The Role of the Africa Materials Research Society in an Evolving African Landscape

Josephat Zimba Salene Technologies, Bryanston, South Africa

Past President: Africa MRS

Africa Size in Perspective…..

Quick Facts 1. 54 countries

2. Population about 1 billion (150 million in Nigeria and 80k in Seychelles)

2. GDP (Currency) $1.5 trillion, (~$300 billion from SA)

2. Materials Research will help

unlock Africa’s full potential especially as Africa seeks to move from a resource-based economy to a manufacturing based economy.

Nigeria (largest population and now largest economy)

South Africa Technological power house and until recently largest economy

Connecting Africa

Fly to Europe first then fly back to Africa….there is similar lack of connectivity in Materials Research!

Africa MRS: The Origins

ORIGINS: The US-Africa Materials Workshop (6-9 Aug. 2000, Pretoria , SA): • Attended by eminent scientists, engineers and government officials from Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

• Workshop was funded by the NSF (USA) and NRF (SA).

Excerpts of the Workshop Report

“The current fragmentation of the African materials research community is a serious obstacle to African progress in the area of materials.”

“The formation of an African Materials Research Center and/or other materials-related consortia or centers would help to foster and coordinate efforts to obtain funding and to retain expertise within Africa while simultaneously attracting high-powered

scientific and industrial collaborators from abroad.”

“Similarly, many groups recommended the establishment of databases that would

provide all materials scientists with a base from which to network with colleagues in their region, nation, and around the world.”

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02068/nsf02068_6.pdf

Government Support for the Africa MRS

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02068/nsf02068_6.pdf

African Union Support for the Africa MRS

Africa MRS Objectives

Example: Li-ion batteries research (RSA, Morocco phosphates+ Zimbabwe lithium deposits)

Africa MRS Objectives

Promoting excellence in all aspects of materials research in Africa through:

1. Connecting African researchers together and link them with the rest of the world to encourage multi-national, multi-disciplinary and international collaboration in materials research [strength in numbers & diversity]

2. Regular hosting of meetings, symposia and conferences with a view to promoting dialogue between materials researchers within Africa as well as with researchers outside the continent [Vic Falls 2012, Addis 2013]

3. Identify and foster specific areas of materials research as appropriate in the different countries or regions in Africa [ Advocating for centres of excellence]

4. Promote information and resource sharing, exchange and development as necessary [MRS] [IGERT][USAMI]

5. Working closely with governments and state structures to develop appropriate policy and support for materials research and development [bring scientists and policy makers in one room]

6. Encouraging downstream materials value-addition activities, and ensuring that materials research contributes significantly to the various national strategies for social equity and poverty alleviation in a constructive and sustainable manner.

Africa on the Radar: Issues shaping the Materials Research Agenda

1990

DIMINISHING/PAST

PRESENT FUTURE

Strategic Planning Horizon

2020

2050

Political Instability, famine, Civil Wars

Mining and export of raw materials/ concentrates

Scientific Skills shortage

Acute skills shortage

Increased demand for local value-addition

Environmental issues and safety

Increased demand for infrastructure, water, energy, health, food security, transportation, etc

Increased political stability

Medium to high end industries

Fragmented Africa Materials Research Community

Serious consideration for environmental issues

Life style diseases

Strengthening Materials Research in Africa

The Need for Africa Centres of Excellence, which are based on:

(i) natural resources and (ii) universally cross-cutting areas

Africa Resources & Regional Materials Research Focus

Ore

Minerals

High Value End-Products

e.g. can we functionalise nanoparticles for selective mineral recovery ? Water purification-mineral processing nexus?

research on catalysis, PGMs, Au, etc, leading to e.g. manufacture of catalytic converters

Minerals (e.g. Au, diamonds, PGMs

Oil and Gas

Oil and Gas

Crude oil &refining

e.g. polymers and composites

Use of indigenous materials, e.g. plants, bamboo, etc

e.g. Coatings (corrosion, abrasion and thermal), etc.

Cross-cutting Materials R&D Interest Areas

Universal R&D Areas 1. Energy

2. Health

3. Water

4. Environment

5. Nanotechnology

6. Security

Collaborative research with Africa: Literacy %

Likely development patterns for Africa based on level of literacy

Examples of USA-Africa Collaborations

USAMI, IGERT, DoD

USA-Africa Collaboration: Example of USAMI

Research programmes 1. Biomaterials 2. Materials for Affordable housing 3. Thermo-structural materials 4. Nanoscale thin films/MEMS

Collaborating African Institutions: . Alexandria University , EGYPT (Marei) Cheikh Anta Diop University , SENEGAL (Beye, Sakho, Tall, Diop) Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt (Al Gohary) FIIRO, NIGERIA (Bashir) Kyambogo University, UGANDA (Obwoya) Makerere University, UGANDA (Banda, Buhwehzi-Bernard, Otiti) Mbacke Niang and Associates, SENEGAL (Niang) Obafemi Awolowo University, NIGERIA (Adewoye, Adetunji, Babatope, Siyanbola, Oparinde, Imasogie) University of Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA (Asfaw, Adamsie) University of Blida , ALGERIA (Kenai) University of Botswana, BOTSWANA (Sethiaraj) University of Dar-es-Salaam, TANZANIA (Buschweishaijia, Mbise, Tesha) University Hassan II - Mohammedia , MOROCCO (El Jazouli) University of Nairobi, KENYA (Aduda) University of Namibia, NAMIBIA (Kavishe) University of Zambia, ZAMBIA (Chama) Witwatersrand University, SOUTH AFRICA (Ballim) Clarson, ZIMBABWE (Zimba)

Key outputs: 100 visits, 100 publications, greater Africa-USA and Africa-Africa interactions

USA-Africa Collaboration: Example of IGERT: Nanotechnology for Clean Energy

Multidisciplinary graduate program focused on scientific, technical and policy issues related to sustainable and affordable clean energy.

• Research with specific applications to nanoscale energy technology development (e.g. solar cells, batteries, fuel cells, more efficient and inexpensive flexible electronics). • New interdisciplinary energy curriculum in fundamental (nanoscale) materials science, physics, chemistry and electrical engineering. • Internship and outreach opportunities in Africa (Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia…), national laboratories and energy-related companies.

Director: Professor Manish Chhowalla, Rutgers University

For more information, contact Dr. Johanna Bernstein, jrbernst@rci.rutgers.edu, 732-445-1557 Co-PIs: Craig Arnold, Princeton; Eric Garfunkel, Rutgers

Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)

USA DoD collaboration with Africa MRS

Examples of USA DoD collaboration with Africa

1. Joint S&T meetings in South Africa with AFOSR, ARL and NRL

2. Research support by DoD for basic research in Africa

3. Funding support for Africa MRS meetings

Concluding Remarks

Take-away points

• There will be an increased demand for materials research skills in Africa, more so in light of the demand for the local value addition of Africa’s natural resources in a sustainable manner.

• International collaboration will be critical to leverage resources, shorten the learning curve and avoid duplicating failures and successes.

• It is critical that African scientists are connected among themselves and also connected with the rest of the world.

• Pan-African centres of excellence in strategic areas, will help quicken the advancement of Africa in Materials Research, unlock its economic potential and reduce poverty.

The Africa Materials Research Society

-The End-