- Conferences and Workshops
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- STEM V: Innovation and Appropriate Technology in Africa
- STEM IV: Africa-US Frontiers in Science
- STEM III: Effective U.S. Strategies for African STEM Collaborations, Capacity Building, and Diaspora Engagement
- STEM-Africa Collaborative Faculty Seed Grant
18-20 October, 2019, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
A conference intended, in part, as a tribute to Dr. Moses Musaazi, late of Makerere University, a serial inventor and master of the “Appropriate Technology” approach that serves as the central conference theme. Dr. Musaazi was driven by a concern to empower communities, to unlock their creative potential, circumventing systemic hurdles to such potential from the global marketplace or inequitable local mores. This conference brings together leading experts and practitioners who will present work broadly related to systems, processes, and product innovation and technology with application in Africa.
More details »
Conference Highlights
Special Session: Education, Early Careers, and Innovation
All events in 1010 Weiser Hall, except where noted
Friday, October 18
2:30 PM: Opening Coffee/Tea with Welcome Remarks by Andries Coetzee, Director, African Studies Center, University of Michigan
(4448 East Hall)
3:00 PM: Opening Remarks by Martin Philbert, Provost, University of Michigan
(4448 East Hall)
3:15 – 5:45: Panel 1: Gakyali Mabaga (This is just the beginning): The legacy of Dr. Moses Musaazi in the Domain of Sustainable Technology
(4448 East Hall)
Panelists: ABIGAIL MECHTENBERG, Notre Dame University; EMMANUEL MIYINGO, Makerere University; DOROTHY OKELLO, Makerere University; NANCY SENABULYA, University of Michigan
Moderator: ROY CLARKE, University of Michigan
6:00 PM: Poster Session (Graduate Students) and Reception (Click here to download all poster abstracts)
7:00 PM: Remembrances of Moses Kizza Musaazi
Saturday, October 19
8:30 AM: Coffee
9:00 – 11:00: Panel 2: New Approaches to Health Care Training and Provision
Panelists: NANA ASEFA, University of Michigan; ALEX EZEH, Drexel University; NELSON SEWANKAMBO, Makerere University; BRENT WILLIAMS, University of Michigan
Moderator: MASSY MUTUMBA, University of Michigan
11:00 – 1:00: Poster Session (Undergraduate Students) (Click here to download all poster abstracts)
1:15 – 3:30: Panel 3: What Role for Appropriate Technology Going Forward?
Panelists: OBIDIMMA C. EZEZIKA, University of Toronto; JULIUS ECURU, Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Kenya; NNASSUUNA MIREMBE, Technology 4 Tomorrow, Uganda; KATHLEEN SIENKO, University of Michigan; MICHAEL SUDARKASA, Africa Business Group, South Africa
Moderator: ANNE PETERSEN, University of Michigan
3:30 – 4:30: Break
4:30 – 5:30: Special Session: The Role of Young People
Moderators: REBECCA HARDIN and JOSE ALFARO, University of Michigan
Sunday, October 20
8:30 – 9:00: Coffee
9:00-11:00: Panel 4: Infrastructure in Health and Sustainability
Panelists: BRIAN ARBIC, University of Michigan; ELSIE KAUFMANN, University of Ghana; ABDUL PACOME, Center of Medical Research Lambaréné, Gabon; BRIGHT SIMONS, mPedigree, Ghana
Moderator: Aline Cotel, University of Michigan
University of Michigan undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to submit an abstract to present work broadly related to systems, processes, and product innovation and technology with application in Africa. Abstract submission guidelines are attached to this email: please read & follow these carefully. Selected projects will be presented in poster format during the upcoming STEM V Conference, which includes two poster sessions (one undergraduate and one graduate). There will be prizes for best undergraduate and best graduate poster submission.
Key Dates
Poster Abstract Submission Deadline: 11:59 pm EST, Fri September 27th, 2019
Notification of Acceptance: Fri October 4th
Registration Deadline: Fri October 11th
Poster Session 1 (Graduate): Fri, October 18th, 5:30-7 pm
Poster Session 2 (Undergraduate): Sat, October 19th, 11 am-1 pm
Abstract Submission Guidelines
The STEM-V Conference abstract format is one page in length including acknowledgements and references. Any submissions longer than one page will automatically be rejected. Carefully follow the instructions provided on the attached template. Margins are 0.75 in on top, bottom, right and left. Save your abstract from Word into a PDF before uploading.
Abstracts should be submitted here by 11:59 pm EST, Friday September 27th, 2019
Additional questions? Please email ASC staff at asc-contact@umich.edu
Background on STEM V and Moses Muzaazi
Dr. Musaazi has been a source of inspiration to the STEM-Africa initiative at Michigan and the African Studies Center since before even our founding eleven years ago. He has been a long- term collaborator on experiences for U-M students, especially undergraduates, who participated in joint appropriate technology projects with his team.
“Appropriate Technology” in our context refers to efforts of scientists and engineers to help people on the Continent provide products and services for themselves from locally sourced and led efforts, as an alternative to foreign suppliers whose products generally involve significant overhead in the international market. Appropriate technology in Dr. Muzaazi’s sense is based on sound scientific and engineering fundamentals, and usually involves rethinking technical problems to come up with alternatives to the standard solutions. The emphasis is on close proximity of the engineer/scientist to the user population and a resulting intimate understanding of what their technical problems are. It is also based on a philosophy of creativity and “less can be more”, where designing solutions with, say, severe materials sourcing or distribution constraints, can be more challenging, but where the results can be more transformative for the user population and more rewarding for the engineer/scientist.
Dr. Musaazi was driven by a concern to empower communities, to unlock their creative potential, circumventing systemic hurdles to such potential from the global marketplace or inequitable local mores. He was particularly sensitive to the problems of young women in developing societies whose communities’ traditions may not have adequately valued their advancement or their potential contributions to their societies.
Title Should Be Typed in Bold
Authors: list all authors and their affiliations
The following abstract template was adapted from the BMES 2019 abstract template. The abstract which follows should contain the same type of information as is contained in a full paper, although on a limited and condensed scale. The completed abstract should have a title, introduction, materials and methods, results, and conclusion section. Acknowledgements and references sections are optional. The length of the actual abstract must be no more than 1 printed page and must conform to the established margins (0.75 inch margin on top; 0.75 inch margins on the left, right, and bottom). All sections which follow these instructions should be printed in Times New Roman, 11 point font. Section headers should appear in bold, and the text which follows in each section should be unbold.
Introduction: This section should include background information in order to introduce the current study, its importance to the literature, and its impact on society. The introduction should also clearly characterize the question(s) or design objective(s) being investigated. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
Materials and Methods: Materials and Methods used in the study should be briefly explained in this section. This section should also demonstrate how the methods used by the authors will address the scientific question(s) or design objective(s) presented in the introduction section. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
Results and Discussion: This section should include a summary of any significant positive and negative results, and should be presented as concisely as possible. Make sure any conclusions you later reach are supported by the data presented here. This section can also include one embedded figure or table to support the presented results. Be sure that the figure/table is clearly labeled, that its caption is informative, and that the data presented in the figure is referred to within the abstract text. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
Conclusions: Conclusions should be stated concisely and should state the implications and significance of the data presented. Do not introduce or defend concepts not considered in the body of the abstract. This section could also include recommendations for future studies. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
Acknowledgements: (Optional) Please acknowledge people or funding sources who may have contributed to the successful completion of this research. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
References: (Optional) This section should include any references to published literature. If it is necessary to cite references, insert the primary author's name and initials followed by the abbreviated journal title, the year of publication, the volume number, and the page numbers. This section should be written using Times New Roman, 11 point font.
