An Open Data Platform For Africa
Abstract
The International Council for Science's Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) is collaborating with the South African Department of Science and Technology and other African regional players to create an African Open Data Platform, to be launched in December 2016. Its purpose is to coordinate and support moves in Africa to develop national science systems capacities (political, institutional, individual) that will enable them to exploit the opportunities of the digital revolution for scientific discovery, in reducing costs and increasing efficiency in business and public administration, and in new and powerful ways of addressing issues such as agricultural productivity, disease tracking and control, the production of bio-fuels, and in addressing many global problems where global solutions will only be achieved if there is global participation. Success in avoiding yet another "knowledge divide" between rich and poor depends fundamentally on the extent to which national systems of scientific priority setting, funding and institutional research management respond in a concerted way to the challenge. Although many countries are now addressing these opportunities, it is essential that developing and least developed countries, which have much to gain from the data revolution but which typically have poorly resourced national research systems, do not fail to respond to this imperative, which is also vital for the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Platform will be a basis for political commitment and innovative policy developmen, including shared investment in infrastructure. It will harvest and circulate good ideas, spread and support good practice and develop the capacities of individuals and institutions. It will promote key applications of relevance to African economies and societies, but also act as a conduit for links with international open data programmes and standards that will be vital if it is to flourish.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMIN31G..02B
- Keywords:
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- 1908 Cyberinfrastructure;
- INFORMATICSDE: 1912 Data management;
- preservation;
- rescue;
- INFORMATICSDE: 1930 Data and information governance;
- INFORMATICSDE: 1934 International collaboration;
- INFORMATICS