Online Symposium
8-12 September 2025
Register
Research infrastructures are vital to scientific progress, innovation, and global collaboration. In the Global South, their development and operation face complex political, economic, and resource-related challenges. Strengthening these systems requires effective governance, strategic planning, and data-driven decision-making.
This online symposium brings together stakeholders, experts, and practitioners to explore how diplomacy, metrics, and policy can support inclusive, sustainable research infrastructures. Through different formats, participants can engage with practical tools and frameworks to advance impactful research ecosystems.
September 8 – Opening Event: Towards Coordinated and Collaborative Science Diplomacy for Research Infrastructures in the Global South (Register)
| Time (GMT/UTC) | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|
14h00-14h10 GMT/UTC
|
Introductory Remarks | |
| 14h10-14h30 GMT/UTC
|
Dr. Amal Kasry | Empowering Africa through Synchrotron Science: Toolkit (Link) |
| 14h30-14h40 GMT/UTC | Dr. Galileo Violini
Greater Caribbean Light Source Project (GCLS/LAMISTAD) |
The Global South Synchrotrons Project |
| 14h40-15h00 GMT/UTC | Professor Sverker Werin
Lund University |
Research Infrastructures – Sustainability dimensions and critical perspectives (Link) |
| 15h00-15h20 GMT/UTC | _____________________,
African Observatory for Science, Technology, and Innovation |
|
| 15h20-15h40 GMT/UTC | Mr. Lukovi Seke
AU-NEPAD |
|
| 15h40-16h00 GMT/UTC | Dr Guebre X Tessema
US National Science Foundation (retired) and African Materials Research Society |
Metrics, Policy, and Facility Stewardship |
| 16h00-16h30 GMT/UTC | Ambassador Dr Philemon (Phil) Mjwara
Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Republic of South Africa Former Director-General (retired), Department of Science and Technology, Republic of South Africa |
Practical Political and Diplomatic Steps for Research Infrastructures and Big Science in the Global South
+ Discussion |
Comment on Today’s Session
September 9: Education, Vocational Training and Capacity Building for Research Infrastructures (Register)
| Time (GMT/UTC) | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 8h00 GMT/UTC | Welcome and Opening | |
| 8h15-9h00 GMT/UTC | Zalán Tamás Jakab & Greta Kirdulyte Public Policy and Management Institute |
Introduction to Micro-credentials and the African Continental Qualifications Framework |
| 9h00-9h45 GMT/UTC | Dr. Christoph Scheuren European Cooperative EQAsce |
Transformation as Mulitilevel Challenge for Professional Data Literacy |
| 9h45-10h00 GMT/UTC | Break | |
| 10h00-10h45 GMT/UTC | Dr. Emmanuel Nji BioStruct-Africa |
Key Insights for Advancing Equitable Structural Biology Capacity across Africa |
| 10h45 GMT/UTC | Wrap-Up and Discussion |
Comment on Today’s Session
September 10: Metrics for Strategic Planning and Governance (Register)
| Time (GMT) | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 12h00 GMT/UTC | Welcome and Opening
|
|
| 12h15-13h00 GMT/UTC | Guillermo A. Lemarchand
Research Kits and UNESCO GO-SPIN |
GO-SPIN and Metrics for Science, Technology & Innovation |
| 13h00-13h45 GMT/UTC | Nicolas Rüffin
TILLER ALPHA |
Metrics for Research Infrastructures, Their Performance & Impact |
| 13h45-14h30 GMT/UTC | tbc | |
| 14h30 GMT/UTC | Wrap-Up and Discussion |
Comment on Today’s Session
September 11: Data Collection, Processing & Visualization (Register)
| Time (GMT) | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 8h00 GMT/UTC | Welcome and Opening | |
| 8h15-8h45 GMT/UTC | Ohad Graber-Soudry,
X-Officio |
Legal Interoperability in Research Data |
| 9h00-9h45 GMT/UTC | Dr. Michaela Th. Mayrhofer,
Medical University of Innsbruck & Papillon Pathwayse |
Ethical & Societal Dimensions of Data Practices |
| 10h00-11h30 GMT/UTC | Break | |
| 11h30-12h15 GMT/UTC | Clarice Tavares
InternetLab (Brazil) |
Researcher Access to Platforms‘ Data |
| 12h15-13h00 GMT/UTC | Sara Gasparoni
Austrian Research Promotion Agency and Nico Deblauwe, NCP Flanders (VLAIO), Belgium |
The Ideal-ist Topic Tree |
| 13h00-13h45 GMT/UTC | Prof. Dr. Katy Börner
Indiana University |
Insightful and Actionable Visual Analytics |
| 13h45-14h00 GMT/UTC | Break | |
| 14h00-1430 GMT/UTC | Todd Theriault
Indiana University |
Introduction to the Exhibition Places & Spaces: Mapping Science |
| 14h30-15h15 GMT/UTC | George Obaido, Ph.D.
UC Berkeley |
Introducing the Open South Data Platform |
| 15h15 GMT/UTC | Wrap-Up and Discussion | Introduction to the Exhibition Places & Spaces: Mapping Science |
Comment on Today’s Session
September 12: Bring Your Organizational Data, Bring Your Challenges (Register)
A forum to discuss challenges related to organizational data and to collaboratively identify solutions and pathways forward
Co-organized by TILLER ALPHA GmbH, the African Light Source, the Network of African Science Academies, and the Greater Caribbean Light Source. A detailed program and registration information will be available soon.
For further information or questions further information or questions, please complete this form and feel free to contact: Lawrence Norris (lnorris@africanlightsource.org) or Katharina C. Cramer (katharina@tilleralpha.com)
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