Through a programme launched in 2021 and targeted at scientists from least developed countries (LDCs), the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, TWAS and ICGEB paved the way to enhance the scientific competences of early-career researchers and regulators in countries with low socioeconomic development.
The programme agreement called PACTs (ProgrAmme of CollaboraTions with LDCs) offers early-career scientists from the 46 least developed countries (LDCs), who are aged 45 or under, South-North and South-South exchange visits of up to 6-months at the ICGEB laboratories in Trieste (Italy), New Delhi (India) and Cape Town (South Africa).
Scientists work in the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology and agriculture. The Project also includes a third, North-South, scheme to provide training in biotechnology policy and regulatory science by ICGEB experts.
The least developed countries are very low-income countries with vulnerable economies and severe challenges that impede sustainable development, whose population confront daily with hardship and long-term impediments to economic, social and scientific growth. A major goal of PACTs is to change this trend towards sustainable development.
