Africa explores its power to influence technology

© Fernando Batista – 123RF.com

Minister Pandor was addressing delegates in Dakar, Senegal, who are gathered for the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Global Gathering (GG2016) - Africa's premier global science and technology forum.

In a panel discussion called ‘Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Development Challenges and Opportunities’, Pandor said South Africa was investing heavily in initiatives to promote STEM, citing among others the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), which is now a R470m a year project.

SARChI began with 21 chairs in 2006 and is now a strategic intervention with 200 chairs in diverse disciplines across the natural sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences. Last year, 42 new chairs were established, all of which are headed by female researchers.

The initiative supports frontier research and innovation, while strengthening human capital development in research. The total cumulative public investment in this project between 2006 and 2014 amounted to R1.5bn.

"The SARChI programme is a truly beneficial partnership between government, universities and industry.

"Addressing gender and racial imbalances in the make-up of our science and technology workforce is also a major priority. More than ever, international fellowships and bursaries are important in achieving our target of producing 5,000 doctorates a year," the minister said.

NEF chairperson Thierry Zomahoun said increased investment in research and development in STEM fields is crucial for meeting Africa's development trajectory.

"We firmly believe the world's next Einsteins will come from Africa," he said.

NEF is global platform that brings together leaders in industry, policy, science and technology. The gathering is expected to issue a strong call to action for increased investment, representing a turning point in Africa's contribution to scientific research, which today accounts for only 1% of global output.