SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference Webinar Series: From knowledge to policy impact: strengthening policy interfaces through South-South cooperation

SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference Webinar Series: From knowledge to policy impact: strengthening policy interfaces through South-South cooperation

Despite significant investments in scientific research, data systems, and analytical capacity, sustainability policymaking across the Global South continues to face persistent gaps between knowledge generation and decision-making. These gaps are not primarily technical, but institutional and systemic – rooted in fragmented knowledge ecosystems, asymmetries in agenda-setting, and weak mechanisms for translating evidence into policy action. This webinar critically examines the science- policy interface as a governance challenge, rather than a knowledge deficit.

Anchored in the lens of South–South cooperation, the webinar will explore how horizontal collaboration among countries of the Global South can reconfigure knowledge flows, strengthen institutional trust, and enable more context-responsive policymaking. It will examine emerging approaches to knowledge co-production, science advisory systems, and science diplomacy that elevate Southern expertise, integrate diverse knowledge systems, and support collective problem-solving across regions. By positioning South–South cooperation as a strategic enabler of evidence-informed governance, the webinar will set a strong conceptual foundation for the SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference.

Date: 05 March 2026
Time: 09:00 SAST (Online)
Registration link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4549b815-c348-4be6-9ddc-0bdd816c0dc2@30878ba0-2f66-4b77-8fde-8dfc1652ff39

Speakers:

Dr. Amitava Bandopadhyay:
Director General, Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre
Dr He Guangxi:
Head of Institute of S&T Governance and Innovation Culture, Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED)
Associate Professor Dr Aini Suzana Ariffin:
Vice Chair of Science Engineering Technology and Innovation Policy Asia and the Pacific Network (STEPAN) 

Facilitator:

Professor David Mkwambisi Director- Future Earth Southern Africa Hub Node, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) Director: MUST Institute of Industrial Research and Innovation

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