Engineering: Establishing green chemistry in Ethiopia

 

A British university has been instrumental is setting up a pioneering branch of chemistry in Ethiopia.

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University of Nottingham scientists have helped introduce Green Chemistry – an emerging field of sustainable science aimed to help African nations meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The university has led the world in the field of Green Chemistry, which focuses primarily on greener ways of creating everyday chemicals.

Today the branch of science is sufficiently developed to enable African scientists to participate more fully in the search for new chemicals, processes and techniques that could impact on millions of people.

Much current research is focused on the search for renewable feedstocks and more environmentally acceptable solvents as replacements for petroleum-based products.

This makes Green Chemistry particularly relevant to the needs of African countries such as Ethiopia, faced with an increasing demand for chemicals, little or no indigenous oil, and rapidly expanding populations.

The collaboration started with a chance meeting between Dr Nigist Asfaw and Professor Martyn Poliakoff, who heads research into Green Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, while the latter was on holiday in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian PhD student Haregewine Tadesse is currently in the second year of her doctorate in Dr Peter Licence’s research group at Nottingham.

Haregewine has made a very strong start, having already authored a high-profile scientific paper for publication and addressed a meeting of the RSC Archives for Africa at the Houses of Parliament.

A second Ethiopian postgraduate, Mr Bitu Biru, is due to join in September to start a PhD in the subject.

Science for the community in Africa

Professor Poliakoff and Dr Licence have co-authored a paper in Science Express with Dr Asfaw and Dr Temechegn Engida, of Addis Ababa University.

They wrote in Science Express: "Green Chemistry provides a unique opportunity for African chemists because it combines the search for new science with the development of sustainable chemical technologies appropriate to the needs of the community.

"Therefore, the resources of Africa — intense sunlight, unique plant species and enthusiastic young people — present its chemists with scientific opportunities, less readily available in many other countries.

"With modest funding and overseas support, a determined group of Ethiopian scientists has established an international presence within only four years. It is a model which perhaps can be replicated elsewhere."

Professor Poliakoff and his colleagues wrote in Science Express: "Our collaboration has been intellectually rewarding for all of those involved and it has been particularly helpful in developing the careers of the younger participants.

"However, this was only possible because our Ethiopian colleagues had already built a strong chemistry department at their university.

"Having overseas scientists to champion their work on the international scene has clearly been valuable to the chemists in Ethiopia.

"We strongly urge other scientists to consider championing an African country so that their needs can be more loudly articulated in the international arena and their scientists empowered to meet the tremendous challenges of the future."

The work of Nottingham academics with their colleagues in Ethiopia are detailed in the online version of the journal Science.
 

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