The University of Pretoria will bring together thought leaders from across Africa and beyond to discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities currently affecting science systems on the continent during Africa Week 2023.
Africa Week 2023, a biennial scientific leadership summit, will take place at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus in Hatfield from 24 to 26 May 2023.
University of Pretoria’s Africa Week 2023, convening world thought leaders in science and leadership, demonstrates the university’s commitment to promoting intellectual discourse and fostering collaboration on the African continent. Such events serve as platforms for exchanging ideas, addressing pressing challenges, and exploring innovative solutions.
By bringing together renowned experts and influential figures from various fields, Africa Week 2023 provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary discussions and the sharing of expertise. These gatherings can lead to the generation of new knowledge, the formation of partnerships, and the development of strategies to tackle regional and global issues.
As a premier academic institution, the University of Pretoria plays a crucial role in advancing scientific research and thought leadership in Africa. Events like Africa Week help raise the university’s profile and contribute to its mission of knowledge creation and dissemination. They also provide a platform for networking and collaboration among participants, fostering a sense of community and cooperation.
Africa Week 2023 is likely to include keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions. Topics of discussion may encompass a wide range of fields, such as technology, health, agriculture, environmental sustainability, governance, and social sciences. The event will likely attract attendees from academia, government, industry, and civil society, creating a diverse and inclusive environment for knowledge exchange.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria Professor Tawana Kupe and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, who will attend the event on 25 May, are among the 250 leaders, academics and dignitaries who will exchange ideas about science as a global public good.
“We are delighted to be convening the leadership of prominent African and global scientific networks and international, transdisciplinary initiatives, in strategic partnership with South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation and the National Research Foundation,” said Prof Kupe.
“We host Africa Week biennially as a science leadership event where we interrogate ideas of science as a global public good through the lenses of the global Open Science Movement and its significance for the continent. This year’s theme: ‘Open Africa, Open Science’, encourages African scientists, academics and researchers to embrace the growing Open Science Movement and get more involved in solving world problems,” he said.
“I look forward to engaging thought leaders from all corners of the globe, but most importantly, I am excited by the opportunity to draw knowledge from all the leaders and participants who will attend this event. I implore people across Africa and beyond to join us virtually as we undertake to use science as a critical tool to tackle some of humanity’s problems,” Prof Kupe said.
Africa Week will feature a series of topical dialogues where thought leaders will interpret openness in its broadest sense to move conversations about open science towards concrete actions aimed at increasing the impact and influence of African research through effective and equitable global partnerships.
Additionally, alongside leaders of other higher education institutions from Africa and across the world, Africa Week 2023 will convene key stakeholders from government, the private sector, civil society and the media, through partnership meetings, workshops aimed at planning and progressing new international programmes of transdisciplinary work, and the launch of exciting new collaborative initiatives.