25th – 28th February 2025,
ARSO in cooperation with the Science for Africa Foundation holds a 3-days physical meeting for the Members of the ARSO PC 01 on the Harmonisation of Good Research Management Practice (ARSO/GRMP) including a national stakeholder engagement in Research Management at the Four Points Hotel, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania through the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS). ARSO is currently cooperating with the Science for Africa Foundation a pan-African, non-profit organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa, in the harmonisation of this GRMP.
GRMP Standard is aimed at helping researchers in the Scientific and Education institutions to navigate the complex rules and procedures of credible Research and provides the tools for effective management of the Research process to ensure that the Research findings are used effectively. GRMP is also consistent with the declaration of African Union, at its 36th Ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in February 2023, of the year 2024 as the “Year of Education”, calling on governments to “accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)”, Quality Education, and themed: “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa”, and calling on governments to “accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)”, Quality Education.
The AU Year of Education is a unique opportunity to recommit member states to achieving the Continental Strategy for Education in Africa (CESA), 2016-2025, which underlines the value of education in catalysing achievement of all aspirations of Agenda 2063 as well as the global SDGs Agenda 2030 and SDG 4, for which standardisation is a Key pillar. Research falls within one of the CESA guiding principle which focuses on Quality and relevant education, training and research are core for scientific and technological innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and one of CESA Strategic objectives aiming to revitalize and expand research and innovation to address continental challenges and promote global competitiveness. The CESA strategy is driven by the desire to reorient Africa’s education and training systems for the 21st Century needs including Research and innovation to address continental challenges.
Research and Development drives innovation, enhances competitive advantage, facilitates market expansion, and contributes to sustainable development. For the SMEs/MMES can leverage Research to improve processes, create new and better products and services, and increase their profit and competitiveness. The GRMP, being harmonised by ARSO with Experts from 18 countries (Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South AfricaTanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambiaand Zimbabwe,) will ensure the Consistency, credibility and confidence and Transparent Research culture in Africa.
The Meeting was officially opened by Dr. Suleiman Hassan Serera, Deputy Parmanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and addressed by Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General ARSO and Dr. Evelyn Gitau, Chief Scientific Officer of the Science for African Foundation. Dr. Hassan called for the need of Africa to improve its participation in Transformative Research as per the African Union Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) that places science, technology and innovation at the epicentre of Africa’s socio-economic development and growth. The STISA 2024 reflects upon the words of President Kwame Nukruma at the foundation summit of the Organization of African Unity, Addis Ababa, 24 May 1963, in which he highlighted the need to leverage on science and technology to “make even the Sahara bloom into a vast field with verdant vegetation for agricultural and industrial developments”. STISA-2024 is the first of the ten-year incremental phasing strategies to respond to the demand for science, technology and innovation to impact across critical sectors such as agriculture, energy, environment, health, infrastructure development, mining, security and water among others. The strategy is firmly anchored on six distinct priority areas that contribute to the achievement of the AU Vision priority areas, Viz. Eradication of Hunger and Achieving Food Security; Prevention and Control of Diseases; Communication (Physical and Intellectual Mobility); Protection of our Space; Live Together- Build the Society; and Wealth Creation. The strategy further defines four mutually reinforcing pillars, in this regard, viz.: enhancing professional and technical competencies; promoting entrepreneurship and innovation; and providing an enabling environment for STI development in the African continent.
Dr. Nsengimana highlighted that the need for GRMP falls within the Africa’s Priority areas for standards harmonisation, including the Agenda 2063 Aspiration 1 on Aspiration 1: A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, and which under its goal 2 calls for skills revolutions underpinned by science, technology and innovation, thus encouraging for its adoption and implementation, thus also calling the participating Scientists in the process to champion the course, including the adoption and implementation of the GRMP. The Secretary General thanked the Africa Science Foundation for the support to harmonise the standards.
Tanzania will also be hosting the 31st ARSO General Assembly events in June 2025 in Zanzibar and the Secretary General and Dr. Hassan seized the opportunity to discuss the logistics of the same.