By Eddah Waithaka
The Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) launched its official Charter this week, transforming the initiative into a formal intergovernmental organisation.
Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, chaired the PASET Governing Council meeting in Kigali where Rwanda, Senegal, and Nigeria signed the Charter.
The agreement will now travel through diplomatic channels to Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, which have all confirmed their commitment to sign.
The Charter grants PASET international legal personality, providing a permanent institutional foundation for its work across the continent. It establishes a permanent Secretariat in Rwanda and defines three governance organs: the Governing Council to set strategic direction, the Executive Board to oversee implementation, and the Secretariat to coordinate daily operations.
The agreement formalises PASET’s ambition to strengthen education, research, and innovation in applied sciences, engineering, and technology. Its priorities include developing PhD-level expertise, supporting regional postgraduate scholarships, establishing centres of excellence, and mobilising resources. It also commits to helping African countries develop national action plans aligned with their specific skills and research priorities.
The Charter codifies principles of African ownership, financial transparency, mutual accountability, and results-oriented investment. It recognises existing initiatives, including the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif), and preserves member countries’ existing contributions to ensure continuity during the transition.
The meeting also reviewed member-country contributions to the Rsif, PASET’s flagship fund that supports doctoral training and research at 15 African Host Universities.
Dr. Julius Ecuru, Head of the Integrated Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Platform at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), presented the contribution status. He emphasised that these investments attract additional support from international partners, including the World Bank, the Government of Korea, the European Union, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Rwanda and Kenya renewed their contributions to the fund in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Rsif has enrolled 302 PhD scholars, including 116 graduates, 42 of whom are female. The fund also supports research and innovation grants intended to strengthen Africa’s scientific and technological capacity.
So far, 86 research and innovation grants from PASET-Rsif have enabled countries to convert scientific capacity into innovative solutions and stronger institutions.
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Expanding doctoral training remains critical for strengthening Africa’s capacity to develop homegrown solutions to its challenges. A 2014 World Bank and Elsevier study, A Decade of Development in Sub-Saharan African Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Research, recommended greater investment in postgraduate education, research capacity, and regional university collaboration.
The economic case for sustained investment in doctoral training is reinforced by the 2024 OECD and African Union Commission report Africa’s Development Dynamics. Drawing on evidence from over 7,600 firms across 27 African countries, the report highlighted the importance of specialised skills for developing technology-intensive industries, including advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. It underscores the value of PASET investment in doctoral training in ASET fields to produce highly skilled African researchers who can drive innovation and economic transformation.
The Charter marks a starting point. Its significance will ultimately depend on how effectively PASET and its member countries translate the strengthened governance framework into sustained investment, stronger African research institutions, and research that responds to the continent’s development priorities.
