The Innovation Hub formalised its strategic partnership with The Training Centre in Communication (TCC), in Nairobi, to open a new satellite office at The Innovation Hub to benefit universities, national and international research institutes and programmes in South Africa and the southern Africa sub-region.
The partnership was formalised by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 2 June 2012.
The Innovation Hub is a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth Development Agency (GGDA), which is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
The strategic partnership agreement, aimed at providing seminars and courses to postgraduate students, staff, faculty and outside participants to increase communication skills and create economic opportunities, was signed by The Innovation Hub CEO, McLean Sibanda, and the University of Nairobi Centre Manager, Joy Owango.
Sibanda said: "The signing of this bilateral agreement is a step in the right direction and important milestone in building a strong and active capacity in improving the exchange of information and knowledge skills to benefit the southern Africa sub-region. We will work with TCC in packaging the workshops and training programmes that will serve the educational development goals and enhance the capability for innovation and venture capital support in line with the Gauteng Employment and Development Strategy (GEDS)."
Professor Gabor Lovei, the Director of Training, said: "We are delighted to have formed this partnership and the opportunity to work with The Innovation Hub, and this agreement represents the cornerstone to achieve closer co-operation in improving the exchange of information and knowledge. This forms part of TCC's mission to contribute to the increase in profile, locally and internationally, of African science, and its impact on the life of Africans, by improving skills in technical communication in all forms in African countries.
Under the MOU, The Innovation Hub, in conjunction with The Training Centre in Communication, will manage and co-ordinate courses to postgraduate students, staff, faculty and other interested parties at The Innovation Hub, South Africa, complete with a seminar style of training.
The first course to be facilitated under this partnership will be on Writing Grant Management and Oral Communication Presentation and Networking, and will be held in September 2012, at The Innovation Hub.
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GGDA
The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), previously known as Blue IQ and GEDA, is a merged entity by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED). It is the implementation arm of the GDED to assist the department to lead, facilitate and manage sustainable job creation and inclusive economic growth and development in the Gauteng city region.
For more information on GGDA, please contact Stephen Watson, Acting Head, Marketing, Communications and Strategic Promotions, on (083) 380 3359.
The Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub (TIH), a GGDA subsidiary, is Africa's first internationally accredited Science Park and a full member of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP). The leading knowledge-intensive business cluster in South Africa, TIH is strategically located in Tshwane, South Africa's executive capital, in the 'smart' province of Gauteng. TIH implements the initiatives identified in the Gauteng Innovation Strategy and Green Economy strategy to advance the economic development and growth of the province through innovation.
TIH has created a unique space for high-tech entrepreneurs, world-class businesses, academics, researchers and venture capitalists to meet, network and prosper.
For more information, kindly visit www.theinnovationhub.com.
The Training Centre in Communication
TCC is a not-for-profit organisation set up in 2006 in partnership with the University of Nairobi. It is the first African-based training centre to teach effective communication skills. TCC is based at the University of Nairobi, Gecaga Institute, Chiromo Campus, in Nairobi, Kenya.
TCC has also partnered with Kenyatta University, Kenya, in training scientists in communication and publishing. TCC has opened a satellite office in Nigeria in partnership with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (OAU), through the Directorate of Linkages and Sponsored Research. The new office trains research scientists and postgraduate students from the Western Africa sub-Saharan region.
To date, TCC has trained over 800 research scientists at a postgraduate level from 70 national and international research institutes, including universities from Africa.
For more information, please contact Joy Owango, Centre Manager, on (+254) 208 086820/(+254) 733 792316 or e-mail joy.owango@tcc-africa.org or visit www.tcc-africa.org.
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