June 15, 2017
Research groups in planetary and space sciences are now emerging in Africa, but remain scattered and underfunded. To elevate planetary and space science across the entire African continent, a group of researchers is developing the Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences. It will involve coordinated actions with international partners for training M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, for developing locally-based scientific facilities, and for the progressive integration of the fascinating discoveries about our solar system into university curricula.
The identified benefits of education and research programs in these fields and the call for endorsement of this initiative are presented in two articles published this week in EOS:
https://eos.org/opinions/africa-initiative-for-planetary-and-space-sciences
https://eos.org/features/the-state-of-planetary-and-space-sciences-in-africa
In May, the GS Board of Directors voted to endorse the initiative along with AGU, EAG, and many other societies. Learn more at https://africapss.org.