The IUCr project Building Science Capacity in Africa via Crystallography received support through the 2015 Grants Programme of the International Council for Science (ICSU). ICSU later merged with the International Social Science Council to form the International Science Council (ISC) in 2018. It was developed to strengthen crystallographic training, scientific collaboration and research capacity across Africa following the International Year of Crystallography 2014.
The project brought together the IUCr, African crystallographic organisations and international scientific partners to support meetings, training and the development of stronger regional networks.
What did the project aim to achieve?
The project focused on strengthening crystallography across Africa by:
- supporting training and scientific exchange;
- connecting African researchers with the international crystallographic community;
- encouraging collaboration between crystallographers and institutions across the continent;
- supporting regional crystallography meetings;
- helping develop the networks and structures needed for a pan-African crystallographic community;
- building on the momentum created by the International Year of Crystallography 2014.
What activities were supported?
Three principal activities formed the core of the project.
Indaba8: Serendipity vs Prediction
Held in South Africa in August 2015, Indaba8 brought together researchers from Africa and the wider international scientific community for an interdisciplinary meeting covering crystallography, crystal engineering, molecular modelling, materials science and related fields.
The IUCr–ICSU project supported participation by African scientists, particularly early-career researchers.
View the Indaba8 archive
Second North African Crystallographic Conference (NACC2)
A second North African Crystallographic Conference was planned for Nabeul, Tunisia, in November 2015 as a follow-up to the first North African meeting and as part of efforts to strengthen crystallographic networks in the region.
The meeting was cancelled before it took place.
View the NACC2 archive
First Pan-African Conference on Crystallography (PCCr1)
The First Pan-African Conference on Crystallography (PCCr1) was held in Dschang, Cameroon, in October 2016.
The conference brought together crystallographers, students and scientific organisations from across Africa and beyond. It provided a platform for scientific exchange, training and discussions about the future organisation of crystallography on the continent.
PCCr1 became an important milestone in the development of a coordinated pan-African crystallographic community.
View the PCCr1 archive
What were the outcomes?
The project helped strengthen scientific networks between crystallographers across Africa and supported the development of regional meetings, training opportunities and international collaboration.
One of its most important long-term outcomes was its contribution to the process that ultimately led to the creation of the African Crystallographic Association (AfCA).
The idea of establishing a continental crystallographic association had developed through the International Year of Crystallography and related capacity-building initiatives. Continued collaboration through projects such as this one and the Pan-African Conferences on Crystallography helped build the relationships and organisational structures required for AfCA, which was formally constituted in 2021 and became an IUCr Regional Associate in 2023.
Project partners
The project involved collaboration with organisations including:
- the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr);
- the International Council for Science (ICSU);
- UNESCO;
- the ICSU Regional Office for Africa;
- African crystallographic organisations and institutions;
- international crystallographic and scientific partners.
Legacy
The 2015 IUCr–ICSU project formed part of a longer programme of capacity building in Africa. Its activities contributed to stronger scientific networks, increased opportunities for training and exchange, the growth of the Pan-African Conference on Crystallography series and the eventual establishment of AfCA.
The work continues through current initiatives including the IUCr Crystallography in Africa programme, AfCA and other regional and international collaborations.