Invitation to NRF Science for Society Lecture: Championing Research Excellence in Africa

The National Research Foundation (NRF) with its partners, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI); the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada; and the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation (OATF), invites members of the media to the latest NRF Science for Society Lecture. Taking place at the NRF head office in Pretoria on 26 October 2023, this special lecture will be one of the events held as part of the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) Annual Gathering, themed Championing Research Excellence in Africa. The lecture will explore the contributions of both the South African Research Chairs and the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).

ORTARChI is a bespoke initiative established in 2018 to contribute to the expansion of research and innovation capacities in and for Africa, in alignment with African Union Agenda 2063 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024); to contribute to Africa’s global research competitiveness while responding to the continent’s socio-economic needs, and to contribute to Africa’s career pathways for young and mid-career researchers, with a strong research, innovation and human capital development output trajectory. The initiative honours and promotes the legacy of the Oliver Reginald Tambo, a luminary in the struggle against apartheid.

AfCFTA, a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, is one of the continent’s most important topics as it provides a catalytic opportunity to boost intra-African trade, unlocking potential for producers to reach a market of more than 1.3 billion people. Speakers at the NRF Science for Society Lecture will discuss the catalytic role of research in implementing AfCFTA.

The speakers are:

• Prof Fiona Tregenna DSI-NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa.
• Prof Nathaniel Boso O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chair in Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. 

Event Details

Journalists can also attend the lecture via Zoom, and should register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvc-yrqDgoGNJWjzdKMqZ20IDUsKIb4piN#/registration.

To attend in person, please contact NRF Media Relations Officer, Bongani Nkosi, on b.nkosi@nrf.ac.za or 061 477 3064 for registration.