09/12/2020 (Agence Europe) – The launch of a pilot programme called “African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence” (ARISE) was announced by the European Commission on Wednesday 9 December. The €25 million programme is part of the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership. It will enable 40 early-career African scientists to carry out cutting-edge research with grants of up to €500,000 over 5 years. “The ARISE pilot programme is a catalytic milestone for talented early-career scientists, aiming to strengthen Africa's science and innovation base. It is also a major step for the EU-Africa academic and scientific cooperation to create a knowledge society and economy”, underlines the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, in a statement. This programme will be implemented by the African Academy of Sciences. (AN)