Annual Meeting of the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI)
Science Academies as Partners for Improving the Impacts of Policies in Africa
The Royal Society, Kohn Centre
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AG
November 4-5 2008
Tuesday, November 4: Hearing from African Academy Stakeholders
Objective: To provide sponsor agency representatives a platform for discussing their organizations’ “advisory” needs and interests in Africa with African policy makers and academy representatives; to give African academy leaders the opportunity to listen to development partners with interests in investing in academies; and to educate participants in the meeting about the unique role academies play through their independent, apolitical, evidence-based advising and convening activities.
8:00-8:30am
Registration and coffee
8:30-9:30am
Opening Session
Welcome and Introductions
Chair: Cheikh Mbacké, Senior Advisor, Hewlett Foundation
Dr. Bruce Alberts, editor-in-chief of Science magazine, Professor at UCSF, and former President of U.S. National Academy of Sciences
9:30-11:00
Session I
African Policy Makers: A Conversation on Evidence-based Scientific Advising
Objective: To provide insight into what African policy makers perceive as their needs for balanced scientific advice and their objectives for the best way to obtain it
Dr. Noel Saliu, Chief Research and Innovations Officer, National Universities Comm., Nigeria
Dr. Aďda Sylla, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Senegal
Hon. Gaolatlhe G. Oliphant, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Science and Technology Ministry Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, South Africa
Non-governmental Sponsor Agencies: Recognizing Resources for Advice
Objective: To inform participants about the priority needs of private organizations working in Africa and to create discussion around the processes used in order to obtain advice
Jack Watters, Vice President for Medical Affairs, Pfizer Inc.
Panel Discussion
3:30-4:30pm
Session IV
Science Academies: Process and Values of Academy Work
Objective: To directly address how academy advice differs from that given by other advisory bodies like universities and government appointed committees
Moderator: Jo Boufford, Institute of Medicine Foreign Secretary
Virtues of academy advice
David Mbah, Cameroon Academy of Sciences Executive Director
How a young British Academy approaches advising
Mary Manning, Executive Director, The Academy of Medical Sciences
Development partnership
Royal Society and Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
Hans Hagan, Royal Society Jackie Olang, Network of African Science Academies
Objective: To provide a relaxed setting where stakeholders can (1) speak directly to African government and academy leaders, (2) learn about the work of the academies and (3) obtain materials published by specific African academies
Wednesday, November 5: Partnership for Development
(9:00am) Opening to Day 2
Chair: Cheikh Mbacké, Senior Advisor of Hewlett Foundation
Session V
Partnership Themes for Development
Objective: To explore how academies in Africa can and do provide evidence-based advice on critical issues in health and development for Africa and how an intermediary partner might strengthen academy advising as well as the networking of academies around the world
9:00-10:15am
Critical Issue 1: Health
Moderator: David Satcher, Director, Morehouse School of Medicine
