RSIF Benin Country Report 2021 - English

Abstract

Benin’s contribution to RSIF: Benin attended the 5th PASET Forum in Kigali, Rwanda in May 2019 and the RSIF-RCU organized a national workshop on RSIF in Cotonou in December 2019. Benin joined PASET in 2021, contributing US$2 million to RSIF through its ACE Impact project. The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research represents Benin in the PASET Governing Council and the Director sits in the PASET Executive Board. 80% of Benin’s contribution directly supports training of Beninese scholars and is currently partially committed to enrolled students in the RSIF PhD scholarship programme. The plan is to recruit around 12 more Beninese students in Cohort 4. The potential of Benin’s innovative expansion due to this investment is multiplied when leveraged by the funds through matching support from various donors, including the Government of Korea, international partner institutions and others. By being part of RSIF, Benin benefits from joint resource mobilization with other countries and capacity building for PhDs and research and innovation far into the future. PASET aims to mobilise over USD 500 million into the RSIF endowment fund, with an estimated 20% to be allocated to research and innovation projects for the benefit of citizens and institutions of participating countries. Many African countries are interested to be part of this.