Home Affairs minister to speak at the meeting of African academics
DATE: 19 May 2015
To: ALL Media
Att: News Editors
For immediate release
Date: 19 May 2015
As part of Africa month celebrations in South Africa, Minister of Home Affairs, Honourable Malusi Gigaba will address delegates from numerous African countries at the 5th African Unity for Renaissance Conference and Africa Day Expo. The theme for the conference is: “2015 and Beyond: Engaging Agenda 2063”.
Following the government’s recent significant efforts in dealing with the attacks directed towards foreign nationals, Minister Gigaba will engage African academics on issues related to finding sound solutions for Africa's developmental challenges.
The Conference and Expo, which consists of a series of sessions open to academics and policymakers from various regions of Africa, as well as academics from the diaspora, will take place from 22 to 24 May 2015 at the University of Johannesburg, Kingsway, Auckland Park, and Soweto campuses in Johannesburg.
The Africa Day Expo will be on 25 May 2015 at Kara Heritage Institute, Pretoria, and it is open to the public.
Over the years this conference has been an important annual gathering of African scholars who use the opportunity to explore and propose ideas for a peaceful and prosperous Africa. It is organised by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), National Research Foundation (NRF), Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI), the International Council for Science, Regional Office for Africa (ICSU-ROA), BrandSA, Kara Heritage Institute, the City of Tshwane and the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
The three-day conference will feature academics from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, USA, India, Canada, Finland and many more.
At the 2014 conference, participants reflected on achievements in the quest for solutions to Africa’s multifaceted social, economic and political problems as the OAU/AU jubilee celebrations continued throughout 2014.
Similarly, the 5th African Unity for Renaissance conference aims to engage with the policies from the UN, the IMF, World Bank and the African Union by using research-based scholarly reflection to contribute to policy evaluation, recommendations and learning.
The conference organisers have invited academic speakers and policymakers on pertinent aspects of the post-2015 global development agenda that speak to the seven aspirations in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The conference will culminate into the issuing of a policy lobbying document, entitled the Soweto Declaration.
Details of the event
SPECIAL PLENARY SESSION
Date and time: 22 May 2015, 17:00 for 17:30
Keynote Speaker: Minister Malusi Gigaba – South Africa in Africa: Enhancing synergies for a united and prosperous Africa.
Venue: University of Johannesburg (UJ), Kingsway Campus, Auckland Park
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OPENING PLENARY SESSION: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Date and time: 23 May 2015, 08:30 for 09:00
Keynote Speaker: Dr Phil Mjwara – Science, Technology and Innovation as vehicles for Africa’s development.
Venue: UJ, Soweto Campus
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AFRICA DAY BREAKFAST DIALOGUE
Date and time: 25 May 2015, 06:30
Venue: Garden Court Hotel, Milpark
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AFRICA DAY EXPO
Date and time: 25 May 2015, 10:30 for 11:00
Venue: Kara Heritage Institute, (Unit 65, Cnr Kgosi Mampuru (Potgieter) & Madiba (Vermuelen) streets, Pretoria South Africa
For media enquiries contact Adziliwi Nematandani, 0827659191 / 0123169729
RSVP to mediaroom@hsrc.ac.za by close of business on 21 May 2015
Issued by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)