Aims & Objectives
Capacity building for young scientists and scholars is one of the GYA’s strategic targets. Furthermore, in light of the GYA aim to close the gap between low- and middle-income and high-income countries, the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) aims to:
- Identify early- to mid-career academics who have demonstrated leadership potential and an interest in developing key leadership skills
- Support them to apply the acquired skills to projects that are relevant to the academic development on the continent and its impact on society
- Create a network of academic leaders on the continent, spanning not only across countries, but also across disciplinary boundaries
- Advance a curriculum for academic leadership development which can be utilised in other institutions in Africa and beyond.
- Co-developed by the University of Pretoria and the GYA, it builds on the Global State of Young Scientists (GloSYS) project by addressing two central issues that emerged from the early research: mentoring and support structures, and focused training to increase leadership skills.
Since its begin, the ASLP has proven itself to be an exceptional model to develop a network of emerging science leaders across the continent (>50% of whom are woman), who are committed to developing and implementing a new vision for the future of African science.
Progress
Circulating the call to its network of young scientists and science academies in Africa, and providing evaluators for applications, the GYA assists in recruiting the cohorts of young scientists to benefit from the training. Selected fellows meet for a week-long workshop, followed by a year of project work and mentorship, with a follow-up workshop one year later.
Altogether 18 GYA members (listed in this project above as “past members”) have also taken part in the ASLP. Listed as “members” are GYA members and alumni who are part of the ASLP Steering Committee.
The inaugural workshop commenced with the first group of 20 fellows in June 2015, in Pretoria, South Africa.
The second cohort of Africa Science Leadership Fellows consisted of 22 outstanding scientists from all major regions of Africa. The scientists, spanning a wide variety of disciplines including the social sciences and humanities, met in April 2016 in Pretoria. The week-long workshop on ‘Leading a new paradigm for African Science’ delved deeply into topics such as collective leadership and science communication. Leaders in academia and research, science communication, and leadership theory and practice joined the fellows for interactive sessions.
An Africa Science Leadership Clinic was held in October 2016, to discuss leadership style, effective group and workshop structure, methodology, funding and organisation and to facilitate the further development of effective transdisciplinary networks across Africa.
In 2017 and 2018 the third and fourth cohorts of ASLP fellows – approximately twenty-two outstanding scientists from different disciplines all across Africa – took part in the ASLP.
The 2019 Africa Science Leadership Programme, the programmes’ fifth round, was held for the first time in the newly opened Future Africa Campus. More details here.
News Items
Workshops (click to expand)
10 YEARS AFRICAN SLP
In October 2024, the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) celebrated 10 years of empowering researchers as thought leaders to drive scientific progress across Africa and beyond. The two-day event took place on the Future Africa Campus in Pretoria, and brought together a diverse group of guests, alumni, and friends of the programme. Attendees included 15 GYA members and alumni, among them past Co-Chairs and current and past Executive Committee (EC) members.
Detailed Report: Download
AFRICAN SLP 2019
The Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) brought together its 2019 cohort – excellent researchers from across Africa, from 22-27 March 2019, in one out of a host of workshops leading up to the launch of the new Future Africa campus at the University of Pretoria. The ASLP 2019 includes 20 researchers from 11 African countries, among them two GYA members: Roula Inglesi-Lotz and upcoming GYA member (2019) Mona Abdel-Mottaleb. This cohort took part in the programme’s fifth round of training. Over the last 5 years, the ASLP has connected 104 fellows from 19 African countries.
Detailed Report: Download
AFRICAN SLP 2018
The fourth Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) took place with twenty-one outstanding researchers from all major regions in Africa. The scientists and researchers represent basic and applied sciences, and span a wide variety of disciplines including the social sciences and humanities. The programme takes place from 16 – 22 March 2018.
Detailed Report: Download
AFRICAN SLP 2017
Twenty-two outstanding scientists from all major regions within Africa will participate in the third round of the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP). The program on ‘Leading a new paradigm for African Science’ starts on 22 March with a week-long workshop. The fellows will dive deeply into topics such as collective leadership and science communication. Leaders in academia and research, science communication, and leadership theory and practice will join the fellows for interactive sessions. The workshop will be followed by a year of application and mentorship, with a follow-up workshop planned for March 2018.
AFRICAN SLP CLINIC 2016
From 6-8 October 2016, the University of Pretoria in South Africa hosted another Africa Science Leadership Clinic. The event brought together 15 African young leaders from different African countries and varying scientific disciplines. Participants represented fields as varied as Media and Gender Studies, Education, Psychology, Molecular Ecology, Chemistry and Pharmacy.
Detailed Report: Download
AFRICAN SLP 2016
Twenty-two outstanding scientists from all major regions within Africa will participate in the second round of the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP). Among those are five members of the Global Young Academy (GYA). The scientists represent basic and applied sciences, and span a wide variety of disciplines including the social sciences and humanities.
AFRICAN SLP 2015
Twenty outstanding scientists from all major regions within Africa will participate in the inaugural Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP). The scientists represent basic and applied sciences, and span a wide variety of disciplines including the social sciences and humanities. Among them are six members and one alumnus of the Global Young Academy (GYA).
Africa Science Leadership Programme – Inaugural Fellows at the start of the programme at University of Pretoria, South Africa
Detailed Report: Download
