The inaugural meeting of the Pan-African Scientific Research Council (PASRC) was held on Saturday 6th June 2020, via Zoom, co-ordinated from Princeton University and involving African researchers from all the continents of the world.
Professor Victor Murinde, SOAS University of London, who is a founding member of the Council, participated in the inaugural meeting and moderated the session on Global Engagement as well as the session on Fundraising.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the stark need for African institutions of higher education that can efficiently generate and transmit knowledge in times of crisis. Now more than ever, scientists and social scientists must come together to generate policy-relevant research.
To fill this vital need, African researchers have formed a Pan-African Scientific Research Council on the premise that “Research is not a luxury, but rather a survival strategy.” The Council was initiated by Leonard Wantchekon, a Professor of Politics at Princeton University and the Founder and President of African School of Economics (ASE), as part of his contribution to the ongoing global campaign to generate a robust and enduring international response to the Pandemic, including the letters to G20 country leaders on March 26 and April 7 by several economists and world leaders.
The Council will conduct original scientific and social science research focused on helping governments and societies respond to the novel coronavirus, through collaborative research initiatives involving epidemiologists, biochemists, biologists, and biostatisticians on one hand, and sociologists, economists, and other social scientists on the other.