Tom Kariuki to head AESA

Nairobi, Johannesburg: 30 March 2015 - Dr Thomas Kariuki, a Kenyan biomedical scientist, has been appointed Director of the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), the new pan-African science funding and agenda-setting platform created by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and NEPAD Agency. It will be recalled that the establishment of this platform got the full approval of the African leaders at the January 2015 AU Summit in Addis Ababa.

Kariuki, a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, is an award-winning scientist who worked at the institute of Primate Research/National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, until his appointment at AESA. He has also served as President and Board Member of a number of Africa-wide professional networks, including the Federation of African Immunological Societies, which he is the immediate past President.

Professor Berhanu Abegaz, the Executive Director of the AAS, says Kariuki brings to the job a track record of scientific achievement, strong leadership skills gained through the successful transformation of research facilities, and a deep understanding of the African science landscape.

Kariuki said: “Science can and will transform Africa into a healthy, food-sufficient, energy-surplus and environmentally sustainable continent. AESA, under him, will be implementing a multi-million dollar grant programmes to support research on Africa's health related challenges and opportunities. The initial funding for AESA comes from the AAS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK Department for International Development, NAPAD Agency and the Wellcome trust.

About the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)
AAS is a pan African organization. An Academy of all Sciences that honors the best African and non-African scientific leaders and is implementing programs in 6 key STI areas. It has been recognizing African and Africa experts by recruiting them into the AAS Fellowship since 1985. These Fellows, who are proven STI leaders live and work in all corners of the continent. AAS has a strategic partnership with the AU, and its technical bodies such as NEPAD and the PAU. AAS enjoys the support of several governments (particularly Kenya and Nigeria), major international funding partners and is regarded as s “Strategic Partner” by the African Union Commission and NEPAD Agency.

About NEPAD Agency
NEPAD Agency is the technical body of the African Union. The core mandate of the NEPAD Agency is to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource mobilisation and research and knowledge management. The NEPAD Agency is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.