ISC Regional Presence in Africa - International Science Council

In December 2022, the ISC and Future Africa signed an agreement to co-design the ISC’s presence in Africa. The agreement aims to respond to the need to support African agendas and capacities and strengthen the presence of African science on the global stage. The scientific expertise and African networks of both organizations will be brought together to strengthen the influence of African science in the world.

Current: Take part in shaping the voice of African science

We are excited to invite you to contribute to a significant initiative between Future Africa, at the University of Pretoria, and the International Science Council (ISC). In 2022, both organisations entered into a collaborative agreement aimed at co-designing the ISC’s presence in Africa. This partnership underscores a collective commitment to strengthening African agendas, enhancing capacities, and elevating the visibility of African science on the global stage.

Your insights are invaluable as we embark on a scoping exercise to inform and shape the future presence of the International Science Council in Africa.

You will need at least 15 minutes to complete the survey and we encourage ISC Focal Points to do the survey together with your President and/or CEO.

We appreciate your time and thank you in advance for your invaluable input by 31 May 2024

First name *

Last name *

Email *

On behalf of which ISC Member organization are you completing this survey? *

Your position within this organization *

Part A: Organizational information

1. Country where your organization is based

2. Year that your organization was established

3. Please indicate the main source(s) of institutional funding for your organization. Tick all that apply.

Part B: ISC membership

5. Have you nominated a representative for the ISC Governing Board in recent years?

Yes
No
Not sure

Please indicate the nature of your organization’s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

6. Have you nominated a representative for another ISC structure, e.g. statutory or project committee, or through an open call for nominations for experts, e.g. through UN processes such as IPBES or UNEP Foresighting? Tick all that apply.

Governing Board
Statutory committee (eg Committee for Freedom and Responsibility of Science)
A scientific committee (eg IPBES, UNEP, IRDR, CODATA)
Not sure
Other

Please indicate the nature of your organization’s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

7. Have representatives of your organization recently participated in ISC membership meetings, including General Assemblies and other membership events, e.g. Global Knowledge Dialogues? Tick all that apply.

ISC Global Knowledge Dialogue events
Mid-term Meeting of ISC Members (May 2023, Paris)
Quarterly Zoom meetings wth the ISC President
Other Zoom meetings dedicated to the ISC membership
Other

Please indicate the nature of your organization’s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

8. Has your organization recently participated in ISC projects, programmes or other initiatives?

Yes
No
Not sure

Please indicate the nature of your organization’s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

9. To what extent do you think your organization currently values its membership of the ISC?

We invite you to expand on your answer.

10. Is your organization a member of any other regional or international organizations?

Part C: Role of the ISC Secretariat

11. From the perspective of your organization, how would you rate the importance of the ISC for science and science systems development – globally?

12. From the perspective of your organization, how would you rate the importance of the ISC for science and science systems development – in Africa?

13. From the perspective of your organization, do you feel that the ISC through the collective strength of its membership could do more to advance science and science systems development - in your country?

14. From the perspective of your organization, do you feel that the ISC through the collective strength of its membership could do more to advance science and science systems development - in Africa?

15. How do you think your organization could engage more with the ISC and benefit from its ISC membership?

16. What role do you think of African ISC Members should ideally play in the ISC? E.g., how can African Members promote dialogue in ISC structures?

17. The ISC recently sent out a "Call for input to the ISC Strategic Plan 2025-2028" (https://council.science/members/consultation-isc-strategic-plan-2025-2028). Please share your response:

We received this information and we will be responding as an organization
We received this information and we will not be responding
We did not receive this information.

Part D: State of science systems in Africa

18. What is the most significant challenge that your organization experiences in fulfilling its mandate?

19. Thinking about science systems more broadly, how do you rank the current state of science systems in your country in relation to the following issues?

	Poor	Fair	Good	Very good	Excellent
Science education	PoorScience education Poor	FairScience education Fair	GoodScience education Good	Very goodScience education Very good	ExcellentScience education Excellent
Research outputs	PoorResearch outputs Poor	FairResearch outputs Fair	GoodResearch outputs Good	Very goodResearch outputs Very good	ExcellentResearch outputs Excellent
Scientific capacities	PoorScientific capacities Poor	FairScientific capacities Fair	GoodScientific capacities Good	Very goodScientific capacities Very good	ExcellentScientific capacities Excellent
Intra-African collaboration	PoorIntra-African collaboration Poor	FairIntra-African collaboration Fair	GoodIntra-African collaboration Good	Very goodIntra-African collaboration Very good	ExcellentIntra-African collaboration Excellent
International collaboration	PoorInternational collaboration Poor	FairInternational collaboration Fair	GoodInternational collaboration Good	Very goodInternational collaboration Very good	ExcellentInternational collaboration Excellent
Science-policy interactions	PoorScience-policy interactions Poor	FairScience-policy interactions Fair	GoodScience-policy interactions Good	Very goodScience-policy interactions Very good	ExcellentScience-policy interactions Excellent
Science-industry collaborations	PoorScience-industry collaborations Poor	FairScience-industry collaborations Fair	GoodScience-industry collaborations Good	Very goodScience-industry collaborations Very good	ExcellentScience-industry collaborations Excellent
Innovation	PoorInnovation Poor	FairInnovation Fair	GoodInnovation Good	Very goodInnovation Very good	ExcellentInnovation Excellent
Funding of science	PoorFunding of science Poor	FairFunding of science Fair	GoodFunding of science Good	Very goodFunding of science Very good	ExcellentFunding of science Excellent
Open science	PoorOpen science Poor	FairOpen science Fair	GoodOpen science Good	Very goodOpen science Very good	ExcellentOpen science Excellent
AI	PoorAI Poor	FairAI Fair	GoodAI Good	Very goodAI Very good	ExcellentAI Excellent

Is there anything else you’d like to share about the state of national science systems in your country?

20. How do you rank the state of science on the continent in relation to the following issues?

	Poor	Fair	Good	Very good	Excellent
Science education	PoorScience education Poor	FairScience education Fair	GoodScience education Good	Very goodScience education Very good	ExcellentScience education Excellent
Research outputs	PoorResearch outputs Poor	FairResearch outputs Fair	GoodResearch outputs Good	Very goodResearch outputs Very good	ExcellentResearch outputs Excellent
Scientific capacities	PoorScientific capacities Poor	FairScientific capacities Fair	GoodScientific capacities Good	Very goodScientific capacities Very good	ExcellentScientific capacities Excellent
Intra-African collaboration	PoorIntra-African collaboration Poor	FairIntra-African collaboration Fair	GoodIntra-African collaboration Good	Very goodIntra-African collaboration Very good	ExcellentIntra-African collaboration Excellent
International collaboration	PoorInternational collaboration Poor	FairInternational collaboration Fair	GoodInternational collaboration Good	Very goodInternational collaboration Very good	ExcellentInternational collaboration Excellent
Science-policy interactions	PoorScience-policy interactions Poor	FairScience-policy interactions Fair	GoodScience-policy interactions Good	Very goodScience-policy interactions Very good	ExcellentScience-policy interactions Excellent
Science-industry collaborations	PoorScience-industry collaborations Poor	FairScience-industry collaborations Fair	GoodScience-industry collaborations Good	Very goodScience-industry collaborations Very good	ExcellentScience-industry collaborations Excellent
Innovation	PoorInnovation Poor	FairInnovation Fair	GoodInnovation Good	Very goodInnovation Very good	ExcellentInnovation Excellent
Funding of science	PoorFunding of science Poor	FairFunding of science Fair	GoodFunding of science Good	Very goodFunding of science Very good	ExcellentFunding of science Excellent
Open science	PoorOpen science Poor	FairOpen science Fair	GoodOpen science Good	Very goodOpen science Very good	ExcellentOpen science Excellent
AI	PoorAI Poor	FairAI Fair	GoodAI Good	Very goodAI Very good	ExcellentAI Excellent

21. What is your view on the general direction of science systems in your country?

Significantly going in the right direction
Going in the right direction
Neutral
Going in the wrong direction
Significanlty going in the wrong direction
I’d prefer to answer this question orally

Please expand on your answer if you wish.

22. What is your general view about the long-term future of science systems in Africa?

I feel strongly positive about the future
I feel positive about the future
I am neutral
I feel negative about the future
I feel strongly negative about the future
I’d prefer to answer this question orally

Please expand on your answer if you wish.

23. What is your personal view about the ability of your organization to influence and change science systems in your county/region?

We have strong influence on science systems in my country/region
We have a little influence on science systems in my country/region
Neutral
We have no influence on science systems in my country/region
I’d prefer to answer this question orally

Please expand on your answer if you wish.

24. What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge currently confronting science in Africa?

25. What in your opinion, are the key opportunities in African science to be leveraged on to strengthen the science ecosystem?

26. Please tell us about any existing pan-African platforms or forums that could be leveraged to strengthen African science.

27. Future Africa would like to learn more about whether you think there is any value in establishing a new pan-African platform or forum to collectively address the challenges and opportunities facing African science.

28. The ISC would like to know what kind of institutional presence on the continent would offer the best opportunities for meaningful integration of African expertise and perspectives in the work of the Council.

29. If there are any issues or comments – related to the ISC, your organization’s membership of the ISC, or the role of the ISC in your country and in Africa more broadly – that you would like to raise for further discussion, please indicate what these are.