At the AICS headquarters, the event “Research and Cooperation for Africa: AICS-CNR Dialogue“ was held on October 6, opened by AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi and CNR President Andrea Lenzi.
During the event, Directors of Departments and Institutes from the National Research Council (CNR) presented the Council’s scientific activities to AICS executives and officials. They also explored potential areas of collaboration in African countries and regions, including within the framework of the Mattei Plan.
Representatives from both institutions highlighted the numerous joint initiatives already underway and noted the upcoming finalization of a Framework Agreement between AICS and CNR. This agreement is expected to provide a solid foundation for cooperation in Italy’s priority partner countries, focusing on key sectors such as food security, sustainable use of natural resources, water resource management, promotion of the energy transition, and environmental sustainability.
An example of a prior agreement is the one signed in April 2025 with the CNR Department of Social Sciences and Humanities for the “Technical Assistance and Research Project for the Analysis and Impact Evaluation of Employment Policies in Senegal” (Pro-Impact). Supported by the Italian Cooperation and the Italian Embassy in Dakar, the project activities aim, among other goals, to strengthen local capacities — particularly those of Senegal’s National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD).
