South African and Japanese universities are embarking on exciting joint research projects that will benefit both countries, especially in the areas of science and technology.
The South Africa Japan Universities’ Forum was formed after an exploratory meeting in May 2007 when a delegation of deputy vice-chancellors met their Japanese counterparts at Hiroshima University. Discussions at the meeting revealed a high level of interest in forging relationships between Japanese and South African universities, because of the synergy and complementarity of research interests and institutional types within the two countries.
Initially, this synergy was somewhat surprising as the countries appear to be rather different. But comparisons of national priorities in higher education and science, technology and innovation showed otherwise — for example, human capital development is a high priority for both countries, albeit for different reasons.
The timing of the establishment of the forum is significant. The idea for such a forum has its roots in the deputy president’s 2006 visit to Japan as part of the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition. South African higher education is in the process of a transformation that seeks to enhance our capacity to realise the key pillars of a higher education institution’s threefold mission: teaching, research and community service. Of particular importance in the current climate is South African’s capacity of the higher education system to produce the high level skills urgently needed by our growing economy and changing society.
From the first meeting the South African universities noted that we have much to learn from the Japanese experience, for example the importance of long-term planning. We found the notion of a planning horizon of 100 years compelling and fascinating.
Equally, however, the Japanese indicated that they have much to learn from our relatively young democracy. In particular, they noted our commitment to equity and the progress we made in the participation of women in higher education. While we deem our progress unsatisfactory, the Japanese are keen to learn about the strategies we are undertaking in this regard as they have not achieved similar participation rates for women.
Cross-national partnerships and collaborations are a growing feature of science, technology and innovation and individual researchers frequently initiate such joint ventures. A key question for the South Africa Japan Universities’ Forum meeting was what could be achieved collectively over and above joint work by individual researchers.
We recognised that the forum provides a platform for collaboration between universities in the two countries in the interests of mutual high-end national goals. Whatever the nature of the partnership programmes, it is expected that they will take place on a scale greater than the current bilateral projects between individual researchers and, from a South African higher-education perspective, we are seeking to fast-track our intention to make a significant difference in high level skills development.
The success of the partnerships will depend on evidence of sustained mutual benefit as well as their systemic location, which will strive to forge linkages between higher education, government and the business sector. Our discussions moved from the general to the specific and the priority areas identified for joint initiatives are maths and science education, climate change, energy, light materials and infectious diseases.
Potential projects were debated in workshop mode with an eye on projects that would leverage maximum benefit.
An example of this is in the area of energy. In South Africa this sector will attract about R1,5-trillion for investment in infrastructure over the next 20 years. The appointment of Japanese companies as key contractors in this programme will provide a much-needed opportunity for high-level skills transfers between the two countries, which could be formally facilitated through higher education institutions.
The way is open for South African and Japanese universities to collaborate on research related to energy issues and to identify the development of commercial opportunities where possible.
The announcements at the meeting on resources for future partnerships by funding bodies on both the South African and Japanese sides, as well as the political will demonstrated by the active partnership on the South African side between higher education and the departments of education and science and technology, auger well for the continuing success of this initiative.
It will be up to the South Africa Japan Universities’ Forum to ensure that the two countries move beyond superficial demonstrations of goodwill to deep-rooted collaboration that produces visible outcomes.
Professor Cheryl de la Rey is co-convenor of the South Africa Japan Universities’ Forum