The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, will launch Africa’s new science diplomacy initiative in Pretoria on Friday.

The Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA), initiated by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), seeks to promote science collaboration across Africa and beyond, towards leveraging and connecting technology innovation with humanity.

Nzimande said the SDCfA will create a platform to encourage cooperation between the large diplomatic community hosted in Pretoria and the many leading research and technology organisations hosted in the City of Tshwane.

“The initiative will notably achieve this through promoting South African and other African countries’ science and technology capabilities, which could be harnessed to respond to global challenges,” said Nzimande.

The Minister said this can be done through enabling networking between the Pretoria diplomatic community and leading institutions of South Africa’s national system of innovation, and by offering advisory and support services to enable cooperation.

SDCfA will also profile the capabilities within South Africa’s National System of Innovation for cooperation with African and other international partners.

Speakers at the event will include the President of the African Academy of Sciences, Professor Felix Dapare Dakora; City of Tshwane Speaker of Council, Dr Murunwa Makwarela; CSIR CEO, Dr Thulani Dlamini; Head of Policy at the Black Business Council, Tilson Manyoni and the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Anthony John Phillipson.

Source: South African Government News Agency