Mr chairman
Honourable ministers
Excellencies
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
I wish to begin by thanking Dr Omi and the conference leadership for inviting me to attend and speak at this stimulating conference. My thanks to the honourable Minister Kaieda for being a generous supportive host.
This conference is an important forum for intellectual exchange, learning and exploration. I am told by past and present delegates that useful professional friendships and collaborative endeavours have often emerged as one of the results of the STS Forum.
Extensive scientific, technological and innovative ground has been covered and I do not intend to repeat any of it.
As a way into my future roadmap allow me to refer to a few activities that have galvanised science, technology and innovation development in South Africa in the past five years.
We have made human resource development a high priority, growing access to quality maths and science teaching at school, expanding higher education enrolments, increasing postgraduate success and support, encouraging international students, and increasing employment for permanent researchers at our universities.
A number of programmes that support these objectives have been set up. They include the South Africa Research Chairs Initiative, the Innovation Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme and the Professional Research Development Programme.
We have drawn on the example of success in Japan in acting on our belief that science and technology are fundamental to solving the difficult questions related to economic growth, rural poverty, the built environment, health, agriculture and education. We address these with the primary intention of contributing to an improved quality of life for our people and for the global community.
One of our weaknesses has been the failure to convert promising basic research to commercial products. Furthermore we are slow in creating spin-off companies, in generating technology transfer contracts and registering patents.
So, in responding to what do we do, the first question the forum must tackle is what do you wish to achieve? If the forum is to be an excellent gathering, exchange and possible partnerships, ten your aims have been achieved and all that should happen is continued convening, selection of new themes and hopefully greater gender equity and diversity in future.
If however, the forum wishes to make a fundamental mark in the global scientific community; the tough question it must respond to is how can it utilise its tremendous intellectual resources to "teach" those most vulnerable and marginalised the rules of access to the science, technology and innovation (STI).
What must be done is to move beyond good science to concrete action to change the world.
There are efforts underway in Africa and South Asia to strengthen scientific activity; it is possible for the Forum to devise innovative strategies on how the developed world can ensure quality outcomes and the re-orientation of weak systems into vibrant participants in STI.
Furthermore, the future lies with the youth, both young men and young women greater engagement with young people will ensure continued international collaboration, academic renewal and diverse partnerships that will support the emergence of a cohort of scientists that understand world challenges and have the ability and skills to resolve them.
As agreed in 2008, increased attention should be given to more support for developing countries. We need a forum review panel, perhaps made up of academy president to review and report on development support and promising excellence in Science and Technology in developing countries.
It was clear from our deliberations that health, food security, climate change and energy remain key challenges, these need to continue to be debated and studies, but we must also record progress and innovation. The forum should consider adding a best practice segment for each panel so that participants return home with a set of possible interventions.
In conclusion, chairperson, this is an excellent forum of high level exchange what we should do now is find a means of translating excellent debate to concrete action.
Source: Department of Science and Technology
Address by Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, MP, at the closing plenary session of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum, Kyoto, Japan
