The Zambia Academy of Sciences (ZaAS) recently hosted a significant Induction Ceremony for the Zambia Young Academy of Sciences (ZYAS), celebrating the inclusion of a first cohort of promising young scientists. This event marks a vital step in the Academy’s ongoing commitment to fostering scientific excellence and ensuring the sustainability of Zambia’s scientific community.
The newly inducted ZYAS members represent a broad spectrum of scientific expertise, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern science. Their areas of specialization include malnutrition and enteropathy research, focusing on gut physiology, non-invasive diagnostics, and peptide-based therapies. The group also features researchers dedicated to drug discovery for tropical diseases, mechanical engineering with a particular interest in robotics and AI-integrated maintenance systems, and molecular biology with applications in disease pathology and next-generation sequencing. This diverse range of expertise underscores the Academy’s mission to address both local and global challenges through innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches.
The induction ceremony was presided over by ZaAS Acting President Professor Cyprian Katongo, alongside Executive Director Dr. Henry Njapau and Treasurer Dr. Kutemba Kapanji Kakoma. In his address, Professor Katongo congratulated the new members and highlighted the crucial role that young scientists play in the Academy’s future. “We need young people for the sake of succession so that the Academy can be sustained,” he emphasized, acknowledging that with many of the senior members aging, this induction comes at a particularly opportune time.
Professor Katongo also encouraged the newly inducted members to actively engage with the Zambia Academy of Sciences for guidance and support. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of broadening the base of ZYAS to include a wider array of disciplines beyond the life sciences, encouraging members to expand their network by bringing in experts from various scientific fields.
