NASEM Capacity Development

The Third U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium, a signature program of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, brought together exceptional early-career researchers from Africa and the United States in Kigali, Rwanda, from February 18-20, 2025. Hosted in partnership with the Republic of Rwanda, the symposium fostered interdisciplinary discussions on today’s most pressing global challenges, underscoring the critical role of U.S.-Africa collaboration. Participants engaged in plenary sessions exploring:  1. New Solutions for Decarbonization – from carbon management to hydrogen storage and plastic waste innovations.  2. Biotechnology – advancing disease detection, bio-inspired technologies, and sustainable agriculture.  3. Precision Agriculture – leveraging data-driven solutions to optimize farming.  4. Advances in Space Research – from space technology for socio-economic development to planetary exploration.  5. Smart & Connected Cities – using technology to drive urban innovation.   We extend our sincere appreciation to our Rwandan hosts and partners at the Ministry of Education for their dedication to advancing scientific cooperation, to the organizing committee for developing a stellar scientific program, and to our program sponsors: The Gates Foundation, The RUTTER FOUNDATION INC, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Office of Naval Research Global (ONR Global), U.S. Army DEVCOM, Google Africa, and Penn State University. Murakoze! Watch Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences, and Hon. Claudette Irere, Minister of State for Education in Rwanda, share their insights on the importance of S&T collaboration between the United States and Africa. #Rwanda #ScientificCooperation #Capacity #nasem 

💧 #PEER2PEER Seminar: Advancing Knowledge and Action on the Global Water Crisis across Transboundary Regions 📅Join us TOMORROW Feb 25, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET for an engaging discussion on climate change, water governance, and resilience in transboundary regions. Featured Speaker: Dr. Andrew Gronewold (University of Michigan) – Expert in water resources management and lead investigator for the U.S. contribution to the Global Center for Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Transboundary Waters. Discover how science, policy, and collaboration can drive sustainable solutions in the Laurentian Great Lakes and Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basins. 🔗 Register: https://ow.ly/qSqI50V5AWf

Earlier this week, vaccine development practitioners, funders, and experts from Rwanda, the United States, and across the African continent came together in Kigali, Rwanda, for the Partnerships for Vaccine Development in Africa Workshop 🌍 to exchange knowledge on the latest advances in vaccine development and explore opportunities for impactful collaborations to drive growth in the sector. The workshop sessions covered: ✅ Vaccine Development Roadmap (Vega Masignani) ✅ Workforce development and global partnerships (Brenda Kateera, Shingai Machingaidze) ✅ The impact of government policies and governance on vaccine development (Ethel Makila, Noella Bigirimana) ✅ The impact of AI on vaccine development (Luis Salazar, PhD, Pascale Kunda) The program included interactive discussions on these topics to foster meaningful dialogue and connections, along with presentations from institutions and programs supporting vaccine development to help catalyze innovation in Africa and beyond (David Robinson, Mwai Ngibuini, and Daniel Placht). #VaccineDeveloppment #Africa #Capcity #nasem

Last week, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) launched the Precision Medicine Workshop Series to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration between Kuwait and the United States on advancements in precision medicine. We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Ameenah Farhan for her visionary leadership in these continued collaborative efforts with KFAS.     The first workshop, held in Kuwait, focused on advancements in point-of-care technologies, AI, and continued developments in understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.    The program featured panels on:  1. Precision Medicine for Chronic Metabolic Diseases (Ahmad Al-Serri, Mohammad Jamal, Jason Kim, Rohit Kulkarni) 2. AI and the Future of Precision Medicine (Amina Qutub, Mehrtash Babadi, Sarah Al Youha) 3. Point-of-Care Technologies for the Advancement of Precision Health (Kathleen C. Barnes, Vasilis Vasiliou, Fawaz Alzaid) The workshop benefited from an impressive lineup of speakers, with special thanks to our keynote speakers: Dr. Fahd Al-Mulla, who set the stage with his opening remarks on the precision medicine landscape in Kuwait, Dr. Ali H. Mokdad, who presented on Burden of Disease trends for the coming decades and highlighted strategies to reduce disease burden in Kuwait and beyond, and Dr. Hilal Lashuel for his inspiring remarks on the importance of domestic, regional, and global collaboration in advancing precision health.    These sessions were followed by collaborative discussions among experts from Kuwait, the U.S., and the broader GCC region, fostering the exchange of knowledge and the development of new partnerships and initiatives.    The workshop recording and speaker slides will be available online soon.    Workshop event page: https://lnkd.in/gDWyqp-V Workshop Committee: Fawaz Haj, Salman AlSabah, Hutan Ashrafian, Stacey Gabriel, Ahmad Nabeel, Susan Sumner #PrecisionMedicine #Kuwait #KFAS #nasem

💧 #PEER2PEER Seminar: Advancing Knowledge and Action on the Global Water Crisis across Transboundary Regions Join us on Feb 25, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET for an engaging discussion on climate change, water governance, and resilience in transboundary regions. Featured Speaker: Dr. Andrew Gronewold (University of Michigan) – Expert in water resources management and lead investigator for the U.S. contribution to the Global Center for Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Transboundary Waters. Discover how science, policy, and collaboration can drive sustainable solutions in the Laurentian Great Lakes and Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basins. 🔗 Register today: https://ow.ly/eCV150UUV5n

📢 Upcoming Webinar: U.S.-Africa Research Collaboration & DoD Funding Opportunities Join us Monday, Feb 10, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET for an insightful session on U.S.-Africa research collaboration and funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of Defense. Hear from program officers across AFOSR, ONR Global, Army, and the Basic Research Office as they share insights on research collaboration opportunities and funding mechanisms available to researchers in both African countries and the U.S.. 🔗 Register today: https://ow.ly/guqV50UUl0L

💡 Project Highlight:   Precision Medicine: Promoting Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration between Kuwait and the United States - Workshop Series    This is a collaboration between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.   The first workshop will be held on February 2-3, 2025, in Kuwait. This will be a meeting of experts, and the recording of the event will be available afterward on the event webpage as well as the formal proceedings of the workshop published by the National Academies Press.     Meet our workshop committee of global experts!    Visit our event page for more details 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gDWyqp-V #PrecisionMedicine #Kuwait #KFAS #Capacity Salman AlSabah, Fawaz Haj, Hutan Ashrafian, Stacey Gabriel, Ahmad Nabeel, Susan Sumner, Dalal Najib, Komal Syed, PhD, Abrar Almoosa, Ph.D., PMI-PMP, Ghada Faraj, Arianne Gandy

Congratulations to David Esteban Bernal Neira, who will be joining us in Lima, Peru, for the Second Connections to Sustain Science in Latin America Symposium, held in collaboration with UTEC - Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, from March 11–13, 2025! Visit the event page to learn more: https://lnkd.in/euPfmB-d

🩺 Project Highlight: Precision Medicine: Promoting Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration between Kuwait and the United States - Workshop Series This is a collaboration between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. We're kicking off a workshop series in 2025 to exchange knowledge on cutting-edge advancements in precision medicine research between Kuwait and the U.S., and the broader Gulf region. The first workshop will be held in Kuwait on February 2-3, 2025. This first workshop will explore: 1️⃣ Precision Medicine for Chronic Metabolic Diseases 2️⃣ AI and the Future of Precision Medicine 3️⃣ Point-of-Care Technologies for Precision Health 4️⃣ Burden of Disease Trends Visit our page to learn more. The recording will be posted after the event: https://lnkd.in/gDWyqp-V #PrecisionMedicine #Kuwait #KFAS #Capacity Salman AlSabah, Fawaz Haj, Hutan Ashrafian, Stacey Gabriel, Ahmad Nabeel, Susan Sumner, Dalal Najib, Komal Syed, PhD, Abrar A., Ghada Faraj, Arianne G.

"My time at IIASA was truly extraordinary. Professionally, it was an intellectual stimulation of the highest level, offering daily vibrant exchanges with fellow YSSP peers, mentors, and IIASA researchers. As someone whose research falls mostly outside the typical scope of my faculty, IIASA’s focus on systems-thinking offered me the like-minded academic community I’ve been long seeking," says Merav Cohen 梅若华, IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program participant 2024.    More information on the Young Scientists Summer Program and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/dfRYhCem