/ 20 May 2008

Forging common agendas

In the northern spring of 2006 South Africa’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ben Ngubane, visited Hiroshima University. He had been to Hiroshima several times, but on that occasion his aim was to forge collaboration between university presidents and vice-chancellors in both countries. We discussed at length the importance for both countries of partnerships between science and technology researchers.

Hiroshima University was one of the first in Japan to make a commitment to then president Nelson Mandela’s regime and democracy to work to help develop South Africa.

Just after 1994 I organised the in-service training of educational administrators, a programme that lasted 10 years. At this time Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (Jica) launched a new programme in science and math teachers’ training, which continues today.

It was against this background that I undertook to organise the first Vice-Presidents’ Forum in May 2007 at Hiroshima University.

This, the second Vice-President’s Forum, has attracted wider participation by scientists and researchers interested in joint research projects. We had more than 30 Japanese participants from 12 leading national and private universities, with the participation of Jica, Japan’s Society for the Promotion of Science, its Science and Technology Agency and others.

The forum’s deliberations laid the basis for the development of new joint research programmes and projects among the scientists of the two countries. I hope the government of South Africa and South African universities will find significant opportunities to develop joint research programmes in the future.

Despite the differences between the countries, there are many similarities in approaches to issues about human capital development and knowledge-generation. This reinforces the common ground underpinning the South Africa Japan Universities’ Forum.

South Africa is viewed as the powerhouse of the African continent. It has many attractive features, such as infrastructure, natural resources, biodiversity and entrenched democracy and an open economy. Japan has had great success in the fields of science, technology and innovation. There is a clear case to be made for collaboration. As many of the Japanese participants said, the forum gave them opportunities to exchange research ideas with colleagues in South Africa. They also saw possibilities for establishing strong networks and organisations to support research programmes.

We hope to have a third forum or a series of strategic meetings around the feasibility of different projects and initiatives and to prepare for the grants applications for 2009. Instead of bilateral relations, it is expected that the forum will facilitate a different approach to collaboration, such as consortium-based joint activities between several universities.

Finally, on behalf of the Japanese team, I would like to express appreciation for the great enthusiasm and high expectations among our colleagues in South African universities and the government. We see a bright future and significant contributions from our universities to the world, especially to the development of Africa.

South Africa is a leading country in the development of Africa, one with which we can proudly work together. The success of the forum owes much to those who drive our mutual collaborations.

Professor Akira Ninomiya is executive vice-president (research), Hiroshima University, Japan