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.
GYA EC member Devina Lobine (Higher Education Commission, Mauritius) said this about the meeting: “The ASLP has been a truly unique and empowering experience for me. It has not only transformed the way I view challenges and opportunities but also helped me grow into a more effective researcher and science leader. This journey has inspired me to continuously push the boundaries of my own potential and contribute meaningfully to the scientific community.”
EC member Justine Germo Nzweundji (Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies/ Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon) added that the ”ASLP is revolutionary because it changes participants’ perspective and capabilities.”
The ASLP is a pan-African, transdisciplinary platform where researchers from across Africa come together to collaboratively discuss the challenges our continent faces. The platform offers fellows a unique environment to develop collective leadership skills and to engage in creative problem-solving.
Building on the success of the ASLP, as well as ASEAN and APEC SLPs, the GYA supports the establishment of Science Leadership Programmes in other world regions, with a current initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Further, the GYA (co-)organises 1-2 day Science Leadership Workshops for its new members and for ECRs from around the world. Since 2014, more than 500 young scholars and scientists have taken part in GYA-supported capacity-building science leadership programmes or workshops.
Learn more about the GYA’s Science Leadership Training here.