African Grand Challenge
About
African Grand Challenge is one among many NM-AIST’s initiatives aim to promote and accelerate innovation in Africa. The African Grand Challenge was started in 2016 and takes place every year.
The objectives of the NM-AIST African Grand Challenge are to innovate for Africa, to collaborate and learn together, and to foster multi-level partnerships for sustainable futures. We bring together students who are interested in the application of science and technology research to critical problems in Africa. We hope that this event can be one of many such events that stimulate creative problem solving in a way that leads to increases in product and service innovations; innovations that foster new companies, new jobs, and ultimately enhance the quality of life in Africa.
The African Grand Challenge is designed to promote a collaborative learning experience in which participating students, universities, and local and international companies collaborate and learn from each other. One important and lasting impact of the AGC will be a network of public and private partnerships that provides a foundation for a community of researchers and entrepreneurs that work towards sustainable solutions to pressing social problems.
The event has been sponsored by various organisations over the years including the NM-IST, Washington State University, Penn State University, Merck and BD and co Ltd.
Past Events
2019
The fourth African Grand Challenge took place on the 25th and 26th of January, 2019 at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology campus in Tengeru, Arusha. The theme was “Novel or emerging technologies to ensure food safety and the health of women and their families in Africa”. Thus, students had to come up with innovations in products and services which are enabled by emerging technologies to answer the question “how can emerging technologies improve food security in Africa and its resulting impact on the health of women and their families”?
Activities on the 25th of January were:
· Opening Session
· Workshop on Food Security
· Discussion: On existing agricultural innovation
· Parallel Sessions: Team Work and Team Building
Finals were held on the 26th of January where student teams (4 students each) presented their concepts to a panel of expert judges.
The full information on the winning innovations can be downloaded here.
https://www.nm-aist.ac.tz/docs/2019%20AGC%20Article%20February,%202019.pdf
2018
The third African Grand Challenge competition took place between the 25th and 28th of January, 2018 with students from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Nigeria taking part. The theme was “Emerging technologies for healthcare”.
One of the innovations presented was the integrated use of Internet-of-things (IoT) and drones for delivery of medical supplies. The team of students did a pilot study of their innovation in the Arusha city centre, Arusha district and Ngorongoro areas.
Closing ceremony for the third African Grand Challenge
Participants at the third African Grand Challenge
Participants in one of the workshop events of the third African Grand Challenge
2017
The second African Grand Challenge competition took place from the 25th to the 29th of January, 2017. The teams presented innovations to address issues with the African healthcare sector, particularly the long queues at hospitals.
The winning teams came from Carnegie Mellon University – Rwanda, Strathmore University in Kenya and African University of Science and Technology (one of the four universities making up the African Institutes of Science and Technology conceived by Nelson Mandela) in Nigeria.
Group photo of participants of the second African Grand Challenge
A member of the Carnegie Mellon University Rwanda team receiving the first prize award
The winning Carnegie Mellon University Rwanda team
A member of the Strathmore University team receiving the second prize award
A member of the African University of Science and Technology team receiving the third prize award
Participants riding camels at the Meserani Snake Park outside the city of Arusha.
2016
The inaugural African Grand Challenge competition took place from the 28th to the 30th of January, 2016 at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology’s campus in Tengeru, Arusha. The theme was “The Impact of Digital Technologies on Healthcare Services for Women and their families”. Teams of 4 students each from the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria, Cape Peninsula University of Science and Technology in Cape Town, South Africa, the University of Technology and Management in Kampala, Uganda, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and the NM-AIST took part.
The African University of Science and Technology and International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, like the NM-AIST, are among the Pan African Institutes of Science and Technology initiated under the Nelson Mandela Institute.
The first prize went to the group from the team from the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) while the second prize went to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology team the third prize went to one of the two teams from the NM-AIST.
Welcoming session at the inaugural African Grand Challenges competition
Participants visiting the NM-AIST botanical research gardens
Participants of the inaugural African Grand Challenge sightseeing around the city of Arusha.