Chairperson of the HSRC Board, Prof. Jakes Gerwel;

HSRC Board Members;

President and CEO of the HSRC, Dr Olive Shisana;

Representatives from Science Councils, Government and Higher Education Institutions; Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen

This year I interacted quite closely with the HSRC. Beginning with the acceptance of its current business plan and strategic plan, together with the Chairperson of the Board, Prof. Gerwel, we signed the HSRC Shareholder Compact. I also accepted the HSRC’s Annual report for tabling in Parliament, and the CEO, Dr Olive Shisana, will still deliver a presentation on the main issues in the report to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee during this month.

In the year under review, the report card I have on the HSRC shows that the institution has conducted critical analyses of the country’s priority challenges, provided indispensable data on forward planning for state organs and other institutions, and devised mechanisms to help monitor the effectiveness of policy interventions. I am confident that Members of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology will also find that the annual report we are launching today attests to the important role played by the HSRC in social science research in South Africa and the region.

The Chairperson and the CEO of the HSRC have really demonstrated true leadership during the year under review. In the face of increasing levels of poverty and various forms of deprivation, the ability of an organisation such as the HSRC to undertake relevant research intended to provide solutions to these vexing national questions, came under serious scrutiny. Debates went so far as to put the HSRC as an institution under the spotlight. We hope that the recent Social Sciences Conference convened by the HSRC has been able to debate some of these questions to a great extent. I understand that the participation, in numbers and quality of debates, by social science researchers from local and African universities, research organisations and networks was impressive.

No one can dispute the relevance and critical importance of social science research in analysing and providing possible solutions to national development challenges and responding to the impact of globalisation. In particular, we should not lose sight of is that as a developing country, South Africa desperately needs a better understanding and well researched recommendations on policy and intervention options to address her pressing national challenges. In this context, the relevance of social sciences in national and global development dynamics relates more to the currency of the research being undertaking, and the value it can add to the lives of ordinary citizens.

Contemporary societies are confronted by many global challenges encompassing areas such as governance, equity, human migration, racism, disease, pollution, poverty and conflict, to name but a few. A lot of research is being conducted by social scientists the world over to develop causal theories, and devise strategies to mitigate these problems. For example, much still needs to be done to strengthen the role of women in society and in the economy. To this end, studies are being conducted in various parts of the world on the impact of the Beijing Conference+10 Strategy, and finding the best ways of implementing its principles so as to make a real difference in the lives of women.

Similarly, globalisation has led to increases in all kinds of cross-border flows and human migration, either voluntarily or through conflict-related population displacements. This has become a monumental problem affecting virtually every nation and region on the planet. The problem does not only impact on the economy; it also impacts directly on the individual and society. Consequently, massive international social science research is being undertaken to devise theories, models, and conceptual frameworks to analyse the economic, social and cultural dynamics of migration, and to generate new ideas and empirical solutions to deal with the human cost.

Social science research has also prioritised the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals to alleviate poverty, reduce maternal and child mortality, promote a healthier environment, and combat HIV and AIDS and malaria. In our own region, this is achieved through collaborative initiatives within SADC and the sub-Saharan region through formations such as the pan-African research organisation known as the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) based in Dakar, Senegal, and the Southern African HIV and AIDS Research Alliance or SAHARA with offices in Senegal, Kenya and South Africa.

In South Africa, the development and growth debate is shaped by focussing on macro-economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index, Gross Domestic Product and Inflation as measures of our economic progress. But we also need socio-economic indicators to answer questions of how the material conditions of South Africans have changed since 1994, and what have been the trends in the organisation of social life with regard to family, community organisation and economic relations. Whether major social programmes have had any impact in terms of income poverty alleviation and human capital development, what effects policies have had on small and medium enterprises, and how changes in social structure and social mobility have affected the dynamics of income mobility?

These and other related questions are critical to understanding the impact of government policies and programmes on the social upliftment of South Africans. I do acknowledge that the HSRC has, through its socioeconomic surveys and other research, been instrumental in generating the data needed to monitor some of these macro-social indicators and progress.

Government regards research across all fields and disciplines as an indispensable tool in the country’s development, and accordingly allocates significant human and material resources in this regard. International research has shown that there is a robust relationship between spending on R&D and economic growth. What has also been established is that the returns on private companies for spending on R&D are generally between 25 and 27%, whilst social returns may be as high as 67 to 80%.

These social returns find expression in the larger numbers of scientists, engineers and technology practitioners that are put to work when there is an increase in research activities. It also finds expression in the new products and technology-based systems that enhance our quality of life. We are convinced, therefore, of the compelling reasons for the public sector to work with the private sector to grow the research base.

The level of expenditure as a percentage of GDP is considered an appropriate measure of the competitiveness of a country’s economy, and of the vibrancy of its inventiveness. Accordingly, my Department commissioned the HSRC’s Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CESTII) to conduct a survey of the financial and human resource inputs into R&D in South Africa. The survey revealed that the country spent about R12 billion from all funding sources, or 0.87% of GDP, on research and experimental development in 2004/05. This represents a significant improvement on the figure of R10.1 billion for 2003/04. South Africa has set itself a goal of research expenditure equivalent to 1% of GDP by the year 2008, and we are well on our way to meet that target.

Of the total spend on R&D, R1.5 billion (or 12.5%) was spent on social sciences, suggesting that the country considers it critical to understand its socio-economic and political situation. Clearly, social scientists need to systematically demonstrate the return on this investment. I urge the HSRC Policy Analysis Unit to use the resources allocated to develop new methodologies to analyse progress achieved in meeting the Millennium Development Goals, and to assess the impact of social science in the socio-economic development of South Africa.

Whilst we call for more relevant engagement by the social science research community, we do recognise that there are other challenges facing research in South Africa. These include the human resource capacity, and the demographic profile of the research community in terms of gender, disability, age and ethnicity. South Africa has a total of about 18 000 full time equivalent (FTE) researchers. This reflects a relatively low ratio to total employment compared to nations at equivalent level of development. It is generally acknowledged that there is a critical shortage of researchers in the social sciences in South Africa compared to other emerging economies.

As noted in the National Research and Development Strategy document, the loss of scientists through attrition represents a significant threat for the country’s research capacity. Some of this attrition is attributable to emigration as a consequence of globalisation, and is cause for concern even in industrialised Europe and Canada, whose best scientists are often enticed to the better resourced United States. However, if South African scientists emigrated for short periods in order to spend time alongside the best scientists, and then return to the country to apply their knowledge, we should see this as a cause for celebration.

On the positive side, South Africa has shown steady improvement in the gender profile of researchers, with the proportion of women researchers having grown to surpass those of Japan and Norway. Nevertheless, gender equity remains a top priority in all spheres of life in South Africa.

The research community is skewed in terms of age and ethnicity. The extreme shortage of black scientists is acknowledged, and is a direct and logical consequence of the apartheid policies of the by-gone era. A study conducted by the Academy of Science of South Africa on the national research outputs from all disciplines and fields of intellectual endeavour, showed a significantly ageing cohort of actively publishing scientists in our science system. In Arts and Humanities, for example, in 1990 there were 18.2% of authors over the age of 50, and by 2002, this proportion had increased to 46.1%.

It is therefore both appropriate and commendable that the HSRC has prioritised capacity building in its strategy in order to increase and rejuvenate the national pool, and in particular, to boost the numbers of black and women researchers. One of the HSRC’s mandates is to contribute to human capital development. We are therefore pleased to note the HSRC’s programmes to train masters and doctoral students, and to offer post-doctoral research fellowships.

Developing a new generation of researchers is critical if we want to maintain the capacity of our country to undertake appropriate research. As incentive to keep them in the system, it is important to ensure that such researchers have well-structured research posts and are adequately remunerated. We need to provide them with the necessary tools to produce quality research, and use their work in shaping government policy.

In looking at the research output by HSRC researchers, two striking observations emerge. The first has to do with the level of output as measured by the number of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals by HSRC researchers, which exceeds the target set for the year, and is well above the national norm. The second observation is that when the researches are disaggregated by race and gender, black and female researchers had a much higher publication rate than the HSRC average, revealing that far from compromising standards, and in contradiction to the usual assumptions, the equity programme has possibly even enhanced them.

May I now briefly allude to the ‘Social Sciences and Humanities in the European Research Area’ (SSHERA) mission to South Africa of August of 2005. This was the last in a series of four international missions of members of the SSHERA to a number of non-European countries. These missions are considered important in enhancing the international dimensions of social sciences and humanities research in Europe. The Mission Report describes the last ten years of South Africa-EU Science and Technology collaboration as a case of ‘best practice’ of international research collaboration. That this could not be said of the South Africa-EU collaboration in the Social Sciences area necessitated the mission to South Africa.

As many of you will recall, the Mission Report recommends that the HSRC, DST and the African network of NEPAD should develop a number of specific Networks for Social Sciences and Humanities in order to bring together the best scholars, centres of excellence, and research units in both South Africa and the EU to enhance the bilateral and multilateral research cooperations in these areas. I urge you to take full advantage as this will certainly provide much more favourable opportunities to leverage resources from the European Framework Programme 7, and enhance the quality of the research output arising out of collaboration by encompassing a wider cohort of scientists.

In looking ahead, I would like to repeat that one of the highlights of the period under review was the conclusion of a Shareholders’ Compact between the governing Council of the HSRC and my office, which articulates the expectations of each party in terms of outcomes and outputs to be achieved.

The objectives include the consolidation of the HSRC’s public purpose functions; strengthening and broadening of its Africa focus; ensuring effective implementation of its research output through implementation networks; pursuing internal transformation; expanding its capacity building initiatives; and ensuring excellence in research and institutional financial sustainability.

In the agreement, my office undertakes to maintain a facilitative and enabling relationship with the HSRC by ensuring that due obligations and decisions are delivered in a cooperative and timely fashion.

I commend the HSRC Council for presenting a comprehensive and well thought-out agreement for my signature, which provides a blueprint for an eventful and productive year ahead. The Compact formalises the relationship between the Minister and the HSRC, and reduces the risk of future misunderstandings regarding our respective roles, expectations and obligations.

Let me conclude by applauding Professor Jakes Gerwel, Chairman of the governing Council, and his fellow Council members for a very successful year marked by commitment to accountability, transparency and good governance. In terms of the Public Finance Management Act, the Council is the accounting authority for the HSRC, and it can take pride in the fact that the organisation ended the year without a deficit, and with an unqualified financial audit.

I congratulate Dr Olive Shisana, President and Chief Executive Officer, the management and staff for the laudable achievements of the HSRC during the time of changing leadership and organisational restructuring.

I thank you.