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UFS and DSTI host the 2025 G20 research working group and bioeconomy meetings

23 February 2025 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

UFS Main Building — The University of the Free State in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), will form the backdrop for the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) and G20 Initiative on Biochemistry (GIB) meetings in February.

The University of the Free State (UFS) will form the backdrop for the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) and G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB) meetings on 23 and 24 February 2024.

UFS has, over the years, distinguished itself as a leader in the research and development, particularly in the biodiversity space through its African Medicines, Innovations and Technologies Development (AMITD) platform, which was established in collaboration with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and its entity, the Technology Innovation Agency. It was therefore an obvious choice for the institution to again partner with the DSTI to host the G20 meetings.

The G20 is an international forum comprising many of the world's largest developing and developed economies, established to tackle pressing global economic and financial issues.

South Africa holds the G20 Presidency this year – only five years before the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development deadline. This is the first time the G20 is being hosted on African soil.

South Africa's presidency takes place when the world is facing a series of overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, including climate change, underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, hunger, unemployment, technological changes, and geopolitical instability.

The G20 RIWG provides a platform for addressing global challenges through research, technology and innovation. The DSTI will lead the RIWG under the leadership of Minister Blade Nzimande and explore this year's theme, "Equity in science and innovation-based approaches to sustainable development".

Prof Nzimande, along with Prof Hester Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UFS, will both deliver opening remarks at the meeting.

The session on 23 February will be the first to include G20 officials engaging with indigenous knowledge holders, students and researchers in the bioeconomy.

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director of the Department of Pharmacology and AMITD at UFS, says the university was an excellent choice to host the sessions because of its trusted relationships with indigenous communities and focus on inclusive research and development.

The G20 dialogues aim to be inclusive and provide a space for members of the public to voice their aspirations and to capture their needs around the indigenous knowledge and biodiversity in which they play an integral role.

"I am honoured to be part of this global event. I am so happy that AMITD is now globally recognised. We will exhibit our research conducted with communities on the internationalisation of South African science research in traditional medicines and biodiversity, and its formal commercialisation," said Prof Matsabisa.

"We are the leader in traditional medicines research and development.

"South Africa always leads in global debates and sets the stage for African views to be heard. We will contribute to policies on global biodiversity and bioeconomy and commercialisation of our natural resources through equity, sustainability and solidarity.

Prof Matsabisa believes this event will also highlight the goals of the DSTI's 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation and the implementation of its 2022-2032 Decadal Plan.

He hopes to see tangible and meaningful outcomes from the G20 discussions that will be implemented by the USA when it takes over the G20 Presidency for 2026.

News Archive

SRC elections: A first for UFS main campus

2005-08-14

Students on the main campus of the of the University of the Free State (UFS) will this week for the first time vote for the Student Representative Council (SRC) using two voting systems: proportional representation (PR) and first-past-the-post.

According to the Vice-Rector, Student Affairs, Dr Ezekiel Moraka, this year’s elections are a milestone for the UFS as it will be the first time that the main campus SRC will be elected according to the amended SRC constitution, which was approved by the UFS Council in June 2005.

“It is also a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university,” said Dr Moraka.

The amended constitution of the main campus SRC determines that nine of the 18 SRC members must be elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an individual, first-past-the-post election.

According to Dr Moraka, the introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus.

“Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg, a former SRC President, facilitated the negotiation process,” said Dr Moraka.

Students on the main campus in Bloemfontein will vote for a new SRC on Monday 15 August 2005.

SRC elections will also take place on the other two campuses of the UFS, which have their own SRC structures.

Students on the UFS-Vista campus in Bloemfontein will vote for a new SRC on Monday 15 August 2005 and Tuesday 16 August 2005.

At the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS, students will vote for a new SRC on Friday 26 August 2005.

The election processes on all three campuses will be closely monitored by independent electoral bodies.

After the three campuses have elected their respective SRCs a central SRC will be constituted. The central SRC will have 12 members made up of delegates of the three campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. The main campus will have five representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have four representatives and the Vista campus will have three representatives.

Main campus voting schedule:
Monday 15 August 2005 from 07:00-21:00. Ten voting stations will be set up across the campus. The results will be announced on Tuesday 16 August 2005.

Vista campus voting schedule:
Monday 15 August 2005 and Tuesday 16 August 2005 from 09:00-18:00 in the administration building. The results will be announced on Wednesday 17 August 2005.

Qwaqwa campus voting schedule:
Friday 26 August 2005 from 09:00-18:00 in the Senate Hall. If there is no objection to the final results, it will be announced on the same day.

Media release

Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel: (051) 401-2584
   Cell: 083 645 2454
   E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

14 August 2005

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