South Africa: Minister Blade Nzimande undertakes extensive Science, Technology and Innovation visit to Tunisia and Algeria
These visits are in response to invitations to Minister Nzimande by the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Mondher Belaid and the Algerian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Kamel Bidari.
Through these visits, Minister Nzimande seeks to reinforce existing science, technology, and innovation bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Tunisia and Algeria as part of a broader commitment to grow the size and intensity of intra-Africa STI cooperation for development.
Minister Nzimande's programme will include bilaterals with his Algerian and Tunisian counterparts and visits to key science institutions.
In Tunisia, the Minister will visit the Borja Cedria Technopark, the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, the Bardo National Museum for arts and history and the City of Science Museum.
In Algeria, the Minister will visit, the Centre for the Development of Advanced Technologies, the Saad Dahlab University, and the Great Mosque of Algiers.
One of the highlights of Minister Nzimande's visit to Algeria will include a guest lecture organised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific cooperation on Pan-African cooperation.
Reflecting on the importance of these visits, Minister Nzimande stated that "Our visit to Algeria and Tunisia forms part of our long standing international relations strategy to strengthen meaningful science, technology and innovation cooperation with fellow African countries and to advance the objectives of the African Union's Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA).'
'Pan-African STI cooperation and development are of paramount importance given the current unstable geopolitical environment and the imperatives of securing the sustainable future of the continent. All our efforts are therefore aimed towards developing what we refer to as a sovereign science, technology, and innovation agenda for Africa,' added the Minister.
The two visits will conclude with the adoption by the DSTI and counterpart Ministries, of two new comprehensive Plans of Action, aimed at intensifying cooperation with Tunisia and Algeria, respectively.
This will be an immediate and concrete implementation of the ambitions for South Africa's science diplomacy, which Minister Nzimande had outlined in his Budget Vote speech last week.
The Minister's delegation includes senior officials from the Ministry, the Department and the Entities of the Department such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), as well as experts from the Council for Mineral Technology (Mintek)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.
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