A bright future for Africa

ICTP has years of experience in building scientific capacity in Africa. And, at a time when research on renewable energy has become crucial, ICTP is looking to support African researchers' initiatives to develop solar energy.

ICTP scientists Joe Niemela (Applied Physics section) and Ralph Gebauer (Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics section) represented the Centre at the African Network for Solar Energy's (ANSOLE) meeting held on 4 February in Linz, Austria.

ANSOLE aims to foster research activities in the field of solar energy among African scientists working in and out of Africa.

In the long-run, the network hopes to facilitate the exchange of ideas between students and scientists involved in solar energy research, formulate joint project proposals, put out joint publications, organize workshops and implement a graduate programme on solar energy.

"Such initiatives are exactly the kind of developments that ICTP likes to foster, and we have promised to help this new network in whatever way we can," said Gebauer after the meeting.

The meeting was organized by Serdar Sariciftci, head of the Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells and a renowned researcher in the field of photovoltaics. Daniel Egbe, a professor from Cameroon who is currently working in Linz, will be ANSOLE's first coordinator.

Sariciftci and Egbe will be visiting ICTP on April 12 and 13 to discuss possible future collaborations with ICTP.