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Mak to boost innovative development research in East Africa
Makerere University research centre’s office has been temporarily set up in the Main Library. PHOTO/ FILE
What you need to know:
- After a rigorous and competitive process, the National Research Foundation of South Africa selected the AICAD as a regional node for the African open science platform taking charge of East Africa.
Its major mandate is to link university generated technologies to the communities to fight poverty .With its Headquarters in Kenya, it has country offices in Uganda at Makerere University and in Tanzania respectively.
Makerere University and African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) have unveiled a platform that will be used to gather and share scientific research published by public universities in East Africa.
Unveiling the platform that will be housed at the university, AICAD country director of, Mr Gaston Ampe Tumuhimbise said that gathered research and innovations will be disseminated to the public that will in turn make use of it.
“Our scientists should not create knowledge and keep it away on grounds that they are protecting their patent and intellectual rights when the public is suffering. The research has been shared among researchers at the expense of the public who are major beneficiaries,” Mr Tumuhimbise said.
Adding “Innovators and entrepreneurs should be able to use the generated knowledge and content to create goods and services. This will in turn eradicate poverty in our communities.”
As a result, all the research and innovation developed by public universities in East Africa will be gathered in the same space after which it will be made available to the public.
According to Makerere VC, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, no country can develop without research.
“With this appointment, Makerere is ready to work with AICAD to coordinate all member universities and other research data generating agencies to pursue the idea of open science. The idea of open science and data sharing is key in the innovation process. When data is shared, solutions are quickly realised. I understand this is how the Covid-19 vaccine was quickly produced. Different research groups were able to share their data for a common cause.”
