EAC institutions organize academia forum

Four institutions of the East African Community (EAC) have organized a forum that focuses on, among others, enhancing linkage between the academia, research institutions, and public and private sector enterprises.

The "Academia-Public-Private Partnership (APPP) Forum and Exhibitions 2018" has been organized by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the East African Business Council (EABC), the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), and the East African Development Bank (EADB)

The forum whose theme is "The East African Common Higher Education Area: Opportunities for Industrialization through Academia-Public-Private Partnerships" will take place at Catholic University of East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya on March 21 to March 22, 2018. 

The forum seeks to explore the status and potential for linkage between the three sectors in utilizing opportunities brought about by the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol.

The APPP, according to EAC, focuses on enhancing linkage between the academia, research institutions, and public and private sector enterprises; and promoting the utilization of higher education research output and innovations by the private sector/business community.

The forum will also discuss promoting consultative engagement in curriculum and research development and implementation and jointly organizing dialogue forums and exhibitions. The pioneer Forum organizers - IUCEA and EABC were joined by EADB in 2013 and EASTECO in 2017. 

The key themes of discussion will include Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as a catalyst for transformation of the production systems and outputs, contribution of medium, small and macro enterprises (MSMEs) to ensure optimization of productive potential for sustainable economic growth; education ecosystems for knowledge management and information sharing within the EAC industrialization processes; role of centers-of-excellence initiatives in the EAC Partner States in industrialization; and the role of media and creative arts in promoting APPP and EAC integration. 

The plenary and breakaway sessions will be run in parallel with exhibitions, in which products, systems and services emanating from research and innovations from universities, research institutions and the private sector will be showcased as a way of promoting and enhancing academia-public-private partnerships.

"Academic-Industry linkages have become critically important at this stage when we know that the convergence between academic, public and private institutions both productive and service providers can drive innovative development," said Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, Executive Secretary, IUCEA.  "Whereas publication of research findings in peer-reviewed journals is good, translating these research findings into innovative products and services that can be commercialized and used in everyday life is greater," he said.

He encouraged academics, researchers, innovators, students, SMEs and all interested members of the public to attend the forum for sharing experiences and use the forum as opportunity for learning.

The Forum which has been in place since 2011, is open to all stakeholders in East Africa and beyond from the academia, public and private sectors, higher education institutions, Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs), employers, manufacturers and other players in the wide industry value chain and business community in general, national commissions and councils for higher education and national commissions and councils for science and technology as well as organizations responsible for research, development and industrialization and the media.