collaboration workshop as part of Flemish Crown Prince official visit
9 March 2006
South Africaâs Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, will
officially open a South African Flanders Bilateral Co-operation Workshop as
part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of science and technology
research collaboration between the two countries. The high level workshop forms
part of the programme of the Flanders Crown Prince HRH Prince Phillipeâs
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
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 South Africa and a further â¬5.7 million from
Flanders.
To date, the 97 projects supported under this collaboration have focused on
a wide range of topics, including among 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 South African Flemish agreement is aimed at supporting the South African
Governmentâs 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.
South Africa Flanders Workshop Programme
Day 1: Monday, 13 March 2006
Opening and welcome
08:30 - 08:45: Arrival of participants
08:45 - 09:00: Arrival of HRH Prince Philippe, Ministers and official
delegation
09:00 - 09:10: Welcome address & introduction to the workshop - Dhesigen
Naidoo
Session 1: Perspective and experience in cooperation between South Africa and
Flanders
09:10 - 09:15: Introducing Minister Mangena - Dr Chris Scheffer
09:15 - 09:25: Address by the South African Minister of Science and
Technology
09:25 - 09:30: Introducing Minister Moerman - Yves Wantes
09:30 - 09:40: Address by Flemish Minister of Science & Research - Minister
Moerman
09:40 - 09:45: Signing of the ICT Agreement - TBD
9:45: Closure & departure of Ministers and HRH Prince Philippe - Koen
Verlaeckt
09:45 - 10:00: Tea & press meeting
Session 2: Setting the stage
10:00 - 10:20: International Bilateral Cooperation - Dhesigen Naidoo
10:20 -10:50: Review of Bilateral Cooperation: The Flanders Perpective - Koen
Verlaeckt
10:50 - 11:00: Questions and answers - All
Session 3: Experiences from current cooperation projects
11:00 - 11:20: Land Use Systems in the Communal Areas of Central Eastern Cape -
Kleynhans
11:20 - 11:30: Questions and answers - All
11:30 - 11:50: Successful Collaboration in Tropical Animal Health - Maxime
Madder
11:50 - 12:00: Questions and answers - All
12:00 - 12:20: Extending social protection to those least covered in Republic
of South Africa - Olivier Marius
12:20 - 12:30: Questions and answers - All
12:30 - 13:30: Lunch
13:30: 13:50: Ten years of remote sensing projects between Flanders and South
Africa - Walter Debruyn
13:50 - 14:00: Questions and answers â All
14-00 - 14:20: Soot and other atmospheric aerosols that affect human health and
the global climate - Rene van Grieden & Harmut Winkler
14:20 - 14:30: Questions and answers - All
14:30 - 14:50: Analysis of the social economic role of agriculture in rural
village economics in South Africa - Jeffrey Mphahlele
14:50 - 15:00: Questions and answers - All
15:00 - 15:30: Tea
15:30 - 15:50: Antiviral drug resistance and therapy response in HIV infected
Patients - Anne-Mieke Vandamme
15:50 - 16:0: Questions and answers â All
16:00 - 16:20: Study of the ecohydrology of temporary wetlands in the Cape
Region - Niko Verhoest (F), T. Abraham Republic of south Africa
16:20 - 16:30: Questions and answers - All
16:30 - 16:50: Investigation of the safety of medicinal plants used in South
Africa traditional medicine - Norbert De Kimpe
16:50 - 17:00: Questions and answers -All
18:00: Welcoming cocktail
Day 2: Tuesday 14, March 2006
Session 3 (Continues): Experiences from current cooperation projects
09:00 - 09:20: The screening of Southern African plan species for potential
anticancer agents interacting with DNA - Annabel Fossey
09:20 - 09:30: Questions and answers - All
09:30-09:50: Imperial research on the effects of Mother tongue vs. foreign
language as a medium - J Messerschmidt
09:50 - 10:00: Questions and answers - All
10:00 - 10:20: Sustainable approaches to integrated management of aquatic
resources in South Africa a - Daniel Brink
10:20 - 11:00: Questions and answers
11:00 - 11:30: Tea
Session 4: Taking the cooperation forward
11:30 - 12:00: Ideas about future cooperation - Dr. Chris Scheffer
12:00 - 12:30: Ideas about future cooperation - Koen Verlaeckt
12:30 - 13:00: Plenarary on taking the cooperation forward - facilitated by Dr.
Mosimege
13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
14:00 - 14:20: Trilateral Partnerships for Human Capital Development through
Development Aid - Cecil Masoka
14:20 - 14:30: Questions and answers - All
14:30 - 14:50: European Framework Programme (FP 6/7) - Daan du Toit
14:50 - 15:00: Questions and answers - All
15:00 - 15:20: National Research Facilities - Dr. Chris Scheffer
15:20 - 15:30: Questions and answers - All
15:30 - 15:50: Human capital, science centres and centres of excellence - Anati
Canca
15:50 - 16:00: Questions and answers
16:00 - 16:15: Wrap Up and Closure of Day 2 - All
16:00 - 16:30: Tea
Day 3: Wednesday 15, March 2006
Session 5: Technical meeting
09:00 - 09:20: Short capturing of the discussions on Day 1 and Day 2 - Dr.
Mosimege
09:20 - 09:40: Human Language Technology - Maerlie Davel (CSIR)
09:40 - 09:50: Questions and answers - All
09:50 - 10:10: Medical research - Shaidah Asmall
10:10 - 10:20: Questions and answers - All
10:20 - 10:45: Tea
10:45 - 11:30: Parallel Session 1: Modalities of cooperation - proposals for
phase two cooperation - facilitator Flanders
Parallel Session two: Thematic priorities for future cooperation - Mpozi
Ndudane
11: 30 - 12:15: Report back - Dr. Mosimege
12:15 - 12:30: Closure of the workshop - All
12:30 - 13:30: Tea
Enquiries:
Nhlanhla Nyide
Cell: 082 871 6767
E-mail: nhlanhla.nyide@dst.gov.za
Kristin Klose
Manager: Communication
Cell: 082 902 9503
E-mail: kristin.klose@dst.gov.za
Nelvis Qekema
Ministerial Liaison
Cell: 082 571 2571
E-mail: nelvis.qekema@dst.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
9 March 2006
