Education / Teaching
"Driving Sustainable Development in Africa through Science and Innovation."
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS), founded in 1965 and headquartered in Kenya, is a pan-African organization dedicated to driving sustainable development across the continent through science, technology, and innovation. With a mandate to promote excellence, provide advisory and think tank services for shaping African strategies and policies, and implement key science, technology, and innovation programs, the AAS leverages its membership of distinguished scientists to engage with governments and policymakers on the continent.
Comprising individuals who have achieved the highest level of expertise in their fields and made significant contributions to advancing scientific knowledge on the African continent, the AAS has recognized over 300 Fellows and Associate and Honorary Fellows to date. These fellowships are awarded based on rigorous evaluation by specialized committees, with those recommended subsequently voted in by AAS Fellows and approved by the Governing Council.
As the only continental academy in Africa, the AAS enjoys the support and recognition of various organizations such as NEPAD, the African Union, several governments, and major international partners. These bodies recognize not only the academic excellence of the AAS but also its increasing role in setting the research agenda for the future development of the continent through think-tank functions.
In partnership with pan-African and international organizations, the AAS is currently implementing various programs to accelerate scientific innovation and address some of Africa’s pressing developmental challenges. For example, the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), launched in 2015 in collaboration with NEPAD Agency, serves as an agenda-setting and funding platform to support the development of African research leadership and promote scientific excellence and innovation.
The current Strategic Plan of the AAS (2013-2018) identifies six areas of focus for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including climate change, health and wellbeing, water and sanitation, food security and nutritional wellbeing, sustainable energy, and other emerging challenges facing Africa. Through these priorities, the AAS aims to create a knowledge-based society that drives sustainable development across the continent.