Kgabo Ramoroka, a PhD intern in the HSRC’s EPD research programme has been selected as one of four young scholars to represent South Africa in the global ‘Solve’ initiative led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ‘Solve’ is a movement collaborating to contribute in solving world challenges in an attempt to come up with solutions.

It rests on four pillars: learn (making education accessible); cure (leveraging innovation in health care), fuel (improve energy and food production) and make (providing economic opportunities).

Through the Department of Science of Technology, South Africa is part of the ‘Solve’ initiative, which will run for at least one year as a pilot initiative. In South Africa the main focus will be on deepening the DST strategy on Innovation for Inclusive Development. The first inaugural 4-day workshop will be held at the MIT campus in Boston, USA between 5-8 October 2015. The DST selected Kgabo and three other young South African scientists to participate in the programme.

Kgabo’s area of research interest in rural innovation is relevant to the DST strategy on Innovation for Inclusive Development and the MIT ‘Solve’. He is the project coordinator of the EPD team that works on the Rural Innovation Assessment Toolbox (RIAT) project that started in 2012. Kgabo is also a researcher in the monitoring and evaluation of the  Innovation Partnership for Rural Development Pilot Programme and is looking forward to sharing his expereince with other entusiastic innovation scholars from around the world.