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Rabat – Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) will host, on June 28 and 29, the Pan-African Hybrid RSIF Conference, focusing on the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) program.
The fund, which is the flagship program of the Partnership for Applied Skills in Sciences, Engineering, and Technology (PASET), focuses on training researchers and professionals to contribute to Africa’s development goals.
With a focus on food security, climate change, and energy, the fund hopes to tackle the continent’s most pressing issues through a combination of pan-African and international cooperation and strengthening higher education.
The fund has provided over 250 PhD scholarships to date, with research grants to 15 African universities, from contributions from nine African countries, the Korean Government, European Union, and the World Bank.
The conference to be held at UM6P will be themed “African-led science, technology and innovation for contributing to the SDGs and global development,” following up on the pre-conference held virtually in November 2021.
In addition to the RSIF and UM6P, the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) will also be participating in the organization of the event.
Bringing together members from PASET and RSIF, the conference will aim to showcase the RSIF model to relevant stakeholders, as well as share lessons on how to improve doctoral training and research across Africa.
Read also: UM6P: The Intellectual Front of Morocco’s Commitment to Africa
There will also be a focus on using digital technologies to achieve the continent’s goals, as well as the impact of the climate crisis on achieving said goals.
The discussion is more relevant than ever, as Africa finds itself facing new challenges as it tries to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent months in particular, African nations have seen their food security crises exacerbated as the prices of grains and oil steadily rise amid the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy.
Energy independence has become another issue, with fuel prices rising steadily. Amid dire prospects for the global energy industry, Morocco hopes to contribute to solving its — and eventually the region’s — energy crisis through various projects such as its renewable energy ambitions, and the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline.
The event will also strengthen UM6P’s as a leader in Pan-African development. The university’s President Hicham El Habti previously told MWN that they view Africa “as a land of huge opportunities,” with a vision that the continent can help solve many of the world’s pressing issues.
