By Alfonso Kasongo
Two researchers from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and Copperbelt University (CBU) Professors Imasiku Nyambe and Stephen Syampungani have been named the new research chairs for the Oliver Reginald Tambo African Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI).
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) unveiled the two academicians in Lusaka on Friday during the launch of the ORTARChI Research Chairs in Lusaka on Friday, with the development elating a Zambian science, research and technology advocate and head of 0Dziwa Science and Technology Trust (DSaT), a non governmental Organisation.
Zambia’s Technology and Science Minister, Felix Mutati in a speech by the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Jane Chinkusu said the achievement by the two academicians from the country’s two highest learning institutions, is a landmark that speaks highly of the country’s academic credentials.
Extolling the two researchers for their professional landmark achievements, Ms Chinkusu said the two research chairs are key and reiterated the importance of research to the new dawn government development agenda.
“Research chairs are important not only because they focus on undertaking frontier scientific and technological research but also they strengthen the human capital development pipeline by training the next generation of researchers.”
NSTC Acting Executive Secretary, Guest Mugala announced that, “each chair will receive research funding amounting to about R15 million from the ORTARChI for a five year term.
“Zambian government through NSTC will contribute K10 million towards the two researchers,” Mugala said.
Professors Nyambe and Syampungani will hold the chairmanship and their respective institutions will act as host institutions for the period of five years beginning from 2022.
NSTC disclosed that the two professors emerged victorious from a tight review and selection process, adding that out of 10 African researchers, the two Zambian researchers were picked following their excellent research presentation, among other finest researchers from public universities in seven Sub-Saharan African countries.
While Professor Nyambe will hold research chair in water conservation, enhancing catchment management in upper Zambezi and Luapula basins and UNZA will house this research as host institution, Professor Syampungani will lead research in environment and development that will focus in developing social-ecological and phyto-rediation models for restoration and management of mining degraded landscape in Zambia.
“The NSTC is proud to announce the first ever Research Chairs in Zambia under the auspices of the ORTARChI. The two research chairs emerged successful from a very competitive and rigorous review and selection process,” Mugala announced.
ORTARChI, a Pan African partnership oriented Initiative that seeks to invest in research for excellence and transform African Research landscape through innovative ways of supporting world-class research that addresses issues of national and regional importance.
The Initiative combines the development and higher education objectives with the aim of having spark impact on the development of research infrastructure in some countries contributing to the knowledge generation aligning it to the African Union 2063 agenda and to the Science Technology Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024.
The initiative also builds on the works of late Oliver Reginald Tambo, a prominent South African leader and Pan Africanist with a science education background.
Late Mr. Tambo believed in creating change through education and in cooperation and solidarity among African nations.
Meanwhile, in the recent months, DSaT founder and science, technology advocate, Veronica Mwaba has been calling for increased research in Africa if the continent is to find its own solutions to its problems.
Mwaba says the launch of the ORTARChI Research Chairs comes at a time when Africa is faced with huge socio-economic challenges adding that the launch of the ORTARChI points in the right direction for Africa.
Ms Mwaba and DSaT therefore called for partnerships that will help finance a science indaba that will create single platform on which African scientists, researchers and academia will meet to discuss and share African science based solutions to the problems on the continent.
She reiterates that Africa cannot afford to be ravaged by disease pandemics and poverty when it has rich scientific skills.
