Johannesburg, Thursday, 16 October 2025 — The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and partners are proud to present the Science Diplomacy Summer School, a pioneering initiative designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to leverage science-policy-diplomacy interfaces in addressing Africa’s developmental and global challenges.
Taking place from 15 to 24 October 2025, the Summer School is a hybrid event, held online and in person at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Gauteng. The programme offers participants a comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of science diplomacy as a critical tool for navigating complex global challenges.
Through contextually relevant case studies, dialogues, and reflective exercises, participants will explore the diverse roles and perspectives of policymakers, diplomats, scientists, and civil society actors. This combination of theory and practice is designed to enhance analytical and critical thinking, while fostering innovative strategies to strengthen Africa’s voice and influence in global science and diplomacy arenas.
The programme follows an interactive and practice-oriented approach, blending conceptual learning with hands-on activities and engagement. Participants will explore multiple dimensions, tracks, and approaches to science diplomacy through contextually relevant case studies, dialogues, reflective exercises and working groups.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Summer School, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the tools, soft skills, and expertise required for effective science diplomacy
- Apply systems thinking to science diplomacy at the multilateral level using to real-world scenarios
- Have a sound understanding of policy stakeholders and effective engagement mechanisms for scientific and diplomatic partnerships
- Integrate African perspectives, knowledge systems, and priorities into global science diplomacy dialogues
- Identify opportunities and challenges for advancing science diplomacy in the African context
The Summer School will be offered in a hybrid format, comprising:
- Three online sessions from 15 to 17 October via MS Teams
- In-person sessions from 20 to 21 October at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre
- Live streaming of in-person sessions and the HSRC/NRF Engaged Research Conference
- A dedicated Google Classroom for course materials and online discussions
All materials related to the Summer School are available to registered participants on the HSRC website: https://hsrc.ac.za/science-diplomacy-summer-school/
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For media enquiries, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani: Cell: +27 82 765 9191 Email: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
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Notes to the editor
About the Engaged Research Conference
Engaged Research as a Pathway to Bridging Knowledge and Society
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. Its research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
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