USHEPiA, Building a Research Capacity Network in Africa

USHEPiA, is a successful South-South capacity building network experience in the area of science, engineering and the humanities. The initiative, led by the University of Cape Town, involves a number of partner universities in East and Southern Africa. The program seeks to foster research capacity and collaboration amongst African researchers in order to build institutional and human capacities. Since its inception in 1995, the program has awarded 39 fellowships. This report examines the origins of the project, from its conception to its operation, and identifies several achievements. It provides a critical analysis of the successes and lessons learned as an attempt to incite or encourage ways of developing African research capacities using a network of institutions