Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, at the closing event of the 10-Year Partnership between the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Flemish Inter-University Council at the UWC’s School of Public Health
Programme Director;
Rector and Vice Chancellor, Brian O'Connell;
Representatives of the Federal Government of Belgium and the Regional Government of Flanders;
Officials of the Flemish Inter-University Council;
Esteemed Flemish and South African academics;
Distinguished guests;
Students;
It is an honour for me to address this closing event for the decade-long partnership between the University of the Western Cape and the Flemish Inter-University Council.
Belgium and Flanders have long played a meaningful role in the development of South Africa. In recent years, the Federal Government of Belgium allocated 25 million euro as official development assistance to South Africa, supporting initiatives in health, education and public sector capacity-building. South Africa and Flanders enjoy a privileged science and technology partnership which dates back to 1996. This cooperation has involved the promotion of research and innovation in areas such as health, earth sciences and social sciences, with over 200 projects funded to date.
The partnership programme between the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Flemish Inter-University Council, epitomises what can be accomplished when we put our minds to it. In development cooperation terms, a 10-year commitment to a single institution is a singular achievement! A partnership revolves around relationships - in this case, between the UWC and the Flemish Inter-University Council. But, most importantly, it is between the academics and students from the participating institutions. Building relationships takes time and effort, and the stronger they are, the more confident we can be that they will evolve beyond a formal closing such as this event.
The building of this relationship is important – not only because of the human element – but because it is fundamental to good research and scientific discovery. When ordinary people picture scientific discovery, the image of the lonesome genius often comes to mind. However, when we're speaking of the social or natural sciences, or, indeed, mathematics and engineering, knowledge creation is a social process.
Of course, we can engage with other scientists' ideas by reading their published research papers. This is important, but it has its limitations. When we interact in real time, on a human level, we share ideas, we debate, we argue. We sharpen one another's minds.
When we marshal our intellectual forces into collaborative research work, this is when things start to get really interesting. So much the better if we bring our different views, experiences and varied strengths to this research work. This is not always easy, but ultimately we are strengthened, as people and as knowledge workers.
I am aware that the Flemish Inter-University Council does not really like the terms "aid" or "development cooperation". Yes, Europe is more affluent than Africa – for now – so money tends to flow more in one direction than the other. However, as the Council has pointed out, this is not about one-way assistance; it is rather about promoting fruitful, mutually-beneficial interactions.
We face global challenges, so why not face them together? We also face our own specific challenges, but they are rarely unique. Surely there is much we can learn from one another, especially when we work collaboratively.
That said, we cannot overlook how important the Council's support has been to the University of the Western Cape. When this partnership programme began, the university was not the robust institution it is today. Like other historically black institutions of higher education, it faced many challenges. I would like to acknowledge the important contribution made by the Flemish Inter-University Council, and, by extension, the Flanders and Belgian Governments, to the emergence of the University of the Western Cape as one of South Africa's finest institutions of higher learning and research.
This generosity has strengthened UWC as an institution by supporting research projects and new research centres, by giving junior academics a boost towards completing their higher degrees, and by financing greater student mobility through bursaries. This has provided many academics with opportunities to study at Flemish universities.
I have not had sufficient opportunity to acquaint myself thoroughly with the centre-piece of the partnership programme, namely, the "Dynamics of Building a Better Society" initiative. However, I intuitively appreciate what this initiative has sought to do. It is a strategy of developing research capacity – not in the abstract, by simply building skills sets – but rather by cultivating capacity through applied practice. By selecting a handful of real-life challenges, research capacity is developed and applied in a socially meaningful way. The idea that knowledge creation should be socially meaningful is very close to the heart of the Department of Science and Technology. In fact, it is written explicitly into our Science and Technology White Paper, and is reflected in many of the initiatives we promote, including a number of the theme-based centres of excellence and research chairs.
Although we are here to celebrate the closing of the 10-year programme between the University of the Western Cape and the Flemish Inter-University Council, we are certainly not declaring an end to the partnership, which by now has a life of its own. The partnership programme has created a stronger university, new research centres, new PhDs, and new knowledge.
This celebration co-exists wonderfully with the celebration of twenty years of freedom and democracy in our country, and twenty years of achievement. Our achievements are in fact nothing more than the sum of the achievements of many individuals and institutions like UWC. This partnership represents the stuff of, or the critical ingredient for, success stories. Without democracy in our country this would not have been possible. Without meaningful partnerships our democracy would have been hollow. We celebrate together!
I trust that this will serve as a springboard for new opportunities for collaborative work. To mention but one possibility, the European Union has recently launched its new Framework Programme Horizon 2020, which will open up a wide variety of exciting opportunities to pursue collaborative research over national borders and between continents. My department is actively working with the European Union to bring Horizon 2020 to the attention of South African universities. The University of the Western Cape and its long-time Flemish partners are now brilliantly positioned to take advantage of what Horizon 2020 has to offer, and I urge you to do so.
In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has made this 10-year partnership programme possible: the Belgian and Flanders Governments, the Flemish Inter-University Council, the University of the Western Cape, and – last but not least – the many academics and students, both South African or Flemish, who have been the lifeblood of the programme.
Thank you for all the good work and for setting such a shining example of what we can accomplish when we work together. As the Japanese poet, Ryunosuke Satoro, put it: Individually we are a drop, together we are an ocean.
Thank you.
