8:00 – 9:30

Registration and Coffee

9:30 – 10:00

Opening Ceremony

Master of Ceremony: Mr Jean Claude Niyibizi

· Hon. Dr Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education of Rwanda

· Mr Xing Qu, Deputy Director-General, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences a.i., UNESCO online

· Pr Romain Murenzi to represent Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, President of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

· Dr Luc Allemand, Secretary General of IYBSSD

· Dr Vaughan Turekian, Executive Director of the Policy and Global Affairs Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, U.S.A.

10:00 – 11:30

Session 1: “The Importance of Basic Science for Africa’s Development”

Moderator: Pr Beth Kaplin; Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management, Rwanda

Keynote speaker:

· Pr Romain Murenzi, Executive Director of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

 Panel discussion: “Basic Science and its Relationship to Economic Growth”

. Dr Vaughan Turekian, Executive Director of the Policy and Global Affairs Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), U.S.A.

. Pr Umezuruike Linus Opara, President of the UNESCO International Centre for Biotechnology (ICB), Nsukka Nigeria

. Pr Hussam N. Mahmoud, George T. Abell Professor in Infrastructure, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, USA  

.Pr Nana Ama Browne Klutse; Assistant Professor, University of Ghana (UNESCO IBSP board member)

. Pr Sam Yala, President of AIMS Rwanda

11:30 – 12:00

Coffee Break

12:00 – 13:30

Session 2: “Empowering Young Scientists in Africa”

Moderator: Pr Romain Murenzi; Executive Director of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

Co-moderator: Dr Didas Kayihura Muganga, Vice Chancellor, University of Rwanda

Keynote speakers:

. Pr Prosper Ngabonziza, Assistant Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy of the Louisiana State University, USA

. Dr Payal Patel, Associate Programme Officer, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

Presentations by four young African scientists

. Pauline Munganyinka, PhD scholar at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) of Nigeria, Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET)

. Dr Victorien Tamègnon Dougnon, Associate Professor in Microbiology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

. Pr Emmanuel I. Unuahbonah, Professor & Director, African Center of Excellence for Water and Environmental Research (ACEWATER), Redeemer’s University, Director, Directorate of Academic Planning & Quality Assurance, Redeemer’s University, Nigeria

. Pr Mariamawit Y. Yeshak,  Associate Professor of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Audience discussion and ‘collection’ of Best Practices for attracting and retaining Young African scholars to careers in STEM

13:30 – 15:00

Lunch

15:00 – 16:30

Session 3: “Transforming Basic Science into Innovations and Solutions”

Moderator: Pr Omololu Akin-Ojo, Director of ICTP-East African Institute for Fundamental Research under the auspices of UNESCO (ICTP-EAIFR)

Keynote speakers:

. Pr Malik Maaza, Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnology, iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation of South Africa UNESCO

. Prof. Hulda Shaidi Swai, former President of the African Materials Research Society (AMRS)

Presentations on success stories of basic science research leading to innovations and solutions

. Dr Marielle Agbahoungbata, Head of Research Programs and X-TechLab Coordinator, X-ray Techniques Laboratory (X-TechLab)

. Dr Stephane Kenmoe, Researcher Scientist at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

. Pr Christian Sekomo, Director General at National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), Rwanda

. Pr Li Jia, Professor in Earth Observation for Water Cycle and Climate Change, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Discussions, Questions and Answers

16:30 – 17:00

Coffee Break

Parallel Session, running for the whole day

Presenting Hands-On training tools for teachers and students

· Microscience Kits, UNESCO PBS/RIE

· AI Robotics, UNESCO PBS/RIE

· Virtual Reality Lab for Chemistry, Chemists Without Borders

· Renewable Energy

19:00

Diner

10:00 – 12:00

Session 4: “Promoting Basic Sciences among Women and Girls in Africa”

Moderator: Tonya Blowers; OWSD Coordinator

Presentations by six early career women panelists from Africa followed by discussion with the audience

. Eugenie Kayitesi, Associate Professor, Department of Consumer & Food Sciences, University of Pretoria

. Saphina Biira, Early Career Fellow in Physics at Busitema University, Uganda

. Veronica Achieng Okello, Early Career Fellow in Chemical Sciences at Machakos University, Kenya

. Ossénatou Mamadou, Early Career Fellow in Astronomy, space and earth sciences at Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques (IMSP), Benin

. Laura Estelle Loko Yeyinou, Director of Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Biosciences et Biotechnologies Appliquées (ENSBBA), Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques (UNSTIM), Benin

Rwandan women scientists networks

. Cynthia Umuhire, young scientist recipient of the L’Oréal young talent award, RAWISE member and OWSD National chapter executive

. Marie Chantal Cyulinyana, OWSD PhD alumna and founder of OWSD Rwanda National Chapter

. Eva Liliana Ujeneza, Rwanda Young Academy of Science Co-chair

. Delphine Abijuru, OWSD Rwanda National Chapter Chair

. Valentine Dushimiyimana, PhD student, Health Sciences, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, University of Cape Town

12:00 – 14:00

Lunch

14:00 – 16:30

Session 5: “Opportunities to Invest in Basic Science and Technology in Africa “

Moderator: Mr Jean Claude Niyibizi

. Overview of the Current Activities under Priority Africa Flagship 5

Dr Amal Kasry, Chief of Basic Sciences, Research Innovation, and Engineering Section, Division of Science Policy and Basic Sciences, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO

. Current Projects in the Field of Basic Science And How They Can Be Extended To Help African Scientists

Pr Heba Aziz, UNESCO Chair for World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region, Faculty of Business & Economics, German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech)

. US-Africa Frontiers program

Dr Dalal Najib, Senior Director in Science and Engineering Capacity Development, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, United States of America

. Dr Eugène Mutimura, Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National Council for Science and Technology

. Discussion

17:30 – 18:00

Closing Ceremony

Master of Ceremony: Mr Jean Claude Niyibizi

· Hon. Gaspard Twagirayezu, the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education

· Dr Luc Allemand, Secretary General of IYBSSD

· Pr Wole Soboyejo, Senior Vice President and Provost, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) online

· Shaofeng Hu, Director, Division of Science Policy and Basic Science, Natural Science Sector, UNESCO online