Daniel Atwine, Yvonne Wanjiku Karanja, Arti Ahluwalia, Carmelo De Maria, Dawit Assefa, Victor Konde, Edwin Khundi, Philippa Ngaju Makobore, Mainen Moshi, Martin Nzomo, Muhammad Ali Rushdi, Robert Tamale Ssekitoleko, June Madete

Nurturing next-generation biomedical engineers in Africa: The impact of Innovators’ Summer Schools

Introduction

Nurturing next-generation biomedical engineers in africa: the impact of innovators’ summer schools. Discover how Innovators' Summer Schools are nurturing next-gen biomedical engineers in Africa, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship to strengthen healthcare systems.

Abstract

The mission of healthcare systems in Africa to deliver compassionate and effective care has been constrained by growing populations, increasing burden of disease, political conflict and limited resources. The impacts of these constraints can be substantially alleviated, and the healthcare services strengthened, through the creation and adoption of affordable, accessible and appropriate biomedical engineering systems and technologies. There is an urgent need for building capacities in biomedical engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship in African countries. The African Biomedical Engineering Consortium has been organising a series of Innovators’ Summer Schools to meet this need by empowering students and researchers with entrepreneurial and innovative skills, and facilitating the design and development of robust, appropriate, and commercially viable medical systems and devices. In this paper, we analyse and discuss the impact of six of these schools held between 2012 and 2017. We used a questionnaire-based survey to collect responses from students who had attended the summer schools. The results of this study demonstrate that the teaching-learning model adopted in the ABEC summer schools was largely effective in promoting biomedical engineering skills, career choices, professional networks and partnerships amongst young African engineers and life scientists who attended the summer schools.

Review

This paper presents a timely and crucial analysis of efforts to address significant healthcare challenges in Africa through biomedical engineering innovation. The authors effectively frame the problem by highlighting the constraints on African healthcare systems—growing populations, disease burden, political conflict, and limited resources—and posit that affordable, accessible, and appropriate biomedical engineering solutions are essential for strengthening these services. The abstract clearly articulates the urgent need for capacity building in biomedical engineering, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the continent, setting a strong foundation for the study's relevance and impact. To meet this critical need, the African Biomedical Engineering Consortium (ABEC) has organized a series of Innovators’ Summer Schools. This study specifically investigates the impact of six such schools conducted between 2012 and 2017. The methodology employed a questionnaire-based survey to gather responses from student attendees, providing a direct assessment of the program's effectiveness from the participants' perspective. This approach allows for a practical evaluation of how well the summer schools achieved their stated mission of empowering students and researchers with entrepreneurial and innovative skills, as well as facilitating the design and development of viable medical systems and devices. The findings of this research strongly indicate that the teaching-learning model adopted by the ABEC summer schools has been largely effective. The study demonstrates positive outcomes across several key areas, including the promotion of biomedical engineering skills, influence on career choices, and the facilitation of professional networks and partnerships among young African engineers and life scientists. This evidence suggests that the Innovators’ Summer Schools play a vital role in nurturing the next generation of biomedical engineers in Africa, contributing significantly to the continent's capacity for creating sustainable and impactful healthcare solutions.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.