Pretoria - The newly-launched science diplomacy initiative has been hailed as a way to enable African countries to respond collaboratively to societal challenges.
Known as the science diplomacy capital for Africa, the initiative was launched last week in Pretoria and was projected as a platform to produce “world-class scientific input” aimed at addressing key societal challenges on the continent.
Problems such as Covid-19, global warming, major natural disasters and food insecurity were among pertinent societal challenges likely to be addressed using science-based solutions.
Both the Department of Science and Innovation and the CSIR, who are the brains behind the project, would promote science collaboration across Africa and beyond, leveraging and connecting technology innovation with humanity.
Parties said the presence of more than 100 diplomatic missions and many leading research and academic institutions in Tshwane meant the diplomacy initiative was well positioned.
“The initiative will facilitate networking between the diplomatic community in Africa and abroad to address common problems. It will see the implementation of activities in promotion, networking and facilitation. Climate change and shared infrastructure are two of the areas in which collaboration is likely,” they said.
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, this week praised the initiative, saying it would allow for the participation of historically disadvantaged institutions and individuals.
He was particularly impressed with the collaborative nature of countries aiming to use science to deal with societal problems.
Nzimande said: “The initiative will promote and assist the formation of enhanced science diplomacy partnerships, which will provide a platform to leverage the expertise and resources of our international partners to conceptualise and initiate new co-operation programmes, which will deliver real impact, with the active participation of historically disadvantaged institutions and individuals.”
According to him, the initiative would ensure the very best of South African and African scientific input.
Through the platform, he said, advice would be harnessed to enrich diplomacy’s response to the key societal challenges which includes “pandemic disease, energy security or climate change, and most critically the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality”.
Pretoria News