Réseau Africain de Recherche en Physique

Réseau Africain de Recherche en Physique
Name	Réseau Africain de Recherche en Physique
Formation	2000s
Type	Research network
Headquarters	Libreville
Region served	Africa
Leader title	Director

Réseau Africain de Recherche en Physique Réseau Africain de Recherche en Physique is a pan-African research network that connects physicists across Africa to institutions and projects. The network engages with universities such as University of Cape Town, Makerere University, University of Lagos, and University of Nairobi and collaborates with research centers like CERN, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and International Centre for Theoretical Physics to support experimental and theoretical initiatives. It interfaces with funding bodies including European Commission, Wellcome Trust, National Science Foundation (United States), and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to mobilize resources and partnerships.

History and formation

The network emerged in the early 2000s following initiatives involving Organisation of African Unity, African Union, UNESCO, and regional bodies such as Economic Community of West African States and Southern African Development Community, building on prior collaborations among University of Ibadan, Stellenbosch University, Cheikh Anta Diop University, and University of Ghana. Early meetings included representatives from CERN, International Atomic Energy Agency, African Development Bank, and national academies such as Academy of Science of South Africa and Académie Nationale des Sciences et Techniques du Sénégal, influenced by reports from World Bank and policy recommendations by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Founding workshops involved notable institutions like Max Planck Society, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Imperial College London, and Institut Pasteur.

Mission and objectives

Its mission emphasizes strengthening research capacity by linking laboratories at University of Pretoria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Addis Ababa University, and University of Dar es Salaam with international facilities like European Organization for Nuclear Research, Fermilab, KEK, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Objectives include promoting projects connected to African Union Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, fostering contributions to programs such as Square Kilometre Array, African Light Source, Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa), and supporting involvement in initiatives like Global Challenges Research Fund and Horizon Europe.

Organizational structure and membership

The governance model involves an executive board composed of representatives from Pan-African University, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, national academies including Sudanese National Academy of Sciences, and research institutes like South African Astronomical Observatory. Membership spans universities such as University of Ibadan, University of Khartoum, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, and technical institutes including Institut Pasteur de Dakar and Nuclear Physics Institute (Morocco), with associate partners from CERN, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, European Organization for Nuclear Research, and UN agencies like UNESCO.

Research programs and activities

Programs cover areas ranging from condensed matter physics at University of the Witwatersrand and University of Johannesburg to high-energy physics collaborations with CERN and detector development with Fermilab and DESY, as well as nuclear physics partnerships with South African Nuclear Energy Corporation and materials science initiatives with Max Planck Society and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Activities include field campaigns coordinated with Square Kilometre Array partners, instrumentation training linked to European Space Agency projects, and joint proposals submitted to funders such as Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Research Foundation (South Africa), and European Commission.

Education, training, and capacity building

The network runs doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships hosted by African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Makerere University, and University of Lagos, and organizes summer schools in collaboration with International Centre for Theoretical Physics, CERN, ICTP, and Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Training activities involve partnerships with Royal Society, African Academy of Sciences, DAAD, and Fulbright Program to support mobility to institutions such as Imperial College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and École Normale Supérieure.

Collaborations and partnerships

Strategic partners include CERN, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Square Kilometre Array Organization, African Academy of Sciences, European Organization for Nuclear Research, Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and regional entities like African Union and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The network also liaises with national ministries such as Ministry of Higher Education (Egypt), Ministry of Science and Technology (Nigeria), and international donors like European Commission and World Bank.

Impact and challenges

Impact includes strengthened links among University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Nairobi, and Cheikh Anta Diop University leading to collaborative publications, improved access to facilities at CERN, Square Kilometre Array, and enhanced human capacity through fellowships with African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Challenges involve disparities in research infrastructure between countries like South Africa and Burundi, funding volatility from donors such as European Commission and Wellcome Trust, brain drain toward institutions like Imperial College London and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and logistical barriers in scaling projects across corridors administered by African Union and regional economic communities.

Category:Science and technology in Africa