Research

Unisa staff member appointed as one of three SARIMA VPs

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Ayanda Noma, Unisa’s Director of the Innovation and Technology Transfer Directorate (DITT), has not only been appointed—as was recently reported—to the South African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Board, but he has gone one step further and is now the Vice-President for Innovation and Technology Transfer of the association!

In this role, he will lead the development and operationalisation of a strategy to grow the innovation and technology transfer disciplines in the region. This will entail the management and the development of a suite of initiatives ranging from capacity development initiatives to those that are designed to enhance the impact of innovation and technology transfer in the region.

“We will need to deepen our current partnerships with local and international organisations and funders, while at the same time seek out and establish new mutually beneficial partnerships. An important aspect of the work will be to intensify efforts towards the professionalization of the disciplines. Personally, I feel honoured to be entrusted with this responsibility of contributing to the work of SARIMA and the I&TT portfolio in particular. I will be working with a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals from all over the region. I am certain that together, standing on the shoulders of the giants before us, we will take SARIMA to new and even greater heights, Noma said.

The Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) is a stakeholder organisation that provides a platform for the promotion and facilitation of best practice in research and innovation management in Southern Africa. Its purpose is to strengthen the research and innovation system to ensure the social and economic development of the Southern African region.

The purpose of the association is to promote research and innovation management for the benefit of southern Africa. SARIMA is engaged on an annual basis with a large number of research and innovation management professionalisation activities, including capacity development courses and other interventions.

SARIMA manages a cohort of Southern African Development community (SADC) focal points to promote research and innovation management in collaboration with the South African Department of Science and Technology. It furthermore manages and co-ordinates a growing portfolio of multilateral programmes and projects in support of the SARIMA mandate and for the benefit of its members and stakeholders.

*By Virginia McManus

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Publish date: 2017-07-04 00:00:00.0

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