sciences and Indian National Science Academy. Milestones included collaborations on initiatives tied to events such as the World Conference on Science, the African Union Summit and scientific gatherings at Stellenbosch University, Makerere University, Addis Ababa University and University of Lagos.

Organization and Governance

The Academy’s governance structure aligns with models used by Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Academia Sinica, Max Planck Society and French Academy of Sciences, featuring an elected presidency, board and thematic councils. Its secretariat operates from offices in Nairobi and engages with regional nodes linked to Accra, Cairo, Cape Town and Lagos. Leadership roles have included scholars who trained at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Karolinska Institutet, University of Pretoria and University of Ibadan, and who have received awards such as the Lasker Award, Fellow of the Royal Society, Order of Merit, Nobel Prize, and Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Governance documents reference protocols used by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, African Development Bank, European Commission, Commonwealth Secretariat and standards from International Science Council.

Membership and Fellows

Fellows are elected from leading scientists affiliated with institutes such as University of Nairobi, University of Ghana, Makerere University, University of Ibadan, University of Zambia and Stellenbosch University. The fellowship includes acclaimed researchers who have held posts at Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Brown University and McGill University. Notable fellowship cohorts have included awardees of the TWAS Prize, Royal Society Africa Prize, Africa Food Prize, Africa Health Research Prize, Gairdner Foundation International Award and Prince Mahidol Award. The Academy recognizes contributions by specialists linked to centers like the Sankofa Centre, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Nairobi Innovation Hub, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa), Pasteur Institute, and leaders who served in advisory roles to the African Union and United Nations.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs span capacity-building, grants and policy engagement, modeled after activities at the Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, and DFID. Initiatives include fellowships, early-career awards, gender-focused schemes and translational projects in partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Development Bank, European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and networks tied to Global Fund, Gavi, UNAIDS and UNICEF. Training programmes collaborate with universities such as University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Makerere University, University of Ghana, University of Pretoria and University of Cape Town and research hubs like International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and International Food Policy Research Institute.

Research and Impact

Research priorities have addressed health challenges like HIV/AIDS epidemic, Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, COVID-19 pandemic, malaria endemicity and tuberculosis epidemic alongside agriculture topics tied to Green Revolution, FAO initiatives and crop improvement programs involving International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, CIMMYT, ICRISAT and Syngenta Foundation. Impact is evident in policy briefs cited by African Union Commission, adoption of innovations by governments including Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria, and collaborations with global institutions such as World Health Organization, World Bank, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Wellcome Trust. The Academy’s work has supported translational research at centers including KEMRI, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, MRC Unit The Gambia, Institut Pasteur de Dakar and South African Medical Research Council.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have involved multilateral agencies and philanthropic funders such as World Bank, African Development Bank, Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, European Commission, IDEAS Programme, USAID, DFID (UK), Canadian International Development Agency and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Strategic partnerships include memoranda with Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Academia Europaea and regional bodies like the African Union and Economic Community of West African States. Collaborative projects have linked research nodes at University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Karolinska Institutet, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to strengthen capacity, mobility and grant management across African institutions.

Category:Scientific organizations established in 1985