The International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South co-operation (ISTIC), under the auspices of UNESCO, and SA’s National Research Foundation (NRF) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deepen collaboration in science, technology and innovation.
ISTIC is overseen by the Malaysian government through its Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The agreement was signed by Nare Prudence Makhura, executive director for International Grants and Partnerships at NRF, and Mohd Basyaruddin Abd Rahman, chair of ISTIC's governing board, at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
In a statement, the NRF said the strategic pact aims to facilitate collaborative research, strengthen capacity-building for early- and mid-career researchers in the Global South, and promote the exchange of knowledge, scientific expertise and innovation.
Areas of focus include water, health, climate change, artificial intelligence and other mutually beneficial fields aligned with national and global priorities.
According to the latest figures from the United Nations, South-South co-operation is home to 85% of the world’s population, with the Global South contributing 91% of global labour across all skill levels. It accounts for 42% of global GDP, and South-South trade more than doubled between 2007 and 2023, signalling new opportunities and the growing importance of Global South economies.
The MOU includes provisions for joint calls for research proposals, workshops, symposia, and the co-development of knowledge products. It also paves the way for future project-specific agreements and the joint mobilisation of resources to support priority initiatives, the NRF said.
"This partnership reaffirms our shared commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable development through science, technology and innovation. Together, ISTIC and NRF will create opportunities for co-creation, knowledge exchange and impactful joint initiatives across the Global South," said Tengku Sharizad Tengku Dahlan, director of ISTIC.
Michael Nxumalo, director of Future Earth Africa Hub and its leadership centre, and NRF manager, international grants and partnerships, added: "Through this MOU, we hope to foster not only research collaboration, but also stronger people-to-people connections between our institutions and communities of scientists.”
Share