The SAJU Forum is a model of effective North-South partnerships
South Africa’s collaboration with Japan is a model of productive North-South partnerships, benefiting both nations through advancements in research, internationalisation efforts and mutual progress in various fields.
These were the words of the Minister Counsellor and Representative of the South African Embassy in Japan and the Department of Science and Technology, Mr Ghaleeb Jeppie (right) at the SAJU 6 Conference opening on Tuesday, 27 August.
Mr Jappie said he was particularly impressed by the recent interactions under the SAKURA Science Exchange Programme, where Japanese and South African students exchanged insights on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project and the sharing of data from radio telescopes. “This exchange holds promise for nurturing the next generation of SKA engineers and researchers. We also eagerly anticipate future collaborations in viticulture with Yamanashi University and to see if any possible opportunities for our researchers could come out of the Nanosatellite development conference at Stellenbosch University later this year.
Need for additional resource mobilisation acknowledged
As intimated by other speakers during the opening session, the Minister Counsellor recognised a need for SAJU to expand into new programmes and research initiatives. “Minister Nzimande has previously advocated for increased ministry support for SAJU, emphasising that funding is crucial for its growth and for the two governments to engage the researchers about the priority research areas going forward. I will raise this need at the upcoming Science Technology Joint Committee meeting in November 2024, to see how we can secure funding and identify priority research areas.”
He also acknowledged the need to allocate more scholarships for postgraduate studies between South Africa and Japan to enhance this bilateral collaboration.
“Additionally, our recent Memorandum of Cooperation on the hydrogen economy marks a significant step forward. As Japan will be a major importer of green hydrogen and ammonia, this collaboration opens doors for increased trade and technical skill development. Industry involvement in SAJU must also be strengthened to support these initiatives.
TICAD an appropriate showcase ground for SAJU
“Next year, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) presents an excellent opportunity to showcase our collaborative achievements. The National Research Foundation and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) are involved in the Africa/Japan Collaborative Research (AJCORE) programme, supporting joint projects between researchers from Africa and Japan. We should explore how SAJU can further enhance pan-African cooperation through these initiatives.”
SAJU 6 a fitting platform to address the Gaza “scholasticide”
With reference to the ongoing Israeli-Gaza war, Jeppie said it was heartening to reflect on the progress made since SAJU’s inception 17 years ago in Hiroshima, a city that recently marked the 79th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb with a powerful call for global disarmament. He also pointed out the irony of the occasion amidst the continuous bombing of the people of Gaza and the destruction of educational institutions, libraries, and research laboratories, the assassination of fellow academics and intellectuals and the deliberate targeting of some of the older shrines of learning.
“It starkly highlights the hypocrisy and indifference, thereby perpetuating the ongoing divide in research and the impact of conflict on the education of future generations of Palestinians.”
The Minister Counsellor therefore saw the SAJU 6 conference as an appropriate platform for the academic community to address the ongoing “scholasticide” in Gaza, and to advocate for social justice and use all opportunities to condemn the ongoing war. “I hope our discussions over the coming days will robustly address these issues and reaffirm our commitment to social justice and the protection of educational spaces,” he stated.
