Professor Nimer Elbashir, General Secretary of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS), represented the Academy at the Annual Meeting of the African Science Academies (AMASA 2024), hosted by the Algerian Academy of Sciences & Technologies (AAST) in Algiers, Algeria.
This year’s conference centered on the important role of African academies in establishing a One Health system and addressing the impact of natural hazards on the continent’s environment and public health. Professor Elbashir served as the moderator for the session on natural disasters and their health implications. He also led a working group tasked with drafting a white paper on building youth skills in Africa, focusing on the role of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) in developing impactful policies and initiatives.
During the NASAC General Assembly, Professor Elbashir delivered a sobering address on the devastating effects of the ongoing war in Sudan, which has crippled over 70% of the country’s higher education and research capacity. Universities, research centers, libraries, and laboratories have sustained significant damage, endangering the futures of thousands of students, researchers, and academics. He appealed to NASAC for international support to host displaced Sudanese scientists and students, emphasizing the urgent need to rebuild the nation’s academic infrastructure.
Her Excellency Madam Nadia Osman, Sudan’s Ambassador to Algeria, attended the assembly in solidarity. She delivered a heartfelt speech emphasizing the importance of preserving Sudan’s scientific heritage and expressed deep gratitude to AAST and NASAC for their unwavering support. In a resounding show of unity, the NASAC General Assembly unanimously endorsed a statement calling for an end to the destruction of Sudan’s scientific resources and advocating for a global initiative to restore the nation’s academic future.
As NASAC declared:
NASAC calls for an end to the wreckage of Sudan’s scientific expertise, infrastructure, and future, and a global initiative to support the re-establishment and renewal of these resources, which are vital not only to Sudan but to Africa and the world.
This collective appeal highlights the crucial role of scientific cooperation in protecting Africa’s intellectual and research potential during times of crisis, underscoring the urgent need for global solidarity in rebuilding Sudan’s academic and scientific landscape.
Also, Professor Elbashir met with the NASAC President, AAST President and Vice President , representatives of South Africa Academy, Egypt, Kenya and Professor Masrecha Fetene, the Co-President of Inter-Academy Partnership (IAP) and Ms. Laura Gioliano, the CIESM, the Mediterranean Science Commission.
