Image

Dakar, Senegal The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) is proud to announce the 2024 TWAS Skill Building Workshop, taking place in Dakar, Senegal, from 5-8 November 2024. This groundbreaking event is designed to enhance the scientific skills of African scientists, fostering a stronger scientific community across the continent.

Image

A Unique Gathering

This workshop marks the first-ever combination of two of TWAS’s grant programmes: the TWAS Research Grants Programme, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI) Programme, supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Building on the success of the 2018 regional conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, this event brings together 64 grantees from 20 African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo Dem. Rep., Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

TWAS Research Grants provide researchers with essential financing for specialized equipment, consumable supplies, literature, support for open access publishing fees, funds for conference participation, and the training of master’s degree students. Through these resources, the grantees can establish activity in a field of research and mentor the next generation of scientists.

"TWAS is delighted to support these young scientists who are focused on using science to find solutions to their national challenges for sustainable development. We are confident that this meeting will spark longer-term partnerships and collaborations to build synergy between scientists on the continent and strengthen the critical mass of scientists working on tackling common challenges," said TWAS President Quarraisha Abdool Karim.

Image

Focus on Critical Themes

Participants will engage in training sessions covering various aspects of scientific research. Sessions will be led by experts from the TWAS network and other organizations, including past grantees of TWAS programmes. Key themes include scientific research and writing, importance of teaching and plagiarism, science communication, predatory journals and conferences, and transdisciplinary research for sustainable development in Africa.

Image