12 – 14 September 2018, St George Hotel and Conference Centre, Pretoria

Biannual research conference convened by the HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

Over the past 50 years the HSRC, as tasked by the Act of 2008, did research and maintained its proud history of generating new knowledge. Through empirical research, the HSRC continues to contribute to local, regional and global understandings of the human and social conditions of the people of the region. Through regular reporting, the HSRC is dedicated to regularly communicate its research findings and to assist policy-makers in government to comply with its social mandate. It is in the light of this that the bi-annual HSRC Conference in 2018 will share its research findings and collectively reflect on its research impact on social innovation and the promotion of social science research.

Social innovation has been conceptualised as new ways of creating and implementing social and systemic changes. Though by definition close to the idea of technological innovation, where we find complementary actions, social innovation refers to the desired revitalisation of social aspects which, in our case, includes innovative ways of solving poverty and inequality as well as challenging the normative order of current practice and theories. Social innovation has the potential to meet pressing social needs and could introduce new systems that will assist in a better delivery of products, services and support systems focussed on social well-being. Social innovation further extends into the transformation of management structures, and workplace innovation and has the ability to explore new terms and conditions for long-term sustainable development.