Kampala, Uganda – November 29, 2024 – The Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), in collaboration with Digital Science and Uganda National Council for Science and Technology , successfully co-hosted the 39th Forum for Research Ethics Committee Chairpersons (FRECU) at Hotel Africana in Kampala. This event provided a vital platform for leaders in research ethics to exchange insights and discuss the future of ethical practices in scholarly research across the region. (more…)

L-R Dr. Toseef Din, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at M.P. Shah Hospital and Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa at the partnership signing.

On November 6, 2024, the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and M.P. Shah Hospital entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen research support systems and enhance research output at the hospital. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS
African scholarly conversations, Arab States Research, education network, ICT infrastructure, higher education, open science, research collaboration, policy support, capacity building, regional connectivity, funding challenges, science cooperation, open access, data sharing, network expansion
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode, we welcome Yousef Torman, Managing Director of the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), to discuss how the organization is transforming research collaboration and advancing open science across the Arab and North African regions. (more…)

Panelists at the 2024 Pan Africa Chemistry Network Congress pose for a group photo after discussions on advancing Open Access and sustainable solutions for Africa at the PACN Congress 2024.

Sustainability, as a global imperative, lies at the heart of the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our planet. With the world grappling with complex issues like climate change, food security, and water scarcity, the 2024 Pan Africa Chemistry Network Congress focused on advancing these critical themes as they align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The Congress, held from October 29 to 31 at the University of Nairobi, brought together leading scientists, researchers, and policymakers to discuss sustainable solutions for Africa’s most pressing challenges. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

African scholarly conversations, research assessment, societal impact, public health research, research translation, policy alignment, research metrics, open science, knowledge transfer, research incentives, research quality, research impact, research ecosystem, research collaboration, research policy (more…)

On October 17, 2024, academic leaders, researchers, and policymakers gathered for the Regional Research Integrity Workshop in Western Africa, an event dedicated to fostering transparency, credibility, and ethical practices within the research ecosystem. This workshop marked the second in a series under the Africa Research Integrity Project, following a successful launch in Ethiopia earlier this year. (more…)

Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) in collaboration with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH), and Figshare, announces an upcoming webinar on “Improving Research Data Management with Figshare.”  This event, scheduled for October 14, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM GMT, is part of the broader “Open Science & Research Integrity Dialogue in Western Africa” workshop.  (more…)

As we conclude Season 2 of our podcast, we’re reminded of the incredible journeys and transformative insights shared by some of Africa’s most inspiring thinkers, innovators, and leaders. This season has been a rich exploration of themes like mentorship, gender equality, (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Research, Africa, ORCID, scholarly communication, researchers, higher education, underrepresented, development, sustainable development goals, visibility.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

In this captivating finale of Season 2, the Mazungumzo podcast welcomes Lombe Tembo, Grant Program Officer and Engagement Lead at ORCID. This episode delves into the critical intersection of scholarly communication, economic development, and research visibility in Africa. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

somalia, universities, library, research, resources, ahmed, access, university, institutions, library association, digital, DOI, academic libraries, joint initiatives, capacity, Research4Life

EPISODE SUMMARY:

In this episode, we explore efforts to rebuild Somalia’s scholarly landscape post-civil conflict. Eng. Ahmed Dahir Siyad from SomaliREN and Mr. Mohamud Mohamed Siad from the Somali Library Association (SLA) discuss challenges and progress in improving digital infrastructure, research access, and libraries. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS
research, continent, funding agencies, granting councils, science, gender, women, inclusivity, NRF support, system, strengthening, change, South Africa, engendering, policies.

Listen

EPISODE SUMMARY:

This episode features a powerful narrative of resilience, innovation, and the ongoing quest for inclusive science in Africa. Dr. Dorothy Ngila, drawing from her unique “Afropolitan” experience, presents a roadmap for institutional reform in science and research. (more…)

Monday 17 June 2024

African research is receiving a major visibility boost with the indexing of 10 national funders in Dimensions, the world’s largest linked research database.

This project is a collaboration with Digital Science, the Africa PID Alliance (APA), the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), and the Research Organization Registry (ROR). (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

data, evidence-based, research, county, kenya, hackathon, technology, big data, years, health researcher,  health, challenges, output

EPISODE SUMMARY:
In this podcast episode, James Ngumo Kariuki, a senior research scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), shares his perspectives on the critical role of data stewardship, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology in shaping the future of health research in Kenya. (more…)

We are excited to report that Dimensions, a platform enabling open access research discovery, has been successfully launched in four more countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in Q1 2024: Eswatini and Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. This rollout was made possible through the ongoing partnership between Digital Science and TCC Africa, along with representative library consortia, granting councils, and research councils in each nation. The coordinated efforts are laser-focused on increasing the visibility and usage of Dimensions data in Sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting the importance of open access data to enhance research discovery, and promoting best practices in publishing to boost researcher profiles.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS

open, science, south africa, policy, africa, data, work, scholarly publishing, research, initiatives, access, journals, continent, publishing, scholarly, open access publishing, researchers, region, authors,

EPISODE SUMMARY

This episode takes us through South Africa’s journey towards embracing Open Science, a paradigm shift that aims to address societal challenges and promote research integrity. (more…)

The 3rd East African Community (EAC) Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Conference, held from March 6-8, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, marked a significant milestone for the region with the launch of the East African Regional Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2023-2033 & the East African Regional Intellectual Property (IP) Policy 2023-2033. However, what truly sets this achievement apart was the inclusion of Open Science principles and guidelines in the new policy framework – a remarkable first for the region and Africa that will unlock the full potential of scientific research and drive sustainable development across East Africa. The detailed sectoral policy objectives for Open Science are outlined on page 29 of the document. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

librarians, university, information, library association, institutions, libraries, research, , resources, data management information systems, electronic, students, management (more…)

On March 27, 2024, the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and Digital Science partnered with Addis Ababa University and the Consortium of Ethiopian Academic and Research Libraries (CEARL) to host a webinar on research integrity and ethics. This webinar marked the launch of the Africa Research Integrity Project, a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the capabilities of African research ethics and review boards. (more…)

Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa, delivering her keynote address at the 3rd EAC Science, Technology and Innovation Conference

The 3rd EAC Science, Technology and Innovation Conference kicked off on March 6-8, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya with a strong focus on accelerating the development and adoption of scientific solutions across the region. The conference, themed “Accelerating development and diffusion of STI solutions for a resilient East Africa,” brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, and international organizations. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

gender mainstreaming, support, research, women, institution, academic, university, gender, mentoring, academia, project, program, researchers, toolkit, workshop, vice chancellor, awareness, influenced, teaching

EPISODE SUMMARY

INTRO:

Welcome to Mazungumzo, African scholarly conversations, a podcast that highlights the perspectives of various stakeholders in academia, or research fields across Africa through open dialogue or Muslims on scholarly communication in Africa. (more…)

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

librarians, researchers, africa, research, libraries, digital, challenges, issue, institutions, years, journey, african, university, information, support, access, pushing

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode, Dr. Gracian Chimwaza, the founding director of the Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA), narrates his 24-year journey in leading capacity development and research projects across African countries. Dr. Chimwaza emphasizes the challenges, triumphs, and the evolving role of librarians in scholarly communication in Africa. The episode is a captivating exploration of the dynamic landscape of research, digital libraries, and the importance of collaborative efforts to advance information access and education in the continent. (more…)

KEYWORDS
mathematics, women, university, tanzania, girls, africa, science, stem, join, professor, year, masters, gills, men, policy, education, engineering, program, primary, continued

EPISODE SUMMARY
Professor Masanja’s journey is described as one of resilience, determination, and a commitment to empowering women in STEM. (more…)

Two leading voices in African science and scholarly communication, the Africa Science Focus podcast by the Science and Development Network (SciDev.net) and Mazungumzo – African Scholarly Conversations Podcast by Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), are collaborating to enrich the discourse surrounding science, technology, and scholarly pursuits in Africa.  (more…)

Celebrating 20 Years of DOAJ! Advancing African Research and Open Access with insights from Prof. Kamel Belhamel, DOAJ Ambassador for North Africa

KEYWORDS

Africa, Journal, Language Diversity, Algeria, Open access, Open Science, North Africa, DOAJ, Higher education, Ambassador

EPISODE SUMMARY

This episode explores DOAJ’s efforts to collaborate with African countries, promoting accessibility, open access policies, and launching digital platforms as it celebrates its 20th year. We are joined by Prof. Kamel Belhamel, the DOAJ Ambassador for North Africa, who shares his insights on the representation of African journals in DOAJ, the complexities of language diversity and the role of open access in the African scholarly landscape.

Professor Kamel holds the position of Full Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bejaia, Algeria. Beyond his teaching role, he has been an Ambassador for North Africa with the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) since 2016 and is the Editor-in-Chief of the DOAJ-indexed Algerian Journal of Natural Products. (more…)

Beyond the borders: Dr.Rana Dajani`s journey in Global Innovation and Literacy

 Listen to the full episode here: https://afripods.africa/episode/season-2-premiere-beyond-the-bor/5f44d54c-f03b-49a8-801d-784c2c38aba3

PODCAST SUMMARY

We begin the second season of Mazungumzo by taking an explorative  journey into Dr.Rana Dajani`s work and life. Driven by a deep commitment to literacy and women empowerment in STEM, she has taken on various key roles that are part of her dedication. (more…)

National and regional stakeholders, including government officials, researchers, and policy actors, converged to champion open science at the Kenya National Open Science Dialogue held on 20th September 2023 at the University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. (more…)

Nairobi, Kenya — Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA) aimed at empowering and building the capacities of librarians across the African continent in Data Management and Open Scholarly Infrastructure.

The partnership will encompass a multi-faceted approach to address critical challenges faced by librarians, (more…)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in collaboration with Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and Public Library of Science (PLOS) convened a High-Level Expert Meeting to advance the principles and practices of Open Science across its member states. The two-day virtual event, held from the 15th  of September 2023, brought together policymakers, researchers, and international partners to discuss the implementation of Open Science for enhanced research collaboration, innovation, and socio-economic development in West Africa. (more…)

Reserve Your Spot Today

Physical Attendance: To secure your slot for physical attendance, please email us at info@tcc-africa.org

Virtual Participation: If you are unable to attend in person, you can still be part of the event by registering online via:https://rb.gy/2de01

Access the program here 

EASTECO, PLOS, University of Nairobi, National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), Kenya Library and Information Services Consortium (KLISC), and TCC Africa, are converging for a hybrid workshop on ‘Open Science and Open Access Principles and Practices in Eastern African Community Partner States’. This dialogue marks the second in a series of national-level conversations on Open Science following the initial regional meeting with the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO). aimed at advocating for its implementation in East Africa, with the first one being held in February in Tanzania.

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This September marks a notable juncture for Mazungumzo- African Scholarly Conversations podcast. We’re celebrating not one but two momentous milestones: our one-year anniversary and the culmination of season one. Our journey to amplify African voices in academia and research has been nothing short of remarkable with its share of challenges and incredible successes. (more…)

CABI Agriculture and Bioscience’s innovative Editor training and mentoring programme provides researchers from the Global South with the skills and knowledge for future editorial board roles and supports greater diversity and participation in the running of mainstream journals. (more…)

The convergence of science and communication as a catalyst in empowering change in vulnerable communities with Jhpiego’s- Verah Vashti Okeyo

In this episode, we delve into a world where science and journalism intersect, uncovering the profound impact that they have in shaping a more informed society. (more…)

Nairobi, Kenya- Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with Strathmore University, implemented through the Strathmore Research and Consultancy Centre (SRCC). With a shared vision of empowering its research community, this collaboration brings together TCC Africa’s expertise in research capacity building and resource mobilization and SRCC’s proficiency in fund administration and project management.

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Exploring the transformative power of scholarships in African Academia with RSIF’S-Bonface Nyagah

Postgraduate research is a journey of discovery and knowledge creation. It goes beyond simply learning how to think and delves into the realm of producing new knowledge. To embark on this journey, one must build upon existing knowledge, using it as a solid foundation. However, it is crucial to recognize that the pursuit of new knowledge requires support. (more…)

Nairobi, Kenya- Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and the Universities Fund are pleased to announce their partnership, forged to strengthen research output, resource mobilization, and commercialization initiatives within Kenyan Higher Education Institutions. (more…)

Pretoria, South Africa- Higher Education stakeholders in Southern Africa gathered for the Regional Open Science dialogue, which was held from 25-26 April 2023 at the University of Pretoria. (more…)

Sustaining Scholarly Communications for Future Generations: Approaches for African Libraries by AFLIA’S Dr. Mac-Anthony Cobblah.

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/category/mazungumzo-podcasts/ | Listen on Anchor FM

PODCAST SUMMARY

On this episode of the podcast, we had the privilege of catching up with Dr. Mac-Anthony Cobblah, an accomplished leader in academic librarianship, as he shares his insights on librarianship and leadership, especially when it comes to promoting open science (more…)

Nairobi, Kenya – Training Centre in Communication alias TCC Africa is pleased to announce a partnership with Masinde Muliro University to support their early and established researchers in their research lifecycle. This partnership will provide a platform for researchers to access training opportunities and resources to help them develop their capacities in scholarly and science communication. (more…)

 Nairobi, Kenya

Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) has officially launched its data analytics branch, Helix Analytics Africa, with the aim to promote “Data for Impact (D4I)” by leveraging Open Science and modern data infrastructure to enhance public insights. The subsidiary, partners with research institutions to offer four key services: Data Science Infrastructural Development, Open Data & Analytics, Training & Coaching, and Persistent Identifiers. (more…)

Demystifying Open Science in Africa: Understanding its Importance and Implementation with AAU’s- Abednego Corletey

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/category/mazungumzo-podcasts/ | Listen on Anchor FM

While there has been a shift in how Open Science is perceived in Africa, ‘Open’ is still being misconstrued to mean that it is a loose and unstructured approach to scientific research, without restrictions or regulations. This is not the case. (more…)

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Why Open Science Matters: Perspectives from an African Scholarly Communication Expert

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/news-room  | Listen on Anchor FM

For many years, African libraries have been struggling to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of access to scientific information and resources. This has led to a situation where valuable research findings are often shelved and not shared with the wider scientific community, and libraries are forced to operate with limited resources, hindering their ability to provide quality services to their users. In this episode, we (more…)

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The Association for African Universities (AAU), the Public Library of Science (PLOS), and the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) are pleased to share the results of the first two of four regional policy workshops that we are hosting with Presidents, Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Directors of Research and Libraries in African Higher Education Institutions. (more…)

The Journey of a Resilient African Mother in Science and Leadership

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/news-room  | Listen on Anchor FM

Podcast Summary

Today’s episode features the inspiring story of Professor Chioma Blaise Chikere, a visionary leader and scientist, who is breaking barriers and defying stereotypes in research. As a mother and African woman, she’s on a mission to show the world the potential of women and the importance of giving them a voice. Hear her story of overcoming academic bias and progress to a successful career in academia. Prof. Chioma proves that if you’re not given a seat at the table, bring your own folding seat and create a space for yourself. (more…)

24  January, Nairobi, London-We are excited to announce that Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) has entered into a partnership with Scholarcy, an AI-powered reading and document analysis tool that converts research papers and other academic texts into interactive summary flashcards. . This collaboration will allow the TCC Africa community and  African early career and published researchers to understand how technology like Scholarcy’s can be used to screen and analyse hundreds of articles more efficiently, making the often daunting task of writing a literature review more manageable.  (more…)

Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and CABI Agriculture & Bioscience is pleased to announce a new editor training and mentoring program aimed to give new editors the skills and knowledge they need for upcoming editorial board positions. Being on an editorial board is a significant accomplishment. It assists in enhancing the researcher’s reputation in their industry and may pave the way for future editorial leadership positions. (more…)

Promoting innovative and sustainable research opportunities for women scientist in Nigeria

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/news-room  | Listen on Anchor FM

Podcast Summary

Kick starting our podcast series this year is self-proclaimed ‘woman in science’, widely published soil scientist and the National Chairperson, the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) Nigeria Chapter, Professor Olayinka Nwachukwu. She talks about how her work with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is promoting gender equality in science and technology in Nigeria, and how this can lead to more inclusive and sustainable solutions to local and global problems. She also shares her personal experiences as a woman in science offering advice to young women and early career researchers on the challenges and opportunities that exist particularly in Nigeria.

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As the holiday season approaches and 2022 comes to an end, it is time to reflect on the year that has passed.

We have been pleased to support over five thousand (5000) published and early career researchers from over ten countries- Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Liberia, the Netherlands, Uganda, Tanzania, DRC Congo, Ghana, Gambia, and Somalia- on various thematic areas of science and scholarly communication through various interactive workshops and conferences.

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Why Research Mentorship Matters while Navigating Academia: Insights from Eider Africa’s founder, Aurelia Munene

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/news-room  | Listen on Anchor FM

Podcast Summary

If you are a researcher, you are probably familiar with the research lifecycle and all the challenges and opportunities that come with it. With this in mind, Eider Africa- a women-led social enterprise, has been working towards supporting researchers by providing a safe space for mentorship throughout the research life cycle and amplifying the voices of African researchers. (more…)

Cape Town, South Africa–President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opened the World Science Forum (WSF) on Tuesday, 6 December, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. “Science for Social Justice expresses our conviction that inequality within and between countries is neither just nor sustainable”, he stated in his welcoming address, while expressing his hope that the event would spur concerted international action for science to combat and solve marginalization, poverty, environmental damage, and injustice. (more…)

Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) today announced a collaboration with WritingHub Africa Limited, also known as ‘WHAL’ aimed at bringing science and scholarly communication to a broader audience. 

Both organizations have been keen on mentoring and building the capacities of scholars on improving their research output discoverability and plan to increase the scope of outreach through the co-creation of content on various topics related to Academia and Research which will then be shared on social media platforms.

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Empowering children and youth to be agents of change through science communication

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/category/mazungumzo-podcasts/  | Listen on Anchor FM

Podcast Summary

Former TCC Africa trainee, Mr. Kenneth Monjero fondly known as Dr. Fun, shares how his passion for science communication has inspired his academic journey and led him to promote the accessibility of science and scientific innovations to better the lives of children and youth in Africa through his organization, Fun & Education Global Network. Fun & Education Global Network seeks to improve lives globally through interactive learning experiences, sharing information, mentorship, and teamwork to better the lives of children, teens, and youth.

Kenneth Monjero is a biotechnologist working with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO Biotech). He is also the Lead of KALRO Children Science Centre and a former TCC Africa trainee and postgraduate in Crop Science from the University of Nairobi. He is well known globally by students as Dr. Fun as he comes up with ingenious ways for making children between 5 -18 years appreciate the beauty and importance of science. (more…)

Training Centre in Communication will once again be hosting the Falling Walls Lab 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. We are joined by consulting and fund management firm, ViKtoria Ventures, investment platform, Melanin Kapital, and the Kenya 🇰🇪 government through Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) in supporting the innovators throughout their innovation cycle by making them investable and connecting them to impact-driven capital. (more…)

The significance of inter-ministerial involvement in drafting Open Science policies in Africa

Link to the full episode: https://www.tcc-africa.org/category/mazungumzo-podcasts/

‘Open Science will happen whether you’re on it or not as the world moves through an era of digitization,’ affirms our guest, Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu, the Deputy- Director of the African Open Science Platform (AOSP) and a Senior Researcher from the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa in the Biotechnology Platform.

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Coming Soon 🎙️ 🎙️ 🎙️

Welcome to Mazungumzo – African Scholarly Conversations, a podcast that highlights the perspectives of various stakeholders in academia and research fields across Africa through open dialogue or ‘Mazungumzo’ (in Swahili) on scholarly communication in Africa.We are joined by an expansive list of African policymakers, science communication specialists, innovators, and tertiary institution leads who contribute to this realm of scholarly and science communication.Karibu sana (You’re welcome) and we look forward to listening and sharing your stories.

Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) announced a collaboration with the investment platform, Melanin  Kapital  in supporting early career researchers in their innovation cycle by providing access to their digital impact investment platform, making them investable and connecting them to impact-driven capital. 

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Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) announced a collaboration with the consulting and fund management firm, ViKtoria Ventures in supporting early career researchers in their innovation cycle by providing access to their digital impact investment platform, making them investable and connecting them to impact-driven capital. 

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Nairobi, Kenya. Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa)   and the Kenya Innovation Agency (KENIA) today announced they will collaborate in addressing capacity support in training and creating investor readiness for researchers in the commercialization of their innovations. (more…)

The East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), the Public Library of Science (PLOS), and the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) today announced that they will collaborate in the implementation of Open Science and Open Access principles for EAC Partner States, which include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
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Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) and African Journals Online (AJOL) joined forces to co-host a series of webinars on the topic, “Using Digital Object identifiers to Increase Discoverability of African Journal Articles”. The webinar series were held over three dates, 1^st February, 1^st March and 5^th April 2022 and were targeted at African researchers, Publishers, Authors and Journal Editors who seek access to contextually-relevant quality research publications from Africa. (more…)

NAIROBI — The Association for African Universities (AAU), the Public Library of Science (PLOS), and the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) today announced that they will collaborate to increase awareness and provide training around Open Science practices and Open Access publishing in Africa. 
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We are is excited to announce that our Founding Director Prof. Gabor Lovei has published a book on the elements of #academicwriting. Please download it here https://openbookpublishers.com/product/1272 for free. (more…)

AfricArXiv, Eider Africa, eLife, PREreview, and TCC Africa have collaborated to develop a peer-review training workshop, Open Peer Reviewers in Africa, tailored to the region-specific context of African researchers. They co-created tools and strategies for scholarly literature evaluation, and are now ready to pilot the new workshop series with researchers who would be interested in sharing their knowledge by training others, and helping co-develop the resources further.
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From a terrestrial ecologist to supporting scientists in their research lifecycle through scientific communication

Prof  Gabor Lovei is a terrestrial  ecologist with interests in invasion biology, environmental biosafety, agrocology, conservation biology, biodiversity, and ornithology. Over the past 35 years he has studied  invertebrate and vertebrate ecology in Europe, East Africa, New Zealand, and China, and has published 160+ peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, essays, and reports.  He is also interested in scientific communication and is the author of Writing and Publishing Scientific Papers: A Primer for the Non-English Speaker. (more…)

From an agricultural researcher to the Head of Communications at the AWARD programme

Ms Dorine Odongo is the Head of Communications at African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and a former 2012 TCC Africa  trainee. Dorine’s interests are in leveraging the power of evidence to drive social change and inclusive growth. A development communications leader with more than 14 years of experience, she started her career as an agricultural researcher designing and implementing research projects investigating farmers’ adoption of technologies. (more…)

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“What is the plan for AfricArXiv? Increasing the visibility of African research,” says Joy Owango, founding director of TCC Africa, who also serves on the AfricArXiv board of directors. “We do not believe in reinventing the wheel. There are already existing repositories, and what we’ve done is that we’ve partnered with them, and through those repositories, we’ve created a gateway in which African research can be visible – can be much more visible.
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We are excited to announce that Mr. Mutembei Kariuki, TCC Africa’s contestant at Falling Walls Nairobi 2020 will be in the #BerlinScienceWeek in Germany  from 1-10 November 2021.  Mr. Mutembei Kariuki’s Innovation on Breaking the Walls of  Artificial Intelligence was chosen among the Global Top 10 in the Emerging Talents Category in  Falling Walls Competition in the #BerlinScienceWeek in 2020, which,  had  600 submissions from 111 countries. Due to the  Covid-19 pandemic  he could not go to Germany  and  was invited this year take part in the conference

In 2020 TCC Africa hosted  Falling Walls Lab, Nairobi, where  Mr. Mutembei was 1^st Runners Up .

Go to this video and watch  the presentation of  his  award winning innovation

The Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and the pan-African Open Access portal AfricArXiv herewith announce our formal collaboration agreement with the objective of creating a long-term strategic and sustainable approach to building and managing an international scholarly community that will enrich the visibility of African research.

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Wangari J. Ngugi is a Consultant Psychologist and Research Mentor. She is the Lead Research Mentor at Eider Africa, with a Certificate in Research Mentorship, where she is involved in the Design Team curating Research Mentorship programs including, among others, Study Smart and Monthly Cocktail for the mental health of researchers. She is a Research Steward under AuthorAID in the UK, where she co-facilitates the AuthorAID Social Sciences Journal Club group. She is a Candidate of Doctor of Psychology, PsyD, Clinical Psychology, a practitioner-scholar program, where she is researching Deaf mental health in Kenya. (more…)

TCC Africa, AfricArXiv, Eider Africa, and PREreview hosted  a 90-minute long roundtable discussion, bringing African perspectives to the global conversation around this years’ Peer Review Week’s theme, “Identity in Peer Review”. Together with a multidisciplinary panel of African editors, reviewers and early-career researchers, they explored the shifting identities of researchers in the African continent, from the dominant perspective that sees them as consumers of knowledge produced in other contexts to researchers who are actively engaged in scholarly peer review.  The objective of the round table  was create a safe space for reflection around issues of scholarly knowledge decolonization, bias in peer review, and open transformative peer review practices.

How my postgraduate assignment led to the creation of the first Dietetics centre in Kenya

Dr. Alice Achieng’ Ojwang is a nutritionist and dietician, and a lecturer at the Technical University of Kenya. She completed her PhD at the NorthWest University and Master’s Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa. She founded the first dietetics center in Kenya, Xenihealth Nutrition and Weight Loss Management Clinic. Dietetics  is the branch of knowledge concerned with the diet and its effects on health, especially with the practical application of a scientific understanding of nutrition Dr. Ojwang’ is  TCC Africa’s 2008  trainee. (more…)

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Originated and established in a western context over decades, research assessment and quality assurance are commonly achieved through a practice called “peer review”. Typically, one to three scholars of a research discipline similar to the one described in a manuscript submitted to a journal for publication assess research rigor based on their personal experience and informed by the standards established in their research field.

Pathology is complex and effective communication has helped me pivot my research career.

Dr. Edwin Oloo Walong is a Lecturer at the Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Human Pathology, School of Medicine, at the University of Nairobi. In addition to teaching and instruction, he provides clinical service as a pathologist in Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi and serves as the lead trainer at Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) Centre. He is a recurring trainee at the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) having first attended the training  on  Scholarly Communication in 2010 and then 2020 for training on Science communication and communicating to non-scientists. (more…)

How the TCC Africa training made me a mentor for South African early career researchers.

Bongani Alphouse Nkala has a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Human Physiology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and serves as the Internship Manager and Senior lecturer at Eduvos, formerly known as Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Midrand campus. Dr. Nkala is TCC Africa’s 2013 trainee. (more…)

A research career is a journey and you have to be adaptable as possible

Dr. Steve Wandiga, PhD, is a TCC Africa 2013 trainee and is an Assistant Principal Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, based at the Center for Global Health Research in Kisumu. He has been working with KEMRI since 2004 to date. He is also the Managing Editor of the East Africa Science Journal ,one of the two journals for the East African Health Research Commission, which, is part of the East African Community. (more…)

How a Science  Communication training and  taking part in Falling Walls Lab Nairobi, helped me win grants.

Dr. Annette Obukosia Busula is a medical entomologist with specialization in malaria vector control. She holds a PhD in Medical entomology from Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands and has had over 10 years of research experience from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Kenya. She is currently a lecturer of Biological and Agricultural Sciences at Kaimosi Friends University College in Western Kenya. She is also a TCC Africa 2020 trainee and Falling Walls Lab Top 10 National Winner. (more…)

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The Open Access publisher PLOS, and the Training Centre in Communication, based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, (known as TCC Africa) announced a partnership to ensure that the interests and values of African research communities are represented in PLOS publications, policies, and services. The two organizations will work together to study and co-create pathways to Open Research that work for African researchers and stakeholders within the scholarly community ecosystem, while preserving the core tenets of Open Research.

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Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), the Canadian  Research Knowledge  Network (CRKN) and the Open Access 2020 Initiative (OA2020) have come together to host a series of peer-to-peer learning workshops on Open Access Agreements.

Recipients of this peer to peer learning will be African library consortia with the objective of knowledge sharing from similar consortia from the Global North. The peer-to-peer learning approach is essential as consortia can learn from each other and seek ways on how they can make better choices when it comes to investing in open access. So far the confirmed consortia are from Kenya, Malawi and Ghana with interests from more countries.

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Dr. Fun, a scientist who became a science communicator.

Kenneth Monjero is a biotechnologist working with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO Biotech). He is also the Founder of Fun & Education Global Network and Pioneer and Director of KALRO Science Centre Kenya and a former postgraduate in Crop Science  from the University of Nairobi. He is well known globally by students as Dr. Fun  as he comes up with ingenious ways for making children between 5 -18 years appreciate the beauty and importance of science (more…)

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Dr Chioma Blaise Chikere is  TCC Africa’s  2021 trainee and an  Award winning  researcher in Environmental Microbiology and Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons-polluted environments. Her research is based in the techy  Niger Delta  region in  Nigeria (more…)

Prof. Sheila Okoth is a professor at the University of Nairobi and a former  TCC Africa 2011 trainee. She holds PhD and MSc. Degrees in Mycology from the University of Nairobi. She has specialist laboratory training in plant biotechnology and biosafety, mycotoxin analysis and molecular techniques at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, University of Hertfordshire, UK, the Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Italy, and the International Agricultural Centre, Netherlands. (more…)

Dr. Catherine Lukhoba is a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi and most recently appointed as Director at the School of Biological Sciences and the first woman to hold this position at the College of Biological and Physical Sciences
TCC Africa : Tell me about your research career.
I got into research when I joined the University of Nairobi to pursue my Masters degree in Botany. I had worked for less than one year but thought I should join an M.Sc. program since I had enjoyed my undergraduate course.
My postgraduate project was on a group of plants called the Mint family . I came to realize that there were many others that didn’t smell as nice but were still in the same family since they had similar characteristics, I looked at the plants that were used medicinally in Kenya and I had about 30 different species of members of that family. (more…)

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Meshack Ambani Mulongo just completed his PhD in Education Administration at Karatina University, Kenya.

His research interest is in mitigation of examination malpractices in universities in Kenya.

TCC Africa: How many papers were you able to produce out of your thesis after the training?

I have published three (3) papers from my PhD thesis and two (2) from my Master’s thesis since I had not published them before. By the end of this year, I intend to publish four (4) each from my Master’s and PhD. I have sent in some manuscripts and now waiting for responses from the journals. (more…)

If 2020 has taught us anything, is TCC  Africa’s  capacity to adapt. We looked at the challenges that we went through this year and  turned  them into opportunities. Part of our strategy had  been   to  transition online and the  Covid19 pandemic  fast tracked  the process and  all our activities  went live and  online in March.

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Edwin Obaje , TCC  Africa   2020  trainee is a Biochemistry Graduate from Bowen University, located at Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria.

He is also the founder and executive director of Science Squad Africa, a science education network for young people, specifically senior science students across Africa. Science squad explores the science engagement landscape by providing yearlong opportunities for children and youth to learn and explore areas of science and technology using the latest techniques. (more…)

We are excited to share that we won two categories in this week’s ASAPbio sprint:

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“My Belief in PanAfricanism got me to Kenya and a Scholarship for my PhD”

Iddrisu Barihim is a doctoral finalist at Kenyatta University with a PhD in Social Studies education. His research focus is on the preparedness of secondary schools in their application of online learning in teaching and learning of social studies in the northern region of Ghana.

“I decided to come to Kenya instead of pursuing my education in Ghana because I’m a Pan Africanist who believes we need to network.” He says and adds, “ I believe that we can do it with a strong collaboration among ourselves, and I needed to learn from a different perspective ,culture and context in a new environment and I don’t regret it.”  “I actually learned a lot!” “ My capacity has been built so much in Kenya.”

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3 winners were shortlisted in the just concluded Falling Walls Lab, Nairobi Competition. The overall winner was  James Kimani  from  Mother Goose  Kenya . He is Breaking the Wall Of Giving Back Dignity to Breastfeeding . The  first runners up is  Mutembei Kariuki, from Fastagger . He is Breaking the  Wall of Artificial Intelligence in Africa  . The second runners up was Ms. Daisy Isiaho , who is Breaking the Wall of Digital Healthcare in Africa .Mr. Kimani and  Mr.Kariuki will represent Kenya in the Berlin Science Week on 4 November as  they compete against over 100 researchers  and innovators  from various  parts of the world, for the Falling Walls Lab 2020 title.

TCC Africa  & AfricArxiv  Host  First Peer  Review  Week 2020 East Africa
As a contribution to Peer Review Week 2020, TCC Africa and AfricArXiv  organised a webinar to take a deep dive into new technological developments towards Rapid and Open Peer Review. More than 300 publications (preprints and journal articles) are available online describing COVID-19 Research in and about Africa  .What are the procedures to assess these studies for accuracy and coherence so that journalists, policy makers and interested individuals can learn from them and  combat the virus?
Questions that addressed during the webinar included:

Falling Walls in partnership with NACOSTI and TCC Africa are hosting Falling Walls Lab, Nairobi, which, will be done via Facebook Live on 25 September at 10:00AM EAT.
Falling Walls Lab is an international forum for the next generation of early career innovators, trailblazers, creators and visionaries. Its aim is to promote exceptional ideas and connect promising scientists and entrepreneurs from all fields on a global level. Participants, also known as Labsters, are given the opportunity to present their research, business model, or initiative of peers, a high –calibre jury from academia and business, and the general public –in just 3 minutes
Nominations are accepted in any of the ten categories:
(1) Life Sciences,
(2) Physical Sciences,
(3) Engineering and Technology,
(4) Social Sciences and the Humanities,
(5) Science in the Arts,
(6) Digital Education,
(7) Science and Innovation Management
(8) Emerging Talents
(9) Science Start-ups
(10) Science Engagement
Please go to this link https://falling-walls.com/lab/apply/nairobi-online-lab/ and apply.
This event is only eligible to Kenyans.
Deadline for the application is 15 September.

We had  over 800  registered participants from 17 countries, who took part in this webinar. In case you missed it  find out the highlights below by  watching the recording via this link https://africarxiv.pubpub.org/pub/elv44o96/release/2
🔶What research capacity support systems exist for PhD Scholars in #Africa?
🔶Where can they get the latest funding information for their research?
🔶What networks are available to identify supervisors & collaborators?
🔶What support is available to improve their scholarly and science communication?

We thank AuthorAID at INASP and Doing a PhD in Africa for  sharing their insights in supporting early career  researchers in Africa.

Illustration: By Auke Herrema

Over 900  registered participants from 23 countries took part in our concluded  live streamed webinar series on What it Takes to Produce High Impact Journals.  The first webinar was cohosted by the Commission of  University Education, Kenya  focusing on  Journal Accreditation and what it takes for a University to Produce  High Impact Journals  and  the second one was in partnership with African Journals Online on  Producing High Impact African Journals.

86 participants from 14 countries took part in the just concluded online research capacity workshop on Creating a Streamlined Research Ecosystem in Universities. The researchers who took part in the workshop came from Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, India, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Germany, Liberia, and Somalia. The objective of the workshop was to explore  the importance of increasing researchers’ visibility through effective research management.

We are pleased to announce that, with a mutual interest in collaboration, the Training Centre in Communication and Knowledge E have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote joint educational and research initiatives that support academia, with the objective to enhance capacities, competencies and competitiveness in Higher Education.

Knowledge E and the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) signed a Memorandum of Understanding

Training Centre in Communication  has started  offering courses online. Ms. Joy Owango, the Executive Director commented that “ This was part of our strategy for 2019/2020, which, we  submitted to the Invest2Impact  Award and  won.” “Despite this we are  excited  about these developments and we look forward to supporting more researchers and academics  on  how we   can improve their research output and  visibility, in line with our objective on Train.  Support. Empower  the research and academic community.” For more  about Training Centre in Communication please go here  https://www.tcc-africa.org/about/

On 9^th  March  2020, TCC  Africa partnered  with the   Falling Walls  Foundation to  host the first round of   Science   Communication  and Engagement activities under  the ‘Falling Walls  Engage’ programme. The workshop we co-hosted  brought together  scientists, innovators, science communicators and  science  media partners from  Kenya, Ghana,  Portugal, United States, Germany and Greece.

Elsevier’s latest global analysis reveals progress toward gender parity, but women still trail men in number of publications and citations

#iwd2020
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/gender-report

In 2016 Ms. Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy Of MIHARI Network, Madagascar, took part in a Science Communication training in Tanzania we organized in partnership with the Tanzania Fisheries  Research Institute. 3 years later she won the prestigious Whitley Award. This is a nature conservation charity offering funding, profile and training to grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South. She went to London and  received the award from Anne, Princess Royal

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Celebrating 2019 Training Centre in Communication trainee Dr Esther Kioko, a Senior research scientist and the head of the Zoology Department at National Museums of Kenya. Dr Kioko won the 2019 Marsh Award for Ecologists in Africa. This award is provided by the Marsh Christian Trust and administered by the British Ecological Society. She was awarded for an outstanding current research record, largely completed in Africa, which is having a significant impact on the development of the science of ecology or its application.

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7 years ago  Samuel Ng’ang’a, came for  our training in  Scientific Communication and Publishing and  came back this  year for research capacity  support on how to communicate to non- scientists 

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We are celebrating, Godwin Anywar our 2017 TCC trainee and  DAAD Fellow from Uganda. He recently won the Young Investigator Fellowship for the 19th International Congress of the International Society of Ethnopharmacology.

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What is your field of research?
I am  taking part in a postgraduate course in   Research and Public policy.

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What field of research are you involved in? 

Molecular Biology with specialization in Plant Virology.

How effective was the course in achieving your learning objectives?

This course has excellently empowered me with soft skills that will enable me navigation the frontiers of knowledge to get literature that I will use in my research.It has enhanced my writing skills that will greatly improve the quality of my research proposal, research thesis and publications that will result from and beyond my PhD studies. Presentation skills that will be used to present my research proposal, defend my final research thesis and any communication I will make. (more…)

‘I wish to be mentored in improving my skills in   Data Analysis   and I am willing to come for  every training in the  TCC calendar so I may be  mentored by your trainers.’ Four ago months, we   got a message in our inbox on a  request  from Kevin  Oduor Onyango. 

As he was conducting his research, he came across our activities  and  noted  how we  would be able to support him in improving  how to analyse  and present data.  Kevin is a  former student  from Technical University of Mombasa, where  he studied Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Option) and simultaneous   took a professional Certified Public Accountant  course  and reached level 5.  Kevin, lives  about 450 kilometers from  Nairobi, where the TCC  Office is located. 

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One week  to the  Scientific Communication and  Publishing course http://www.tcc-africa.org/courses/  that  we  concluded   last month, we got a frantic message  from one of our trainees. “ I want to know where I can publish  my manuscripts!” I am so worried about  #predatorypublishing and  I do not know where to start,” he lamented.

Meet, Meshack Mulongo an early career  researcher in Education Administration from Karatina University, whose  research focus is on the Mitigation of  Examination Malpractices in Universities in Kenya.  He  drove  150kms  to  come and  attend our course and  further understand how he could protect himself  from predatory publishers  as he went through his  Journal Selection Process.
TCC: How effective was the course in achieving your learning objectives?
Meshack : The course was very effective and timely in my research work, that it has equipped me to be an effective researcher and plan to share what I have learnt.
TCC: What did you like most about the training?
Meshack : The diversity of presenters who are knowledgeable of their respective fields and also the communication and concern of the entire TCC team.
TCC: Outline 3 things that you will take with you/have learnt in this session
 Meshack:The hands on approach  in supporting us was valuable  and  it was done in such a way that we can further  train others. I loved  the units on data analysis and  I was able to identify  about 5 high impact  journals where I could publish my manuscripts .

My name is Halkano Molu Guracha  a Kenyan researcher in the Malaria Programme  at the Institute of Primate Research.  The training offered by the Training Centre in Communication was relevant and very helpful and the expectations I had before the training were met and exceeded. I was captivated by the  Introduction Materials Results Acknowledgements and Discussion (IMRaD)structure  in producing academic manuscripts . This  was new to me, and I intend to use  this knowledge in changing the quality of my  future  scientific papers.
The  workshop is very informative and eye-opening and the delivery and breakdown of hard concepts was superb and the approach was very sound and tailor-made to the dynamics we face in research as  early career  scientists .
In line with the new knowledge I have acquired, I intend to approach my abstract  and  academic  paper differently and pay close attention to the manuscript guidelines outlined and utilize the IMRaD structure process’s to produce a paper that is meaningful.
I would recommend the Scientific Writing workshop to my colleagues without any objection as it was indeed of high quality and very relevant. 

30 September 2016

PRESS RELEASE

TCC Trains  Somali Research Network Members in Data Analysis and Presentation

Training Centre in Communication (TCC) trained  Somali Research Education  Network (SomaliREN) members in Data Analysis and Presentation  in Mogadishu, Somalia. The training  ran from 27-29 September, where participants learned the following ;  The theory and practice of presenting data in graphical form, The basic principles of economy, clarity, and integrity, Old types of graphs to avoid, new graph types: dot plot, scatterplot matrix, conditional plot, How to design effective graphs, How  to use R Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation, How  to use SPSS Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation and  How  to use  STATA Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation. (more…)

30 September 2016

PRESS RELEASE

TCC Trains  Koppert Biological Systems in Data Analysis and Presentation

Training Centre in Communication (TCC) trained  Koppert Biological Systems, data analysts in Data Analysis and Presentation  in Nairobi , Kenya. The training  ran from 27-29 September, where participants learned the following ;  The theory and practice of presenting data in graphical form, The basic principles of economy, clarity, and integrity, Old types of graphs to avoid, new graph types: dot plot, scatterplot matrix, conditional plot, How to design effective graphs, How  to use R Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation, How  to use SPSS Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation ,Advanced  Excel and  How  to use  STATA Statistical software graphical analysis and presentation.

The Data Analysis for Presentation is part of TCC’s main course on Scientific Communication and Publishing.

The Consortium of Training Institutions  

Training Centre in Communication

The Training Centre in Communication (TCC) is a self-sustainable Trust created through private public partnership and has its headquarters at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. It is the first Centre in Africa that builds capacity in Science Communication for research institutes and universities, through training and guidance in implementation of communication strategy. TCC has successfully managed to build capacity in Science Communication in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa since 2004, before it was registered as a Trust and created a partnership with University of Nairobi in 2007. More information about Training Center in Communication can be accessed at www.tcc-africa.org.

Koppert Biological Systems 

Koppert Biological Systems contributes to better health of people and the planet. In partnership with nature, Koppert Biological Systems  make agriculture healthier, safer and more productive. They  provide an integrated system of specialist knowledge and natural, safe solutions that improves crop health, resilience and production

The ongoing attempt to discover and utilize natural principles forms the backbone of Koppert’s activities. Koppert’s strength lies in its ability to turn this knowledge into practical applications which contribute to finding solutions to prevailing problems.

In recent years, Koppert’s extensive know-how in micro-organisms, biostimulants and pheromones has inspired countless solutions that have improved plant resilience to the point that diseases hardly stand a chance.

Koppert’s Research & Development has frequently been the source of biological solutions which were subsequently adopted worldwide. It is thanks to the company’s great perseverance that a whole variety of specific mites can now be introduced to combat a large number of infestations. Similar ground-breaking discoveries with regard to pollination solutions have provided the basis for enormous production efficiency and quality improvement in many crops.

For more information contact:

Public Relations Office

Training Centre in Communication

Gecaga Institute Bldg., Chiromo Campus, University of Nairobi

Landline: +254 (0)20 8086820, +254 020 2697401 Cell: +254 (0)733 792316 ,

Email: pr@tcc-africa.org, info@tcc-africa.org

Website: www.tcc-africa.org