Tomorrow Today: The Science Magazine

For more on the future of research in Africa, we're joined in the studio by Lara Petersen from the German-African Business Association. DW: There are excellent examples of how researchers are pursuing important work in Africa. But I think the general impression in Europe is that not much is happening there when it comes to research. Is that a fair assessment? Lara Petersen: There are quite a few projects like the one we've just seen. But, in general, the scientific output of Africa is only 2%, compared to the rest of the world - which is, if you look at the size of Africa, way too little. There aren´t that many groundbreaking results. Why aren't there more? It's a lack of financing, mostly, and of course that goes with it, a lack of scientists. The African Union decided to spend 1% of GDP on science and education, but most countries are actually quite far from that still. It's not actually very much money and even those obligations aren't being fulfilled. Many countries have fundamental problems then in Africa with education and with poverty. On our Facebook page, one viewer called poverty: 'a dream killer'. Are there maybe simple ways to promote grassroots research and education in these countries? There are a few projects that are working on solving African problems. For example, Makerere University in Kampala is working on applications for smartphones in agriculture and on solar panels. So there are different projects trying to promote grassroots development. But of course you also have to look at what the economy needs. And they don't necessarily need scientists, but rather mechanics. And people in the skilled trades, perhaps? Exactly. If you are a young African scientist or mathematician, where would you go in Africa? Up until now, many have left to go to the EU or to go to America. Where would you go if you wanted to focus on, maybe, fundamental research? There are quite a few research institutions in South Africa. More, of course, than in the north of Africa. And there's more and more coming up in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana. So there are already a few hubs where scientific projects are connected. A major problem is the jobs market, isn't it. We're missing the industrial side of things. All of these educated young people are coming out of schools and universities and there's no jobs there. They're fleeing basically for economic reasons. Do we need to focus on the infrastructure and industry? Yes, definitely, that is a huge problem. If academics can't find a job, first of all they'll leave and then all of the money that was put into their education goes out the window. Quite a few are coming back now, so it's not completely wasted. What are the exciting areas in Africa where that kind of infrastructure building is going on? There are lots of investments, from China of course, but also from Germany. And our companies are always complaining that they can't find workers that are properly educated, engineers for example. Well, one of the areas would, for example, be infrastructure - or the energy sector, of course. That's a place where everybody's investing at the moment. Lara Petersen, thank you very much for the interview. (Interview: Derrick Williams)