SPEECH BY TUT VICE-CHANCELLOR, ERROL
COMMEMORATION OF THE 5TH ANNIVESARY OF IERI
TYOBEKA
ON
THE
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Derrick Hannekom
Members of the Diplomatic Community
Distinguished Guests
Partners of TUT
Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Dr Clever Mumbengegwi
Chief Director and Staff of IERI
Colleagues, Friends, all and sundry
Today marks a milestone achievement in the history of the Tshwane University of
Technology as we celebrate the five years existence of the Institute for Economic
Research on Innovation (IERI).
The Tshwane University of Technology has as one of its strategic goals, the intent to
enhance the development of capacity, knowledge, the economy and society, through
focused engagement, research, and innovation.
As (IERI) celebrates five years, TUT has advanced in the achievement of having
provided research, capacity building, and community engagement. This forms part of
the strategic direction of our University in caring for the underprivileged, the upliftment of
people and the economic and social development of the Southern African region.
IERI was officially launched, under the patronage of the Department of Science and
Technology, and was, in the face of stiff competition, awarded the right to host the third
international conference of the Global Network for the Economics of Learning,
Innovation and Competence Building Systems (GLOBELICS) in South Africa for the
following year.
In 2005 a consortium of tertiary education institutions in five countries (Tshwane
University of Technology, South Africa; Università di Trento, Italy; Polytechnic of
Namibia, Namibia; University of Botswana, Botswana; Universidad São Tomás de
Moçambique, Mozambique) was formed to design and offer an internationally
accredited Joint Masters Programme in Comparative Local Development (JAMP) with
TUT as the main partner in collaboration with Trento and IERI as the location for the
programme. This, in support of TUT’s drive towards partnerships, innovation and
technology transfer.
In 2006 IERI was appointed as the Technical Service Agency for the Socio-Economic
Country Assessment of South Africa in the African Peer Review Mechanism’ (APRM)
process. The year 2007 saw IERI expanding its activities on a number of fronts. This
marked the start of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) research
project on comparative systems of innovation. This four year project funded by the
IDRC aims at an intensive comparative analysis of the national systems of innovation of
the five countries. On behalf of TUT, IERI was awarded a DST/ NRF-funded South
African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in 2007.
In 2008, the JAMP programme was accredited by the Council for Higher Education
(CHE) and the South African Qualities Authority (SAQA). As part of TUT’s commitment
to being at the cutting edge of innovation, IERI Chief Director, Rasigan Maharajh was
seconded to the Presidency for an initial four months starting October 2008 as a
member of the National Strategic Planning Task Team tasked with conceptualising a
planning facility at the centre of government for South Africa. The result of his
contribution and other role players is the National Planning Commission of our
government.
IERI hosted the 3rd International Seminar for the BRICS project in partnership with the
Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch. This seminar assessed country position papers
and initiated the second phase of the project. IERI also began hosting the South African
Node of the Millennium Project (SAMP). SAMP is the domestic link to a global
participatory futures research think tank of futurists, scholars, business planners, and
policy makers who work for international organisations, governments, corporations,
NGOs, and universities.
The year 2009 witnessed expansion of IERI activities, which included the recruitment of
graduate students; and the launch of the African Journal of Science, Technology,
Innovation and Development (AJSTID). IERI was also awarded the coordinating
function on the “Role of the State in the BRICS” Comparative Analysis Project, and
hosted, in partnership with the German Development Institute: Deutsches Institut für
Entwicklungspolitik, a visiting research team which analysed the South African
Innovation System and its contribution to Sustainable Development Patterns.
The Tshwane University of Technology is proud of the achievements of IERI in the past
five years and believes that our drive towards empowering people is being realised.
On that note, I welcome you all to the 5th anniversary commemoration of IERI.
I THANK YOU ALL