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.

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.

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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.

• National government
• Non-governmental organization at national or regional level
• Corporate
• Private foundation(s)
• International development agencies
• Other

Other source(s) of funding, please specify:

4. Please indicate which of the types of organizations listed below are key collaborators (i.e., organizations involved as partners in the design and implementation of your organizationu2019s projects/programmes). Tick all that apply.

• National government departments
• Other academies in Africa
• Other academies internationally
• Universities nationally
• Universities in Africa
• Universities internationally
• Regional scientific networks/organizations
• International scientific networks/organizations
• Industry
• Non-governmental organizations
• Multilateral organizations
• Other

Regional scientific networks/organizations – please specify

International scientific networks/organizations – please specify

Non-governmental organizations – please specify

Multilateral organizations – please specify

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 organizationu2019s 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 organizationu2019s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

Other structure, committee or initative – please specify

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 organizationu2019s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

Other ISC events – please specify

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

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Please indicate the nature of your organizationu2019s engagement with the ISC since its establishment in July 2018

Yes – please specify which activities and nature of participation, e.g. LIRA, Transformations To Sustainability etc.

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

• Not at all valued
• Slightly valued
• Neutral
• Significantly valued
• Extremely highly valued

We invite you to expand on your answer.

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

• Yes
• No

Yes – Please specify the names of the 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 u2013 globally?

• Not at all important
• Slightly important
• Neutral
• Very important
• Extremely important

12. From the perspective of your organization, how would you rate the importance of the ISC for science and science systems development u2013 in Africa?

• Not at all important
• Slightly important
• Neutral
• Very important
• Extremely important

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?

• Yes
• No

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?

• Yes
• No

Please tell us what it is you think the ISC secretariat or broader membership could/should do?

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.

Please tell us more about why your organization is not in a position to be part of this process.

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 youu2019d 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
• Iu2019d 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
• Iu2019d 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
• Iu2019d 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 u2013 related to the ISC, your organizationu2019s membership of the ISC, or the role of the ISC in your country and in Africa more broadly u2013 that you would like to raise for further discussion, please indicate what these are.

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