This is a presentation on the report by the World Bank and Elsevier. Read the full story and find a link to the report here: http://www.elsevier.com/connect/investing-in-stem-research-is-crucial-to-africas-future-finds-report-by-world-bank-and-elsevier

1. A Decade of
Development in Sub-
Saharan African STEM
Research
Andreas Blom, World Bank
George Lan, Elsevier

2. Outline
• Motivation
• Methodology
• Key Findings
– Africa rising, also in research
– STEM lagging
– High reliance on int’l collaboration and visiting
faculty
– Low levels of within-Africa collaboration
– Returning diaspora are important
• Policy recommendations

3. Motivation – Why this report?
• Africa rising – focus on skills
• Low agricultural productivity and little
value addition to commodities
• Solid case for STEM higher education and
research
• Lack of reliable data – research data

4. Does Africa have the capacity to scale-up training of
graduates who can apply science and technology?

5. Methodology
• Scopus
o21K titles from 5K publishers
o33 million articles post-1996
• How to measure science?
• Indicators
oResearch output
oCitation Impact
oInt’l and African Collaboration
(co-authorships)
oResearcher mobility

6. Africa rising, also in research
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
South Africa, 10.5% CAGR
West & Central Africa, 12.7%
East Africa, 12.0%
Southern Africa, 8.5% CAGR
2003 2006 2009 2012
Total Number of Articles
Year of Publication
SSA’s share of global research has
increased from 0.44% to 0.72% Source: Scopus and ERI Analytical Services

7. But other developing countries have grown
even faster
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Malaysia, 31.0% CAGR
South Africa, 10.5% CAGR
West & Central Africa, 12.7%
2003 2006 2009 2012
Total Number of Articles
Year of Publication
East Africa, 12.0%
Vietnam, 18.8% CAGR
Southern Africa, 8.5% CAGR
Source: Scopus and ERI Analytical Services

8. STEM lags behind Health Sciences
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
STEM as share of total research in SSA has marginally declined by 0.2% annually
since 2002. In contrast, STEM as share of total research has grown 2% annually in
East Africa Southern
Africa
Malaysia and Vietnam
Western and
Central Africa
South Africa Malaysia Vietnam
Physical Sciences & STEM Health Sciences
Source: Scopus and ERI Analytical Services

9. High reliance on international
collaboration and visiting faculty
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
South
Africa
West &
Central
Africa
Southern
Africa
East Africa East Africa Southern
Africa
West &
Central
Africa
South
Africa
Visiting researchers as % of total researcher
base
International collaborations as percentage of
total output
Source: Scopus and ERI Analytical Services

10. Collaborations are win-win
London School of
Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine
University of Cape
Collaboration
beneficial for
both parties
University of
Liverpool
Town
Collaboration
below par for
region, above par
for institution
University of
KwaZulu-Natal
Institut Pasteur
University of the
Witwatersrand
Centers for Disease
Control and
Prevention
World Health
Organization
Johns Hopkins
University
Harvard University
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Collaboration
below par for both
parties
Collaboration below for institution,
above par for region
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Relative FWCI of Collaborator’s Research Co-authored
with Southern Africa
Relative FWCI of Southern Africa’s Research Co-authored with Collaborators

11. Low levels of within-Africa
research collaboration
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
South
Africa
West &
Central
Africa
Southern
Africa
East Africa East Africa Southern
Africa
West &
Central
Africa
South
Africa
Within-Africa collaboration as a percentage
of total output
International collaborations as percentage of
total output
Source: Scopus and ERI Analytical Services

12. Importance of returning diaspora
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
East Africa Southern Africa West & Central Africa South Africa
Field-weighted citation impact
FWCI Associated with Returnee Inflows FWCI of Region's Output in 2012

13. So what?
Key Finding Policy Recommendation
Africa Rising, also in research
(capacity is increasing)
Scale-up strategic investment in post-graduate
education and research
STEM lagging Focus funding and collaboration on
STEM
High reliance on int’l collaboration and
visiting faculty
Collaboration must strengthen African
institutions
Invest in the future faculty of Africa
Little within-Africa collaboration Provide funding for Africa-Africa
Coordinate regionally
Promote student mobility
Returning diaspora are important Attract more African Diaspora back

14. THANK YOU
Andreas Blom, World Bank
George Lan, Elsevier