Content:

SA Science and Technology Minister to open ten-year collaboration workshop as part of Flemish Crown Prince official visit.

9 March 2006

South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, will officially open a SA/Flanders bilateral cooperation workshop as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of science and technology (s&t) research collaboration between the two countries. The high-level workshop forms part of the programme of the Flanders Crown Prince, HRH Prince Phillipe’s official visit to South Africa. All media is invited to attend a tea and press briefing.

• Date: 13 March 2006
• Venue: International Convention Centre, Cape Town
• Time: 09H45
• Click here for the programme.

The workshop, held from 13 to 15 March 2006, is also aimed at developing a new strategy for future cooperation.

A bilateral agreement on science and technology was signed between South Africa and the government of Flanders in 1996. This cooperation has yielded a total of R8.8 million invested by SA and a further Eur 5.7 million from Flanders.

To date, the 97 projects supported under this collaboration have focused on a wide range of topics, including amongst others, natural science projects; the role of mother tongue language in everyday learning; constitutional and comparative enquiry into innovative and alternative models of social protection; the impact of environmental quality on health; and, sustainable development and food security in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The overall management of the bilateral cooperation is coordinated jointly by the Department of Science and technology (DST) (through the Department of Foreign Affairs) in South Africa and representatives from the Government of Flanders.

The SA-Flemish agreement is aimed at supporting the SA government’s initiatives in higher education and research in particular in order to promote research development, technological transfer and collaboration of institutions with the view to link research to the economic and social development of the country. The main objectives of collaboration are:

• To promote long term international scientific cooperation by stimulating the exchange of researchers;
• To create added value for the researchers, universities and research institutes involved;
• To provide a favourable platform to obtain future international funding from other organizations;
• To stimulate universities and research institutes in establishing their own policy of international cooperation.

For media enquiries please contact:

Nhlanhla Nyide
Chief Director: Science Communication, Department of Science and Technology
Cell: +27 (0) 82 871 6767
Email: nhlanhla.nyide@dst.gov.za

or

Kristin Klose
Communication, Department of Science and Technology,
Cell: +27 (0) 82 902 9503
Email: kristin.klose@dst.gov.za

SA Science and Technology Ministry:
Nelvis Qekema
Ministerial Liaison
Cell: +27 (0) 82 571 2571
Email: nelvis.qekema@dst.gov.za