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July 2025 Lausanne Switzerland
In a powerful step toward supporting African scientific talent, Tomorrow Foundation is proud to announce a new collaboration with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Europe’s most prestigious institutions in science and technology. Through this partnership, the Foundation supports the 20th edition of the EPFL Summer Research Program (SRP), an intensive 8-week research training initiative that brings together top undergraduate and early graduate students from around the world.
As part of this commitment, the Foundation has provided dedicated funding to enable the participation of a high-potential African student in the 2025 edition of the program. This year, the selected scholar is Abdinoor Dagane, a Kenyan national and Master's student in Molecular Biology at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Abdinoor is currently conducting research within EPFL’s renowned virology and structural immunology lab under the guidance of Professor Aleksandar Antanasijevic, focusing on groundbreaking methods in electron cryo-microscopy.
“This opportunity has allowed me to be immersed in one of the most advanced scientific environments in Europe,” Abdinoor said. “It’s not only an academic experience but a life-changing one.”
On July 14, 2025, the Tomorrow Foundation was honored to participate in an event organized at EPFL to celebrate the SRP’s 20th anniversary. Among the highlights of the day was the keynote address by Professor Jacques Dubochet, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, who captivated both SRP students from EPFL and from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) with an inspiring talk. He traced his scientific journey from primary school to Nobel Prize discovery, shedding light on the scientific and personal milestones that defined his work on cryo-electron microscopy. He emphasized the value of curiosity, perseverance, and above all, the importance of surrounding oneself with great mentors.
Following the address, participants gathered for a convivial buffet dinatoire, where Tomorrow Foundation Chairwoman Mrs. Gu had the opportunity to exchange thoughts with Professor Dubochet and with Abdinoor Dagane, who impressed her with his vision and maturity, especially regarding public policy in Africa.
The Foundation extends its warmest thanks to all EPFL faculty and staff, particularly Alice Emery Goodman, Coordinator of the SRP, and Professor Aleksandar Antanasijevic, Co-Director of the program, for their outstanding commitment to nurturing young scientific minds.
“Our collaboration with EPFL marks an important milestone,” said Chairwoman Yuanyuan Gu. “We believe in creating pathways for African talent to access global research frontiers — and this is just the beginning.”
Encouraged by the success of this first participation, discussions are already underway to explore how the partnership with EPFL can be expanded in the coming years. Potential directions include increased support to African candidates, collaborative technical programs, and synergies with EPFL’s cutting-edge research platforms.
By investing in talent like Abdinoor’s, the Tomorrow Foundation continues its mission to promote education, innovation, and leadership across Africa.
For more information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=180VhhSFcPg
https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/education/summer-research-program/
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