Date & Time : November 2 & 3, 2023
Time : 10:00am to 6:00pm
Venue : GFAC Hôtel, Yaounde (Register now)

1. Context

Scientific communication is a vital process in the chain of actions required to translate research findings into actionable real-life policies. The art of scientific communication therefore stands out as a must for those interested in bridging the gap between the laboratory bench and the public space and brings utmost relevance to the scientific research process. It contributes to maintaining high standards in research through peer review, good practices and publication ethics. Excellence in scientific writing has raised many individuals and organizations to prominence and remains a major tool for carrier development in the scientific community.

Understandably, the volume of scientific publications correlates with the volume and quality of the studies being carried out. The African continent, host to about 12% of the global population, produces less than 1% of all academic publications, placing him at a huge disadvantage as far as scientific progress is concerned. African scientists thus need to pick up skills to produce internationally competitive scientific articles, so that the continent can join the table for progress in science. Writing effective scientific papers requires practical guidance, commitment and resolve in order to deliver content of acceptable quality and overcome the known challenges.

The Nkafu Policy Institute through its division of Health Policy and Research, is organizing a two-day course to cover the basics of the scientific writing process as a step among others to improve Africa’s representativity in the landscape of top-notch scientific publications in the world.

2. Objectives

– To train young African scientists on the power and process of scientific writing

– To create a network for mentoring in scientific paper writing – To compile a comprehensive directory of journals and publishers of scientific content

3. Course content

The course syllabus is structured to cover the following modules:

4. Venue and date

The course will take place the 2^nd  & 3^rd November 2023, 10:00am to 6:00pm at GFAC Hotel (Melen, Yaoundé) and online via Zoom.

5. Targeted audience

This course targets Master and PhD students, early career researchers and professionals as well as the foundation’s interns.

6. Participation requirements

To attend the course, participants are required to pay training fees of 15000 XAF ($25) for students and 30000 XAF ($50) for early career researchers and professionals. The number of participants onsite is limited to 50 and the foundation will sponsor the participation of 5 students via a call for scholarships (Apply scholarship here).

7. Expected results

At the end of this course, we expect the participants to be:

• Fully satisfied of the training and able to produce high standard research papers and to publish them in top ranked journals.
• Converted into ambassadors of the foundations’ further events.

8. Perspectives

To evaluate the course impact and learn lessons for the future,

• A satisfaction survey will be conducted among participants at the end of the training.
• The number and impact of their publications will be assessed on a yearly basis after the course.

This course is expected to occur once a year or more often as the need arises.