Harare — Young African researchers need to be supported and encouraged through the promotion of high-level training and ensuring their professional integration into the scientific community, Prof Christopher Chetsanga, a renowned biochemist said.

He told participants at a research seminar for young scientist organised by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (Zimche) and the European Union Contact Point Network for Young African Scientist (EU-CPN) that support and encouragement is critical for them to apply their scientific knowledge to respond to the socio-economic challenges facing the country and the entire African continent today.

Young scientists, he said, can also contribute to improving the conditions of life of African populations.

"I find it most rewarding to rub shoulders with young scientists aspiring to carry the scientific flag to higher ground.

"I carry an emotional banner for the advocacy of the development of science and technology in Africa," says the eminent biochemist who is also the president of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences.

Prof Chetsanga said support for research institutions is crucial for the development of the country's knowledge economy. "We would like to see our universities in Africa become centres of excellence in research outputs and accomplishments," he said.

"There is an accumulation of evidence of the danger of our universities functioning as diploma factories rather functioning as knowledge factories. African scientists register very few patents each year."

The aim of the research seminar was to train young scientists on how to apply for research funding from the EU funded research programmes.

Aavo Kaine, an Estonian in charge of the EU-CPN Africa Project made presentation on research proposal writing, outlined the key requirements, project management expectations and the work program for the project for 2011.

"Kaine is here to help prepare young Zimbabwean scientists to be able to compete for research funding from the EU," said Dr Evelyne Garwe, the acting chief executive of Zimche.

Other topics that were discussed included communicating research findings, the relationship between research protocols and the realities of African societies, the funding of research, the development of trans-disciplinary cooperation for research, and professional mentorship and integration of young African researchers into the scientific community.

"Young researchers should be ready to take initiatives in order to contribute to social transformations, at the community, national and regional levels," said Prof Chetsanga.

"It is those who generate new knowledge, who can patent it and convert knowledge into wealth that matter. Such capabilities enable a nation to overcome technology barriers."

From such a vantage platform, he says, young scientists can learn to swim with technology current and avoid watching from the shorelines.

"The level of domestic and S&T capability determines the success or failure of a given country to benefit from technology transfer," the renowned biochemist said.

"Domestic technological capacity coupled to abundant natural resources is the prescription for an automatic global economic domination."

During the seminar young scientists exchanged their experiences and debated their ideas to see how to make sure they made a useful contribution to the country.

Zimbabwe and most other African countries lack regulatory support frameworks to create the conditions and necessary investments for young scientists to support scientific and technological development.

Potential areas for funding outlined to the young scientists covered health, agriculture, environment, pharmacy, ICT, climate change, nanotechnology, biotechnology.

"We want to ensure that young African scientists are encouraged, motivated and provided with the necessary information to participate in EU-funded research programmes on a range of areas," said Kaine.

Young African researchers were encouraged to integrate into the centres of excellence, create networks, participate in scientific debates and the production of scientific knowledge, appropriate the ways and means to help the continent emerge from this precarious state of research and network with partners in the North.

Other speakers highlighted the need promote inter- and trans-disciplinary dialogue, develop a common research policy, create networks as well as platforms and centres for skills development as well as using diverse mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation, both on an inter-African scale, including the African diasporas, and on an international scale.

Participants discussed the necessity of developing synergy and bridges through which to stimulate research, by setting up frameworks for exchanges and consultation among young African researchers.

To deal with some of the problems facing Zimbabwe and most other African countries, eminent scholars say young scientists must be able to:

l channel their knowledge into dealing with the most important challenges, in order of priority;

l serve the well-being of Africans;

l promote political will;

l foster leadership skills among young people;

l reinforce the process of young people's participation in planning public policy and research project manage- ment;

l ensure that ethical codes are respected when planning research programmes.

The event provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the research funding situation and role of young researchers with regard to the profound changes in the scientific environment and to open new perspectives for worldwide co-operation with the help of funding partners.