" [1]Johannesburg 19/4/2012 – The New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) will from April 23 to 27 hold a training workshop as part of implementation of the second phase of the African Science Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative.
The workshop is being organized in collaboration with the South African Department of Science and Technology through the HSRC’s Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and will be held at the Southern Sun Newlands Hotel in Cape Town.
The ASTII Initiative is a flagship programme of the African Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) and it aims at supporting evidence-based policy that addresses Africa’s development challenges in the context of Science Technology and Innovation (STI). The overall goal of ASTII is to contribute to improving the quality of STI policies at national, regional and continental levels by strengthening Africa’s capacity to develop and use STI indicators. The ASTII Initiative is supported by in-country resources from participating countries and a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Participants to the workshop have been drawn from close to 40 African countries and will include experts from Ministries responsible for Science and Technology and National Statistical Offices. The workshop will focus on training in the production of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) indicators and will include discussions on policy relevance and implications of STI indicators. This event is a key step towards the release of the second edition of the African Innovation Outlook (AIO). The inaugural AIO was released in Addis Ababa in May 2011.
Ends
Members of the media are hereby invited to attend the official opening ceremony on the 25th of April 2011. Time: 9:00 am to 10:30am at the Southern Sun Newlands Hotel.
For more information, on the ASTII Programme, contact:
Towela Nyirenda JERE: +27 12 841 4661
For media enquiries, please contact: media@nepad.org [2]
About the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is a programme of the African Union (AU) adopted in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2001. NEPAD's objective is to enhance Africa's growth, development and participation in the global economy. In February 2010, the 14th AU Assembly established the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) as a technical body of the AU. The NEPAD Agency works closely with the African Union Commission (AUC), regional economic communities, national governments, civil society and the private sector on programmes projects that focus on improving the lives of the African people. Read more about NEPAD's Principles, Programme of Action, Priorities and desired Outcomes by visiting www.nepad.org [3]
About the Center for Science Technology and Innovation Indicators
CeSTII was established to undertake regular national R&D and innovation surveys on behalf of the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and to produce national indicators from the survey results to provide inputs for policy makers and a basis for international comparisons. The main work of CeSTII is concentrated on building capacity and expertise in science and technology surveys and indicators and in constructing a solid national baseline and data series. CeStII’s work largely focuses on South Africa’s National R&D and innovation surveys and also extends to a broad collegiate, and dialogue, with researchers and practitioners around the globe. CeSTII works closely with the OECD, science and technology offices in other African countries, the NEPAD Agency, Statistics Canada, UNESCO, and other international agencies. For more information visit http://www.hsrc.ac.za/CeSTii.phtml [4]
About the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the statistical branch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO [5]). The Institute produces the data and methodologies to monitor trends at national and international levels. It delivers comparative data for countries at all stages of development to provide a global perspective on education, science and technology, culture, and communication.
Based in Montreal (Canada), the UIS was established in 1999 with functional autonomy to meet the growing need for reliable and policy-relevant data. The Institute serves Member States, UNESCO and the UN system, as well as a range of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, research institutes and universities.
The Institute is hosted by the Université de Montréal at the Montreal's École des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC Montréal [6]). For more information visit www.uis.unesco.org [7]
