Leveraging Science and Technology for Wealth Creation Celebration of the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa and the 94th WAITRO Board Meeting

July 1-3, 2024, in Accra, Ghana, the celebration of the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa and WAITRO Executive Board Meeting will be hosted by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana.

Background of the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa

The Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA) was created by the then Organisation of Africa Unity now the African Union, at its 46th ordinary session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1987. A resolution was passed for all member-states to celebrate June 30th, every year as the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa. The event is in remembrance of the continent’s great contribution to the rise and development of modern Science and Technology and to remind all African governments and people about the critical role that Science and Technology play in national development.

Celebration of DSRA in Ghana

In Ghana, the day is observed on June 30th annually by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), with its agencies involved in research and development. It is hosted on a rotational basis between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) with support from the other agencies under the MESTI. In 2024, DSRA will be celebrated on July 1 (as June 30 is a Sunday) with the theme Leveraging Science and Technology for Wealth Creation.

The 94th WAITRO Executive Board Meeting

This year’s celebration will be organized in association with WAITRO’s 94th Executive Board Meeting in Accra, Ghana. The first part of the celebration on July 1, will be a formal opening ceremony in the morning followed by the afternoon session where activities will include exhibitions, media engagements, and the day’s activities will end with presentations on sharing of experiences on funding options for Research and Development by WAITRO Speakers. This will provide the Ghanaian Scientific Community the advantage of the physical presence of their STI counterparts from many parts of the world to Ghana to share their wealth of experiences and explore possible areas of collaboration for sustainable sources of funding for R&D for economic development.

Expected to address the meeting are:

Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, WAITRO President

Prof. Dr. Hans-Erich Schulz, First Vice-President

Prof. Dr. Paul E. Burrows, WAITRO Secretary General and Vice President, JITRI

Mr. Chen Ning, Vice President, JITRI

Mr. Paul Pinnock Bosu, WAITRO Regional Representative

Ms. Theresia Ningsi Astuti, WAITRO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific

Eng. Abeer Arafat, WAITRO Regional Representative for Middle East and North frica

Dr. Moses Mengu, Honorary Member

More about MESTI

The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) was established in 1993 as the Ministry of Environment and Science (MES), although it has gone through several, institutional transformations to arrive at its present title and core functions. Its mission is to promote sustainable environmental management and the adoption and application of science and technological innovations through the formulation of policies, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of sector plans, programs and projects for national development. The Ministry is currently headed by Hon. Ophelia Mensah Hayford, a Member of Parliament for the Mfantseman Constituency in the Central region of Ghana.