2021 Events

Catching technological waves: Innovation with equity

Seminar on the topic of the Technology and Innovation Report 2021. Presented by Dr Clovis Freire Junior, an Economic Affairs Officer at the Division on Technology and Logistics of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.

The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law

Prof. Ryan Abbott, from the University of Surrey School of Law, presents his book “The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law”, published in 2020 by Cambridge University Press.

Book Launch – Roundtable in French

Transformer l’excellence en recherche: nouvelles idées des pays du Sud Global

Launch of the French version of the book “Transforming Research Excellence: New Ideas from the Global South” Edited by Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Matthew L Wallace, and Robert McClean, published in 2020.

Presentation of work in progress by PhD student Amanda-Leigh O’Connell, on her PhD research.

Sustainable Futures – An Agenda for Action

Prof. Raphael Kaplinsky, from the University of Sussex, presented his book “Sustainable Futures – An Agenda for Action”.  This book interrogates the causes and nature of the systemic crises we are living

through, showing how the challenges we now face mirror previous historical epochs, in which

dominant ‘techno-economic’ paradigms flourish, mature and run into crisis. In each case, as is the

case now, decisive action is required to move to a more economically and socially sustainable world.

Presentation of work in progress by PhD student Ruth Eegunjobi, on her PhD research.

Presentation of work in progress by PhD student Liesel Kassier, on her PhD research.

Presentation of work in progress by Dr Larry Onyango, on “Digitalisation, Informality and Gender: A Case Study of Informal Businesses in South Africa”.

Presentation of work in progress by Dr Marc Guei, on “Global value chains and economic upgrading: The case of developing countries”.

Presentation of work in progress by PhD student Gerard Ralphs, on his PhD research “Measuring innovation with social benefits in the South Africa cultural and creative industries: why, how, so what?”.

Book launch for the volume “Leap 4.0: African Perspectives on the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, edited by Zamanzima Mazibuko-Makena and Prof. Erika Kraemer-Mbula, drew together scholars with various expertise to address how the African continent will be impacted by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), particularly for workers and marginalised groups.

A joint webinar between AfricaLics, the trilateral Chair and the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA).

Colloquium on Transformative Innovation Policy: Perspectives from South Africa

In partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and the Centre for Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators, and Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium, the Chair hosted this virtual Colloquium. The three-day event included a public lecture by Prof Alejandra Boni (INGENIO), a closed day exclusive to policy experiments that have experience in applying transformative innovation policy (TIP), and an open day to practitioners and academics focused on co-learning and co-creation to create a community of practice. Some speakers included Mr Imraan Patel (DDG at DSI), Prof Johan Schot, Dr Matias Ramirez, and Prof Joanna Chataway.

Water, Energy, Food and Environment (WEFE) Autumn School – IDEA League

Over ten days and through 28 sessions, the WEFE Nexus School offered students the possibility of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interconnections between water, energy, food, and the environment and developing new ideas for sustainable solutions. UJ-TRCTI and UJ-PEETS delivered lectures on the Sociotechnical Systems, Systems Governance and Meta Governance / Justice and Values and the Circular Economy with a case study on Southern Africa and Europe with our partners from the Delft University of Technology.

Micro-digester Technology Innovation Audit

Following the engagement on the Micro-digester Sector Development Plan with SANEDI, TRCTI and SABIA, we coordinated a technical task team to participate in a 90 min review related to technical innovations linked to micro-digesters in South Africa.

Presentation of work in progress by Dr Bertha Vallejo, on “COVID-19 and industrial resilience in the Global South. A case study on the auto parts sector in Mexico”.

The future of microdigesters

An online policy workshop to discuss the initial findings of a micro-digester sector review.

Book Launch – Roundtable in Spanish

“Transformando la excelencia en la investigación: Nuevas ideas del Sur Global”

Launch of the Spanish version of the book “Transforming Research Excellence: New Ideas from the Global South” Edited by Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Matthew L Wallace, and Robert McClean, published in 2020.