HSRC's 2017 Africa Week programme commences with building human capital
DATE: 21 May 2017
Pretoria, Sunday, 21 April 2017 - To mark Africa Week 2017, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with a range of partners, has organised a series of events aimed at placing Africa firmly on the path to achieve sustainable development goals.
The week long activities will begin with the inaugural PhD Colloquium at UNISA on Sunday 21 May 2017 when 80 students from around the continent will come together to share their work aimed at responding to the continent’s many developmental challenges.
The opening plenary of this capacity building seminar starts at 08h00 with a keynote address by Prof Ladzani from Unisa while Prof Horne, also from Unisa, will deliver an address on The future of PhD in Africa.
Colloquium participants will deliberate on issues such as poverty and inequality; opportunities and challenges in African economies which may hinder or promote sustainable development; science, technology and innovation.
The PhD Colloquium will be followed by the 7th African Unity for Renaissance International Conference at Freedom Park from Monday 22 May to Wednesday 24 May 2017. The conference will bring together more than 100 established African researchers and scholars to deliberate on emerging theories and practice in the fields of sustainable development, science and technology, green economy and renewable energy, economics, environment and systems science.
Apart from the parallel sessions wherein scholars from different parts of Africa and the diaspora will deliberate on Africa’s approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals under the theme: Placing Africa firmly in the realm of Sustainable Development Goals, all three days of the conference will have panel sessions led by subject experts.
The 2017 Conference will bring together academics from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Sudan, India, Australia and many more. The conference will culminate with the celebration of Africa Day.
Africa Day Expo
The 2017 Africa Day Expo comprise two sessions that run concurrently, one at Kara Heritage Institute and the other at Freedom Park.
The celebration at Kara Heritage Institute will include invocation of the gods (Muphaso) at the Kara Chapel; spiritual celebration in honour of African prophets; Mapungubwe Cultural Dialogue; Muhale Day Celebration accompanied by African Musical Instruments, Lekope, Mbira and Marimba; African art exhibitions,food tasting, and live cultural performances.
At Freedom Park, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor will lead a panel discussion themed: The role of data in tracking the SDGs and informing policy decisions. Minister Naledi Pandor will also release the African Researchers Booklet.
Notes to the Editor
About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.
Our mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.
The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
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Manusha Pillai
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Adziliwi Nematandani
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