Unisa online - Centre for African Renaissance Studies hosts stakeholder meeting

The Centre for African Renaissance Studies (CARS) held a stakeholder meeting on 4 November 2008 to discuss the establishment of centres of excellence and a database of African experts within Africa and the Diaspora. This is a collaborative project between CARS/Unisa, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

The main objectives of the project are to define what centres of excellence are within the African context; to identify Africa’s knowledge, challenges, needs and gaps; to adapt best practices from existing centres of excellence; to determine the criteria for the location, monitoring and evaluation of the centres of excellence; and to establish a database of African experts within Africa and the Diaspora.

The occasion, opened by Prof Rita Maré, was attended by over 30 dignitaries and stakeholders, including the DBSA, NEPAD, government, the International Council on Scientific Union (ICSU), ambassadors, the Academy of Science of South Africa, the CSIR and Unisa staff. In her opening speech, Prof Maré described the research as being central to Unisa's vision and mission. "The proposed establishment of centres of excellence and a database of African experts within Africa and the Diaspora will make an enormous contribution towards the implementation of the African ideal in the academic portfolio as well as the promotion of the vision of the university to be the African university in the service of humanity."

The DBSA's Knowledge Management Africa (KMA) was represented by Ms Yolisa and colleagues. According to Yolisa, the aims of the KMA are to facilitate the sharing and utilisation of knowledge across the continent; to promote the use of collective knowledge as a key developmental resource, thereby enhancing governance and service delivery; to establish KM platforms that create access to existing knowledge networks; and to advocate and promote the enhancement of a policy environment in Africa that retains, rather than alienates, African knowledge and skilled professionals. She went on to stress the importance of knowledge in the economy, the environment, and in socioeconomic development and governance.

Ms Bessie Mchunu and Ms Anneline Morgan of the DST described the establishment of centres of excellence as "going for research gold." The DST has to date established 10 centres of excellence and plans to continue establishing such centres every year.

The Diaspora perspective was provided by Ms Julialynne Walker who distinguished between contemporary Diaspora and historic Diaspora. Dr Joseph Diescho, Director of International Relations at Unisa, passionately discussed the crisis of leadership in Africa and expressed the need for a centre of excellence on leadership.

Prof Shadrack Gutto, Director and Chair of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies, discussed the links between the centres of excellence and the regional economic bodies, such as the African Union and trade organisations. Prof Esther Kibuka-Sebitosi, a Principal Researcher, gave the project overview, while Mrs Mildred Aristide, a Research Fellow at CARS, was the Programme Director.