Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (front R) shakes hands with Felix Dapare Dakora, president of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) (front L) in Nairobi, Kenya, September 2, 2019. [Image: Zhang Yu]

The Chinese Academy of Sciences on September 2 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences (AAS) to boost cooperation.

Bai Chunli, president of CAS, hailed the signing of the MOU with the pan-African science body as geared towards promoting collaborative research, skills development and technology transfer.

"CAS highly values our relationship with Africa. The signing of the MOU is a milestone for the partnership between our academy and Africa. In the future, our academy wishes to work closely with the AAS," said Bai.

He said that the AAS application to become a member of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), initiated by CAS, will be discussed and decided at the ANSO Governing Board Meeting to be held in November in Beijing.

"CAS fully supports the AAS to be a member," said Bai at the signing ceremony for the new cooperative framework with the AAS.

He said that Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre (SAJOREC), based at Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), has provided CAS with a platform to expand its footprint in the world's second-largest continent.

Bai said that Sino-Africa scientific collaboration has focused on areas that are key to advancing sustainable development in the continent such as food and water security, public health, biodiversity and wildlife conservation.

He said that advanced training for the next generation of African scientists has been an integral component of collaboration between Chinese and African science academies.

Felix Dapare Dakora, president of the AAS said the signing of an MOU with CAS will enable both institutions to harness their competitive edges in research and innovation to promote economic growth and social renewal.

"We hope that this MOU we are about to sign will go a long way in helping Africa to build synergies with China towards advancing science technology and innovation in Africa," said Dakora.

He said that Africa is keen to leverage its robust scientific collaboration with China to achieve the continent's long-term socio-economic transformation agenda.

Source: Xinhua