FCT – Aga Khan Development Network

Science and Technology Cooperation Program between MCTES and the Ismaili Imamat

Considering the growing diplomatic relationship between the Portuguese Republic and the Ismaili Imamat the common goals regarding the promotion and strengthening of scientific skills and capabilities within a framework of sustained international cooperation, the Cooperation Protocol (PT – ENG) between the Portuguese Ministry of Science and the Ismaili Imamat in Science and Technology.

The aim of this protocol is to establish 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 ensuring sufficient financial resources and duration to enable an effective impact in these countries and regions.

The actions outlined in the protocol are implemented by 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 proposals for joint projects:

1st Call for the submission of proposals for Joint Projects

Sixteen projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around €4.6 million, involving institutions from eight 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 help to consolidate research capacities in these African countries.

The project presentation brochure is available here.

The 16 projects were monitored by an External Monitoring and Review Panel (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 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 progress of the projects based on annual progress reports, as well as personalized monitoring of all projects. The panel was chaired by Professor António Rendas, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and member of the Board of Trustees of Aga Khan University, and composed of: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen, Vlerick Business School / ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor Pedro Pousão, Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere; Professor Helena Nazaré, University of Aveiro.

The projects have now been completed, and the overall Project Evaluation Report, prepared by the ESRP with the aim of'presenting the overall results of the projects, taking into account the previous interactions between ESRP members and the Principal Investigators of each project during the last six years of the program, between 2018 and 2023,' is now available for consultation.

2nd Call for the submission of proposals for Joint Projects

Twenty-one projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around €5 million, involving institutions from 13 African countries: South Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and 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 improving the quality of life in Africa.

The list of projects is available here.

As with the first Call, FCT and AKDN decided to set up an External Monitoring and Review Panel (ESRP) to assess the progress of the projects and their results. The ESRP is chaired once again by Professor António Rendas and comprises: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen, Vlerick Business School/ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor Pedro Pousão, Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere; Professor Helena Nazaré, University of Aveiro; Professor Helena Vieira, University of Aveiro.