Former chemistry collaboration in Ethiopia and Eritrea
Ethiopia
IPICS ETH:04 - Methods for Selective Extraction and Quantitative Determination of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants
ISP supported the research group at Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopia, between 2013 and 2018. Group leader was Dr Negussie Megersa, who graduated year 2000 with a PhD in a sandwich program with Lund University, Sweden, in an earlier phase of the Sida bilateral programme with AAU.
Objectives
The major focus of the project mainly concentrated on sampling of trace level pollutants of environmental, biological, food and pharmaceutical origins for quantitative chromatographic, electroanalytical and spectroscopic determinations.
The group was involved in activities centering on the problems of communities living around areas polluted by agrochemical residues. First the group identified such localities. Then the group studied how the chemical pollution affected the residents and the ecosystem through questionnaires and sampling.
Achievements
Between 2013 and 2018 the group graduated 3 PhD students (all male) and 5 MSc students (all male). In addition the group has published 13 articles in quality journals, and produced contributions to 5 regional conferences and to1 national conference.
The research group also approached the local society with their research results and informed about the risks of agrochemical, industrial and municipal waste, as well as measures to minimise and eventually avoid their risks. Policy makers were also approached; for example with the concerns of highly polluted rivers used for drinking water.
Eritrea
IPICS ERI01 - Staff development
Sida/SAREC supported capacity building at University of Asmara, Eritrea, e.g. for staff development in science. The overall aim of this project was to train competent staff, thereby strengthening the teaching and creating suitable conditions for initiating research at College of Science, Asmara University.
At the time of thr support, there were four colleges at Asmara University, College of Science being the largest, with units in Chemistry, Biology, Earth Sciences, Statistics, and Computer Sciences. There was a critical shortage of senior staff at most of the units.
The coordinator of the project at the Eritrean side was the President of Asmara University, Dr Walde-Ab Yisak. He participated in the ISP Chemistry fellowship programme 1975/76, and was in continuous contact with ISP after that. Hence, Dr Walde-Ab asked for assistance by ISP with the implementation of the programme for Staff Development in Science.
ISP accepted, end of June 1994, to take the responsibilities for arranging individual training programs for faculty members from College of Science, Asmara University. Candidates, selected for training, started their programmes in Sweden.
The staff development was supported by ISP between 1992 and 1996.