The MIT-Africa Distinguished Visitor Program was honored to have Dr. Mohamed Hassan, President of The World Academy of Sciences, visit MIT March 16 – 18. During his visit Dr. Hassan gave a keynote lecture on the role of frontier science, technology and innovation in achieving the sustainable development goals in Africa.
Keynote Lecture: Sustainability for Africa – the role of forefront scientific and technological innovation in achieving sustainable development on the African continent
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2022
Time: 4pm – 5pm EST (reception to follow)
Venue: MIT Welcome Center (Building E38)
*The lecture will also be webcast
Dr. Hassan highlighted the sustainability challenges that African countries face in their efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are complex, multidisciplinary and interconnected and achieving them will require building, sustaining and applying innovation capacities in frontier science, technology and innovation (STI), especially in low-income African countries. Dr. Hassan illustrated how cutting-edge scientific and technological innovations in digital technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and renewable energy technology can be instrumental in accelerating the achievement of SDGs in Africa. He also examined the role of science diplomacy in promoting global partnerships to address global challenges and how such partnerships can help Africa to build and sustain its homegrown capacities in quality education and research.
Bio
Professor Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan is President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy; President of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS); Chairman of the Governing Council of the United Nations Technology Bank, Turkey and Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for International Development (ZEF), Germany. He was Professor and Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum; President of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP); founding Executive Director of TWAS; President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS); founding President of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC); Chairman of the Council of the United Nations University (UNU); and Chairman of the Honorary Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology, Nigeria. Among his honors: Comendator, Grand Cross, and National Order of Scientific Merit, Brazil; and Officer, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He is a recipient of the G77 Leadership Award and the Abdus Salam Medal for Science and Technology. He is a member of several merit-based academies of science, which include, TWAS, AAS, the academy of Sciences of South Africa; the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology.