No. 116/2024

In Africa, too, ever more students are studying for doctorates. By analogy, the importance of and need for postdoctoral positions is growing – a challenge for African countries’ science systems. The figures are taken from a survey conducted by the journal “Nature” in 2023. It gives new insights and reveals trends but is not considered representative. Of the 3,838 postdocs surveyed, only 91 were living on the continent and they mainly came from South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. 68 39 Africa worldwide An above-average number of Africans complete their postdoc phase in their own countries. PROPORTION OF THOSE WHO DO THEIR POSTDOC PHASE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES Sixty percent of postdocs in Africa earn less than 15,000 US dollars. ANNUAL INCOME BELOW 15,000 US DOLLARS Africa Asia including Middle East Europe North and Central America 2 1 % 60 27 Postdocs in Africa are older than the global average. AGE OF POSTDOCS Africa worldwide >40 years 41 14 % In Africa, postdocs are more often appointed directly. DIRECTLY APPOINTED AT A UNIVERSITY/RESEARCH INSTITUTION with fellowship or funding contract at home university/institution % Africa Africa worldwide worldwide 52 18 23 37 Source: “Nature” postdoc survey in collaboration with the London-based educational research agency Shift Learning, https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-024-00113-x % Postdocs in Africa all figures in percent IN FOCUS