Congratulations research chairs R15 million + ZMW 10 million for each ORTARChI research chairs for 5 years!

University of Zambia (UNZA) Researcher Professor Imasiku Anayawa Nyambe and his Copperbelt University (CBU) counterpart Professor Stephen Syampungani have been named the new research chairs for the Oliver Reginald Tambo African Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI).

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) unveiled the two academicians as research chairs in Lusaka on Friday during the launch of the ORTARChI Research Chairs; the development that has since elated a Zambian science,research and technology advocate Non-Governmental Organisation, Dziwa Science and Technology Trust (DSaT).

Technology and Science minister Felix Mutati said the achievement by the two academicians from the two Zambia’s highest learning institutions is a landmark that speaks highly of the country’s academic credentials.

Mr. Mutati said this in a speech read on his behalf by Ministry of Telechnology Acting Permanent Secretary Jane Chinkusu.

Ms Chinkusu extoled the two researchers for their professional landmark achievements.

Ms Chinkusu said the two research chairs are key and reiterated the importance of research to the new dawn government development agenda.

She said “Research chairs are important not only because they focus on undertaking frontier scientific and technological research but also they strengthen the human capital development pipeline by training the next generation of researchers.”

NSTC Acting Executive Secretary Guest Mugala announced, “each chair will receive research funding amounting to about R15 million from the ORTARChI for a 5 year term .”

In addition, ” Zambian government through NSTC will contribute K10 million towards the two researchers,” Mr. Mugala said.

The duo will hold the chairmanship respectively and their respective institutions will act as host institutions for the period of 5 years ,starting this year.

NSTC disclosed that the two professors emerged victorious from a tight review and selection process adding that out of 10 african researchers,the two Zambian researchers were picked following their excellent research presentation among finest researchers from public universities in seven Sub-Saharan African countries.

Professor Nyambe will hold research chair in water conservation enhancing catchment management in upper Zambezi and Luapula basins and UNZA will house this research as host institution.

Meanwhile Professor Syampungani leads research in environment and development that will focus in developing social-ecological and phyto-rediation models for restoration and management of mining degraded landscape in Zambia.

“The NSTC is proud to announce the first ever Research Chairs in Zambia under the auspices of the ORTARChI. The two researcher chairs emerged successful from a very competitive and rigorous review and selection process ,”

Mr. Mugala announced.

ORTARChI ,a Pan African partnership oriented Initiative that seeks to invest in research for excellence and transform African Research landscape through innovative ways of supporting world-class research that addresses issues of national and regional importance.

The Initiative combines the development and higher education objectives with the aim of having spark impact on the development of research infrastructure in some countries contributing to the knowledge generation aligning it to the African Union 2063 agenda and to the Science Technology Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024.

The initiative also builds on the works of late Oliver Reginald Tambo, a prominent South African leader and Pan Africanist with a science education background.

Late Mr. Tambo believed in creating change through education and in cooperation and solidarity among African nations.

And in the recent months,DSaT founder and science,technology advocate Veronica Mwaba has been calling for increased research in Africa if the continent is to find its own solutions to its problems.

Ms Mwaba says the launch of the ORTARChI Research Chairs comes at a time when Africa is faced with huge socio-economic challenges adding that the launch of the ORTARChI points in the right direction for Africa.

Ms Mwaba and DSaT is therefore calling for partnerships that will help finance a science indaba that will create single platform on which African scientists, researchers and academia will meet to discuss and share African science based solutions to the problems on the continent.

She reiterates that Africa cannot afford to be ravaged by disease pandemics and poverty when it has rich scientific skills.