Science and Research in the Africa Just Energy transition

Science and Research in the Africa Just Energy transition
Insight on Science Diplomacy within the AU-EU partnership and the Italian Mattei Plan

In the current era of great uncertainty and unpredictability, science and research may be considered as intercultural values, representing a sort of universal language to support international and intergenerational dialogue and to jointly solve the complex global challenges affecting our society .

At global level, this consideration is embedded in the extraordinary call for university engagement followed by the launching of the UN Agenda 2030 and the SDGs and is also a key pillar in the UNESCO Mid Term strategy 2022-2029.

At EU level, the EU commission launched in 2021 the Alliance for Science Diplomacy and activated early in2024 the working groups that respond to the Global Service Facility of the DGRTD to promote new paradigms of international cooperation and science diplomacy. More specifically capacity for science is also central in the political dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation between the EU Commission and the African Union.

At Italian level, during the Italian Presidency of the G7 the role of Science and international cooperation is taking space and it is remarkable that the Prime Minister has also launched early this year the Mattei Plan as a strategic long term instrument to empower the peer-to-peer cooperation between Italia and Africa where education and research have to play role as remarked by the launching of the NRRP calls for Transnational Education by the Ministry of University and Research.

The event aims to deepen the role of Science, Education and Research in the AU-EU partnership on STI with a focus on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Celebrating the new EC communication, the AU Education Year, The G7 presidency of Italy and the launching of the Piano Mattei. The specific added value of Science education and research to anchor locally and in the long term any innovation processes (both technical and social) will be discussed. The consequent opportunities to fostering public-private collaboration, enable sustainability and replicability will be also highlighted with examples remarking the opportunity for mutual learning from multi-stakeholders experiences. In the light of the Africa Energy Challenge and its impact at global level, the session will deepen two directions

• institutional capacity building and capacity for science as a tool for strengthening local human capital and empower international cooperation
• research as an enabling supply chain for local innovation as a method to support multi- stakeholder projects for promoting local development

PROGRAM:

3.00-4.00 pm  Welcoming remark
Donatella Sciuto, Rector, Politecnico di Milano
Abdellatif Zerga, Director, Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Science (PAUWES), African Union Commission
A representative from the Piano Mattei structure

Key note speech: The Just Energy Transition “with” Africa – Challenge and Opportunities
Daniel Wetzel, Head of Tracking Sustainable Transitions Unit, International Energy Agency (IEA)

Rosalinde Van der Vlies, Director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the European Commission’s, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission

Key note speech: The Just Energy Transition “with” Africa – Challenge and Opportunities
Nickson Bukachi Ongeri, Senior Policy Officer Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency African Energy Commission (AFREC)

4.15-5.00 pm 

Capacity for Science and Science Diplomacy in the AU-EU partnership on STI
Moderator – Alberto Magnani, Sole 24 Ore

Lukovi Seke, Strategic Initiatives, Directorate of Technical Co-operation and Programme Funding of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD),
Laurent Boucherau, EU Science Counsellor to the African Union
Giuseppe Mistretta, Deputy Director General for Global Affairs, Director for Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Vincent Chauvet, CEO LGI, Coordinator of the LEAP-RE flagship project
Roberto Ridolfi, Member of the Mission Board of EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change

5.30-6.15 pm 

Institutional Capacity Building and Research as strategic asset of the Mattei Plan
Moderator – Massimo Zaurrini – Africa e Affari

Gianluigi Consoli, Director General for Internationalization and Communication, Italian Ministry of University and Research
Vincenzo Lorusso, Policy Officer in International Cooperation for DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
Piotr Szymanski, Director for Energy, Transport and Climate at JRC, European Commission
Barbara Mineo,  Director Technology, R&D & Digital | ENI
Khavharendwe Rambau, Deputy Director: Hydrogen and Energy Department of Science and Innovation DSI

6.15-6.30 pm
Debriefing and Launching of the LEAP-RE Stakeholder Forum
Emanuela Colombo Rector’s Delegate to Science Diplomacy, Politecnico di Milano

6.30-8.30
Networking Aperitive