FCT - Aga-Khan Development Network

Science and Technology Cooperation Program between MCTES and Ismaili Imamat

Considering the growing diplomatic relationship between the Portuguese Republic and the Ismaili Imamat and the common objectives regarding the encouragement and strengthening of scientific skills and capacities within a framework of sustained international cooperation, the Cooperation Protocol(PT - ENG) between the Portuguese Ministry of Science and the Ismaili Immat in Science and Technology was signed in May 2016.

The aim of this protocol is to establish the launch of a joint initiative aimed at strengthening academic, scientific and technological cooperation with developing countries and regions, through scientific training, aimed at promising researchers with recognized experience, addressing current topics of global importance, promoting multidisciplinary collaboration and guaranteeing sufficient financial resources and duration to enable an effective impact in these countries and regions.

The actions provided for in the protocol are implemented by the FCT, representing the Portuguese Ministry of Science, and by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), representing the Ismaili Imamat.

Through this partnership, and under the protocol, FCT and AKDN have already launched two Calls for proposals for joint projects:

1st Call for Joint Project proposals

16 projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around 4.6 million euros, involving institutions from 8 African countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, São Tomé and Príncipe and South Africa. The Call, launched in 2017, was aimed exclusively at existing initiatives and ongoing collaborations between scientific and academic institutions in the PALOP countries and Portuguese scientific and academic research institutions, with the aim of contributing to the development and expansion of ongoing initiatives that contribute to consolidating research capacities in these African countries.

The brochure presenting the projects is available here.

The 16 projects were monitored by an External Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (ESRP), a panel of experts with recognized experience in Quality of Life in Africa, selected by FCT and AKDN, whose main responsibilities are the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the funded projects. The ESRP monitored not only the scientific results, but also the scientific impact of the projects on human development and quality of life, carrying out its work by analyzing the evolution of the projects based on the annual progress reports, as well as personalized monitoring of all the projects. The panel was chaired by Professor António Rendas, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a member of the Aga Khan University's Board of Trustees: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen, Vlerick Business School / ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical; Professor Pedro Pousão, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera; Professor Helena Nazaré, Universidade de Aveiro.

The projects have already ended their activity and the global Evaluation Report of the projects, prepared by the ESRP with the aim of 'presenting the global results of the projects considering the previous interactions between the members of the ESRP and the Principal Investigators of each project, during the last six years of the program's duration, between 2018 and 2023', is available for consultation.

2nd Call for Joint Project proposals

21 projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around 5 million euros, involving institutions from 13 African countries: South Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, São Tomé and Príncipe. This edition sought to support new initiatives and collaborations between Portuguese, African and AKDN scientific and academic research institutions, with the aim of developing international partnerships that would contribute to strengthening research capacities, encouraging and strengthening scientific, technical, human and social skills and capacities aimed at advancing Quality of Life in Africa.

The list of projects is available here.

As in the 1st Call, FCT and AKDN decided to create an External Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (ESRP) to evaluate the progress of the projects and their results. The ESRP is once again chaired by Professor António Rendas and is composed of: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen, Vlerick Business School / ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical; Professor Pedro Pousão, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera; Professor Helena Nazaré, Universidade de Aveiro; Professor Helena Vieira, Universidade de Aveiro.