4th RISG Biennial Research and Innovation Dialogue 2016
On 07 and 08 April 2016, USAf hosted the 4th Biennial Research and Innovation Dialogue with the theme Levering Research and Innovation for South Africa’s Prosperity at Emperors’ Palace. The Dialogue assisted to put the agenda of university research into sharp focus and succeeded in bringing together the various stakeholders in the research and innovation environment.
It was decided that the 2016 event will be in the form of a Dialogue to engage on a range of matters relating to university sector research and innovation. Attended by invitation only, the 2016 Dialogue assembled up to 60 delegates from Universities, the departments of Higher Education and Training, Science & Technology and Trade & Industry. Agencies such as the National Research Foundation, National Advisory Council on Innovation and science councils were also represented.
The Dialogue took the form of an action-orientated workshop-type event. Fifteen guest speakers introduced specific thematic topics, followed by facilitated discussions. The event was designed to enable substantive discussions and debates on selected thematic areas. The identified five themes were:
Research and innovation funding in South Africa:
How can the available funding be used more effectively to produce outcomes that will lead to stability, reduce inequities in provision and quality, and to ensure that the country spend the requisite proportion of GDP on higher education and training, and particularly on R&I?
Research infrastructure and cyberinfrastructure:
The growing set of initiatives around data science should be optimised for R&I development in the country.
Transformation and human capital development for universities:
South Africa continues to lag in the representation of black people and women in key areas, particularly at the senior levels which remain persistently male.
Measurement of the performance of the National System of Innovation:
Considering measures for inclusive economic growth and job creation that should be implemented to achieve the desired outcomes.
Policy development for internationalisation of universities:
This is a key theme to pull through all the others given the identity, history and location of South Africa.
The four main objectives of the R&I Dialogue were:
- To deliberate on the proposed positions put forward by Universities, Government and Industry to address research and innovation-related challenges facing the university sector;
- To bring renewed awareness of and commitment to addressing the challenges facing universities in relation to research and innovation in South Africa;
- To agree on a set of actions and commitments to be implemented collectively and separately by Government, Universities (through Universities SA) and Industry, with a view to realising the research and development priorities; and
- To enable Universities SA to take positions on key issues facing Universities in relation to research and innovation.
Presentations
- The Role of Research and Innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030: A German Perspective.
Ms Eva Ziegert, Section Head, Education, Science and Research, German Embassy, Pretoria - The review of the White Paper for Science and Technology and a decadal plan.
Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General: Science and Technology (DST) - Research and innovation funding instruments to raise South Africa’s competitiveness in science and technology: Lessons from other developing countries. A USAf commissioned study. Discussion document.
Prof Anastassios Pouris, USAf Researcher - Specific recommendations and policy proposals to improve research & innovation funding for universities and the entire National System of Innovation (NSI), including strategies for improving the current Research and Development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Prof Francis Petersen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Innovation, University of Cape Town. - Digital Library
Ms Brenda Swart, Director: Financial and Physical Planning, DHET, and Ms Susan Veldsman, Director: Scholarly Publishing Unit, ASSAf - Research Equipment Grant (NRF)
Dr Romilla Maharaj, Executive Director: Human and Institutional Capacity Development, National Research Foundation (NRF) - The National Integrated Cyber-infrastructure System (CSIR). Discussion document.
Professor Colin Wright, Chief Scientist, Meraka Institute, CSIR - The Rural Campuses Connection Project (RCCP). Discussion document.
Mr Duncan Greaves, CEO, TENET - Summary of the proceedings – day one
Prof Narend Baijnath, CEO of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) - New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP): Lessons learnt from the implementation in 2015. Discussion document.
Dr WJ Green, Chief Director: Teaching and Learning Development, DHET - DST/NRF related interventions to support human capital development for universities. Discussion document.
Dr Phethiwe Matutu, Chief Director: Human Capital and Science Promotion, Department of Science and Technology (DST) - Proposed innovation portal and implications for the measurement of research and innovation outputs in South Africa.
Mr Petrus Letaba, Senior Specialist, NACI - Draft policy framework on Internationalisation for South African Public Universities.
Mr Mahlubi (Chief) Mabizela, Chief Director, Policy and Development Support, DHET - Summary of the proceedings and actions arising from the Dialogue.
Prof Amanda Lourens, USAf Research Fellow