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Abstract

Based on recently completed studies, this paper attempts to provide a realistic picture of the scientific profession in Africa today. Activities in science and technology (S&T) have gone through a process of institutionalisation and professionalisation in Africa over the last thirty years, but these efforts have not been sufficient to create a sustainable dynamic of scientific production or of regeneration of national scientific communities. The situation today is critical, with S&T systems and the working environments of scientists deteriorating in many countries. While institutional mechanisms such as centres of excellence and S&T diasporas can, under certain conditions, contribute to the regionalisation and internationalisation of African science, they will never substitute for the weaknesses of national research systems. In the battle for sustainable development in Africa, nothing will replace home grown scientific capacities, and it is high time for the conditions for their renewal to be created. The results of empirical studies discussed in this article not only provide a vivid picture of the present day conditions of the scientific profession on the African continent, they also contribute to a diagnosis of the situation as one of political urgency.

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References

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Overcoming the scientific generation gap in Africa: an urgent priority

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