Scientific Research in East Africa: key trends and observations

East African research output has grown rapidly over the last 12 years, and the region represents a solid scientific environment that is playing an increasingly important role in global science.

 

With positive growth trajectory predicted over the medium term, the EAC has a good chance of reaching a developmental tipping point.”

(Mwangi, S. Kimenyi and Josephine Kibe, , “Africa’s Powerhouse,” Brookings Institution op-ed, Monday, January 6, 2014)

 

In our latest whitepaper, we find that the normalized citation impact of seven East African countries is above the world baseline of 1.

One of the reasons the citation impact of these nations is so high is that all of these countries have a high percentage of internationally co-authored papers. While the available resources for conducting research differ from country to country, it is clear that a proper focus on organizing an effective research ecosystem can result in noticeable growth of a country’s scientific prestige.

To learn more about the internationally collaborative areas driving East African research growth in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia, download the whitepaper “Scientific Research in East Africa: key trends and observations.”

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