Biophysics in Africa - 2023

About the African Light Source

 

The African Light Source (AfLS) Foundation endeavors to progress African science and engineering, and to establish an advanced light source on the African continent, along with developing all the necessary human and institutional infrastructure.

Advanced light sources are the most transformational scientific facilities currently known, impacting fields from anthropology, biophysics, and chemistry, to Earth sciences, engineering, medicine, paleontology, physics, materials science, vaccinology, and zoology.  Investments in big science facilities are positively related to increasing national economic outputs, increasing efficiencies, greater attractiveness for investments –domestic and foreign, improvement in training and job opportunities, reduction of disease burdens, and ultimately increases in quality of life.

An advanced light source in Africa is vital if African governments and civil society are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

There have been five genearal AfLS conferences  :

• AfLS5 -   2022:  An online conference - hosted by BIUST - Botswana
• AfLS4 -   2021:  An online conference - hosted by X-TechLab - Benin
• AfLS3 -   2020:  An online conference - hosted by EAIFR - Rwanda
• AfLS2 -   2019:  Held in Accra, Ghana - hosted by University of Ghana
• AfLS1 -   2015:  Held in Grenoble, France - hosted by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)

as well as several specific conferences, e.g, Biophysics in Africa.

 

During the AfLS1, the roadmap towards the ultimate establishment of an AfLS was developed, together with a Steering Committee which had both a large African and global footprint. The roadmap relates to developing the user base, the projects, deep capacity building, promoting networks, scientific and technical exchanges, building associated local infrastructural capacity, raising the profile of the project politically and developing the Pan African strategic plan with African leadership.

 

AfLS2 built on these foundations, in particular, developing the Pan-African and socio-political aspects, while the science and the motivation grew ever stronger.

 

The third African light source conference will review the light source based science and further progress the vision of an African Light Source. This conference will cover topics that include Medical Sciences, Heritage Sciences, Geosciences, Environmental sciences, Energy Sciences, Nano Sciences, Materials Sciences, Mineral Sciences, Accelerator and Detector Sciences, Competitive Industry, Capacity Building and Infrastructures. There will also be sessions on the strategy and vision for an African light source. Details on the AfLS project are here.