Connect with us
University of Pretoria, Hillcrest Campus, Pretoria
© 2024 Future Africa | Design and Maintained by ThoughtCorp
Future Africa, in collaboration with the International Science Council (ISC), recently co-hosted a roundtable on “Mobilising science and research funding for development: Transforming African science systems to promote sustainable development.” Dr Farai Kapfudzaruwa, Research, and Strategic Partnerships Manager at Future Africa moderated the roundtable, which brought together experts and stakeholders to explore the crucial aspects of transforming African science systems and how science and science systems in Africa need to evolve to accelerate equitable societal transformation towards sustainable development on the continent.
The roundtable was part of a workshop on building capacity and scaling up the adoption of Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals (STI4SDGs) Roadmaps in Africa.
The workshop was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 12 – 13 October 2023, and was co-organized by UN DESA, ECA, and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC/JR), with support from the Global Solutions Summit and International Research Centre on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS).
The event aimed to build on the work of the UN Inter-Agency Task Team sub-working group on STI for SDGs Roadmap co-led by UN-DESA, UNESCO, and EC/JRC, and EC/JRC, and the recent discussions on STI roadmaps at the 2023 STI Forum and the Global Solutions Summit.
Dr Heide Hackmann, Director of Future Africa, and Strategic Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the University of Pretoria delivered a virtual keynote address at the workshop, focusing on the ISC proposed model for implementing science missions that contribute to sustainability.
Future Africa is currently leading the work of convening African partners in an inclusive scoping and development process. This process aims to articulate the needs of African scientists and science systems, make recommendations about the ISC’s future role and institutional presence in Africa, and identify pathways for implementing those recommendations.
The workshop focused on roadmaps, emphasising that well-designed roadmaps are a critical driving force for achieving sustainable development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Other key issues discussed include:
The roundtable explored how science and science systems in Africa need to evolve to accelerate equitable societal transformation towards sustainable development on the continent.