Advancing science in Africa

Physics Today has in interesting article Raising the scientific level and networking in Africa by Tony Feder.
"Bringing top scientists to Africa has a greater impact than sending individual African scientists abroad."
It features the African School on Electronic Structure Methods and Applications (ASESMA) that was held for two weeks last year. [I am very happy my former student Elvis Shoko was able to attend]. The organisers have obtained funding to hold a similar school every two years through 2020. An excellent feature of the schools is that it is backed up by a year-round mentoring progam.
Nature Physics also had an article about ASESMA.

Aside: I only just received this January 2011 issue of Physics Today in the mail.