Africa News

ViewNew UCT vice-chancellor to start earlier than planned

Mosa Moshabela will assume leadership of top South African research university in August

ViewSouth Africa hoists first SKA dish into place

“Significant moment” for project as huge radio telescope begins to take shape

View‘Urgent need’ to review African brain research ethics

History of exploitation creates unique considerations for studies on the continent, ethicists argue

ViewScheme boosts African genomics for food security and conservation

Programme trained over 400 scientists in one year, created genome centre and central databank

ViewAfrica news roundup: 5-11 July

This week: an anonymous donation, Canada-Morocco partnerships, and a new electromagnetics lab

ViewAfrica news roundup: 28 June to 4 July

This week: Ntusi takes up post, Steenhuisen welcomed and Gray wins Oppenheimer award

ViewCostly and slow lab procurement ‘undermines’ African research

Slashed import duties, joint bargaining and direct purchasing could address problems identified by survey

ViewWho is South Africa’s new higher education minister?

University sector welcomes appointment of cabinet newcomer Nobuhle Nkabane

ViewAnalysis: Science and HE offered Ramaphosa an ‘easy split’

South Africa's two ministerial briefs, separate until five years ago, were married in name only

ViewRamaphosa splits HE and science again ‘to make room for coalition’

Cabinet newcomer Nobuhle Nkabane given higher education portfolio, while Blade Nzimande keeps science

ViewAfrica news roundup: 21-27 June

This week: a bioinformatics training boost and a Germany-South Africa public engagement exchange

ViewDemocratic Alliance wants higher education and science portfolio

But party unlikely to receive all ministerial roles it requested in South African governing coalition

ViewUS$2bn boost for African health products manufacturing

Head of Africa’s disease control body says deal will make continent more self-reliant

ViewStellenbosch deliberates fate of ‘racist’ student residence

University mulls closure of accommodation block where white supremacy symbols were found this year

ViewLand invasions endanger research farms in South Africa

Science council vows to evict illegal occupants who paid fraudsters for parcels of its land

ViewAfrica news roundup: 14-20 June

This week: an AI strategy, Africa-Europe research clusters and a call for R&D capacity building

ViewAnalysis: Who will be South Africa’s next science minister?

As president Cyril Ramaphosa negotiates his coalition cabinet, the job could move outside his party

ViewAfrica ‘could lead in artificial intelligence’, say experts

However, continent needs to prioritise AI education and governance to achieve this, report says

ViewHealth conference moved from Canada to Bali over visa concerns

Organisers list “severe” delays, onerous processes and high costs of visas as reasons for decision

ViewWorld science academy hosts diplomacy talks

Trieste meeting pairs up researchers from developing countries with government officials

ViewSouth Africa backs Russian proposal for Brics space council

Details are sparse, but council would build on existing cross-border space collaborations

ViewCivil society calls for ramped-up TB services by Christmas

But government instability after South Africa’s dramatic election could delay action, expert warns

ViewSouth Africa steps up bird flu monitoring in humans

Move comes as global concern grows in the wake of infections in US dairy workers

ViewSouth Africa’s new government urged to invest in universities

USAf's CEO Phethiwe Matutu outlines priorities for higher education as coalition talks carry on

ViewSouth Africa’s election result hammers science committee

More than half of committee’s MPs, including former chair, lose seats in power-shifting ballot

ViewParis launch of US$1bn Africa vaccine fund draws criticism

Location sends wrong message about African ownership, says health advocacy group

ViewDisaster planning in South Africa ‘hampered by patchy climate data’

Meeting hears call for additional resources to predict and mitigate floods, tornadoes and drought

ViewAfrica news roundup: 7-13 June

This week: development bank proposes African science institute and UCT hosts centre for bird-human interactions

ViewResearch funders have no excuse to shun volatile countries

Buffers against economic and political turbulence can be built into project support, says Hannah Ngugi

ViewSouth African scientists battle to track election rumours

Limited access to social media data makes studying misinformation flows “almost impossible”