About the ALC
Our path to scientific strength is marked by discovery
The African Laser Centre (ALC) is a New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) flagship initiative and Southern African participation is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through its Africa multilateral cooperation programme. The ALC was launched at the Ministerial NEPAD summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in November 2003.
It is a virtual organisation, bringing together researchers from across Africa in the field of lasers and spectroscopy. The organisation was started as a fledgling programme within the CSIR National Laser Centre and is aimed at encouraging research collaboration between the African researcher and facilitating researchers, and student exchanges between African institutes. The ALC supports research collaboration, scholarships and training.
Research conducted by the ALC research teams throughout Africa is laser-based and pluridisciplinary. The projects are peer-reviewed by an ALC assembled independent panel of experts. The research fields include but are not limited to:
Nanotechnology
Material Processing
Spectroscopy
Health
Manufacturing
Nano Technology
Material Science
Communication
Research is undertaken at the ALC key nodes, research institutes, and any laboratories which members have access to on the continent.
What We Do | Scientific Development that Encourages Teamwork
The ALC provides laser researchers and industrialists throughout Africa with research and training facilities.
We also endeavour to:
- Maintain a database of laser researchers in the region and facilitate collaboration among them
- Transfer technology from research laboratories to the marketplace
- Support research and educational programmes in laser technology and present at conferences, workshops, and topical school programmes
The ALC Mission
The mission of the ALC is to enable African nations to collaborate with each other and play a major international role in utilising light to advance science and technology.
This will contribute to the strengthening of their economies, global competitiveness, education and the welfare of their people. Cooperation will therefore take place in the spirit of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the African Union.
The Objectives of the ALC:
- Promote the research and training programmes of major laser research facilities that currently exist in Africa to serve the continent as a whole.
- Support technology transfer of laser knowledge captured within the ALC amongst its members and throughout the industry.
- Improve the quality of life of all African peoples and beneficiaries of the ALC.
- Provide financial resources, technical assistance and equipment loans to laser researchers throughout Africa.
- Promote collaboration among laser researchers throughout Africa, as well as between laser institutions and their international counterparts to enhance laser-driven initiatives in Africa.
- Retain and attract laser expertise by providing a competitive knowledge base and attractive research facilities to ensure that African laser facilities become preferred research environments for the international and African community.
- Support expanding research and infrastructure of laser research facilities in Africa through flagship projects, e.g. acquiring state-of-the- art equipment such as Femtosecond lasers in appropriate laboratories.
The ALC offers the following programmes which aim to further enrich the knowledge base within laser application technology:
- Research Programme
- Training
- Scholarships