The vision is for African scientists to be at the cutting edge of data-intensive science, innovative advocates of open science, and leaders in addressing challenges in Africa and globally. The mission is for the African Open Science Platform to convene and coordinate open science interests, ideas, people, and resources in and for Africa. It will provide a federated infrastructure of digital tools, a technical network to support their application, and a community of practice.
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Vision and Mission for a Future African Open Science Platform/Felix Dakora
1. Session 6:
Vision and Mission
Felix D. Dakora
African Academy of Sciences
The African Open Science Platform
Stakeholder Meeting
Pretoria, 3-4 September 2018
2. The Vision
African scientists are:
• at the cutting-edge of contemporary, data-intensive
science as a fundamental resource for a modern
society;
• innovative global exponents and advocates of Open
Science;
• leaders in addressing African and global challenges.
3. The Mission
To convene and coordinate the interests, ideas, people,
institutions and resources for Open Science in and for
Africa
The Platform will serve as
• A federated infrastructure of powerful digital tools
• A technical network that supports their application
• A community of practice
4. Why an African Platform?
• Efficiency in planning, procurement, provision
• Scaling-up through shared capacities
• Stimulating dynamism & creativity through the
interaction of different experiences and inspirations
• Amplifying impact through common intellectual
purpose and voice
5. How will national systems benefit?
• Access to a larger more diverse resources than are available
nationally
• Part of a greater critical mass & critical diversity than a national
system can provide
• Support from a shared capacity in cutting edge data-science
• A powerful means of transmitting new ideas
• Development of trusted data repositories in key areas of African
concern
• Becoming a partner of choice in international consortia
Note: these are precisely the means whereby the “European Research Area” has dynamised
national science, even in those countries with a well-funded research base.
6. What will the Platform do?
Software tools, policies, practices &
system management
Cloud computing delivered through a
federated network
Data registry & portal for national &
international databases Data analytics & artificial intelligence
research & support services
Education & capacity building at all
levels – individual to institutional
Transdisciplinary community access
& engagement
Stimulation & support for major
research challenges
DeliveringEnabling
7. What will it take for us to succeed?
• Boldness of vision
• Commitment to collaborate
• Results-oriented planning and implementation
• Flexibility and experimentation
• Early action
• Persistence
• Outreach
8. The African Open Science Platform
Activities
Global Challenge Projects
Education and Capacity Development
Outreach and Engagement
Data Science Institute
Data Portal
Cloud Computing
Data Management Tools
• A federated infrastructure of powerful
digital tools
• A technical network that supports their
application
• A community of practice
• National Data Fora
• University Associations
• Academy Networks
• Regional initiatives (AIMS/SKA)
• The AU / NEPAD
• Funders
• International partners
African scientists are at the cutting-edge of contemporary, data-intensive science
as a fundamental resource for a modern society; innovative global exponents and
advocates of Open Science; leaders in addressing African and global challenges.
To convene and coordinate the
interests, ideas, people,
institutions and resources for
Open Science in and for Africa
Aim: To set out the fundamental purpose of the platform and to stimulate discussion about that fundamental purpose.
The proposed operational details will be presented in later sessions.
The vision is a bold one. It needs to be if Africa is to rise to the opportunities and challenges of the digital revolution as set out and discussed this morning, and if we are to avoid the fate of being a passive recipient of innovation from elsewhere. Can we be bold and creative in seizing the opportunity? To do so we must aspire to be:
at the cutting edge of contemporary data-intensive science
we should confidently and ambitiously embed the open science paradigm as a means realising the otential for scientific and social benefit from the digital revolution and minimising the negative
and we should be equally ambitious in collaborating to address global challenges as leaders, not merely waiting for stimualtion from elsewhere.
What will it provide in practice to realise this mission. It is conceived as means of building and serving a community by:
Providing and coordinating state of the art tools
Supporting researchers with the concepts, approaches and practices needed to use these tools to greatest effect
Developing an interactive community of practice that addresses major challenges in science and society
But why Africa, and not just individual states? The platform concept offers:
cost efficiencies in planning, procurement and provision
the greater scale achieved through sharing makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts, magnifying potential
bringing together diverse experiences and capacities in a common cause is a proven means of stimulating the creativity able to realise potential
and the impact of such working with a common purpose magnifies impact
I have described the purpose of the platform and analysed the benefits it is designed to bring, but how will it operate in practice? We conceive of an operational distinction between:
hard and soft infrastructures that are fundamental enabling tools
capacities that are adapted to the delivery of specific objectives
The individual activity strands are described in the documents you have before you, and which will be discussed in greater detail in the break-out groups of session 7 that immediately follows this.
Issues of governance and management will be covered in session 9
So: what will it take for us to succeed? I have set down here some general principles to guide actions and priorities. An important part of the purpose of this meeting is to discuss and agree how these principles can be realised in practice and how we would measure success.
For me, as President of the African Academy of Sciences, I believe that this could part of the process by which African Science comes of age – as a leader and not a follower – adding to other bold and successful African ventures such as AIMS, BioNet, UbuntuNet and the SKA.
