Prof Norris Encourages Researchers to be Impactful in Africa’s Economic Value Chain
University of Botswana Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, recently hosted for dinner a team of international researchers and industry leaders who are currently in the country for the All-Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture. The conference commenced on September 26-29, 2023 in Gaborone.
The dinner was meant to foster collaborations among academics and researchers to tackle Africa’s challenges together.
According to Professor Norris, Africa’s food security challenges, among others, could be alleviated through partnerships by African researchers who, through existing research, have proven to be capable. Professor Norris said Africans would continue to be consumers and spectators if researchers did not take advantage of the entire research and innovation value chain.
“What products can we show that have changed lives in our continent, when we have all these brains that we don’t bring together to form these ecosystems that can change lives?’ Challenged Norris.
He encouraged the researchers attending the conference to reflect on how to convert the outcomes from the conference into tangible products and services that can be commercialised.
In attendance was the All-Africa Society of Animal Production (AASAP) President Professor Tadelle Dessie who is a principal scientist at International Livestock Research Institute and an adjunct professor in Animal breeding and genetics at the Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.
Others were Dr. Siboniso Moyo the Deputy director General for research and development – Biosciences at the International Livestock Research Institute along with, Prof. Michiel Scholtz a Specialist Researcher in Applied Animal Breeding at ARC-Animal Production and an Affiliated Professor at the University of the Free State and representatives from the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN). Also in attendance was a team from Botswana Society of Livestock Science and Production (BSLSP) while from UB was Prof Sununguko Wata Mpoloka, A University of Botswana lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and currently a researcher on vaccine development for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle and also other UB faculty members and research students.