Pretoria, Thursday 9 March 2018 – Close to 100 young academics from southern Africa will meet at Birchwood Hotel for the 12th Africa Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) conference to discuss Africa’s Socio-Economic Transformation: Opportunities, challenges and the way forward, from the 12th to 16th of March 2018.
The two-day annual gathering which is organised by the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Sam Tambani Research Institute (SATRI) and Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), will feature emerging scholars mostly from Southern African universities. The young scholars will deliberate on, amongst others, effective models which may unlock reliable corridors to deal with Africa’s socio-economic developmental challenges.
The discussion will be held under the following five sub-themes: Governance dimensions of Africa’s sustainable development aspirations; Social cohesion, peace and nation building in Africa; Agriculture and food security in national development processes; Role of science, technology and innovation in African development processes; and Socio-Economics.
The conference will also include a three-day academy intended at providing emerging scholars with the opportunity to enhance their competencies and skills required in their post graduate studies.
In these three days scholars will interact with seasoned experts in research, as well as robust discussions with a view to strengthen their capacity in research, publishing, and project management.
The annual AYGS conference is a research capacity-building project which was conceived in 2005 with the aim of building a body of knowledge and to project the African ‘voice’ into various global discussions. It is further intended to bridge the existing gap of expertise in knowledge production on African affairs by developing a society of knowledge producers among the youth.
Media are invited as follows:
Date: Thursday 15 March 2018
Time: 08h00-09h30
Venue: Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre,
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani, 0827659191 or anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
Follow the conversation on #AYGS2018
Notes to the editor
About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.
Our mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.
The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
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For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Manusha Pillai
Mobile: 082 389 3587
Email: MPillai@hsrc.ac.za
Adziliwi Nematandani
Mobile: 082 765 9191
E-mail: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za