- University World News
Transdisciplinary collaboration critical for future of science (Africa-Global)
Calls for investment in transdisciplinary research in Africa in order to achieve progress in science and innovation as tools to tackle challenges impeding social and economic transformation of the continent have dominated proceedings at the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI2022). The hybrid congress, taking place, in part, on the campus of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, has been convened in collaboration with the congress host, Future Earth, a global network of scientists, researchers and innovators focusing on sustainability, and the Belmont Forum, which is a partnership to enable environmental research, as a platform for enacting ‘meaningful solutions’ to societal challenges. The conference also heard that nurturing collaborations, both intra-Africa and with external actors, needed to be accelerated, noting that Africa needed to deploy science-based interventions urgently in tackling its most pressing challenges. The research community in Africa also needed as much support as it could muster from policymakers to come up with sustainable solutions that address, among other issues, climate change, social problems, food security, improved health, and environmental degradation, the event was told. “As scientists and as policymakers, there is a lot of advocacy work we ought to be doing to convince political leaders that the research we do is for the good of society, and they should, therefore, do more to raise investment in science and innovation.” Read more here.
2. Global Times
Chinese language, culture inspiring Kenyan youth to reach higher (Kenya)
Dressed in an elegant maroon suit and shiny leather shoes, Hansnick Omondi electrified the audience at Kenya’s oldest university auditorium with an eloquent speech in Chinese that extolled the virtues of friendship and hard work. The 22-year-old Chinese language major at the University of Nairobi’s Confucius Institute became a sensation at the Chinese language proficiency contest held on Friday with his refined mannerism, fashion sense and huge stage presence while delivering the speech. “It took me about four months to prepare for the speech and it touched on China-Kenya cooperation mainly in infrastructure development, our friendship and its benefits to all parties,” Omondi told the Xinhua News Agency after he was declared the winner of the Kenya Division of the 21st edition of the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. The bubbly youth, who is also pursuing tourism at the University of Nairobi as a minor, will head to the next round, to showcase his mastery of spoken Chinese. Born and raised in a middle-income family in Nairobi, Omondi’s curiosity to learn the Chinese language developed while in high school, thanks to inspiration from his elder sister who was studying it at the University of Nairobi. The elder sister who was pursuing a certificate course in Chinese used to recite it in the presence of Omondi, hence giving him a head start in mastering some basic expressions in the language. Read more here.
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