Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr. Blade Nzimande has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to international collaboration during formal engagements with senior leadership at two prestigious Chinese institutions: the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the Aerospace Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Minister outlined the Department’s intention to strengthen partnerships in research, innovation, and academic exchange, particularly in the fields of science, technology, and traditional medicine.
His visit to the People’s Republic of China will culminate in his participation in the Second Ministerial Belt and Road Science and Technology Conference, scheduled for 11–12 June 2025 in Chengdu. The conference, themed “Together for Innovation, Development for All – Jointly Building a Scientific and Technological Innovation Community for the Belt and Road,” seeks to enhance multilateral cooperation in science and innovation among participating nations.
Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive, Professor Xiaoshun Qin, Chairperson of the Association of China-Africa Smallholder Agriculture at UNISA, underscored the significance of the visit. “It is a very important visit for our Minister to come to the People’s Republic of China. We have done a lot of collaboration, including higher education, professor and student exchanges, and joint research projects,” he said.
Professor Qin also highlighted the diversity of the delegation accompanying Minister Nzimande. “The Minister has not only been accompanied by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation but also by representatives from the African Innovation Foundation,” he added.
Senior executives from South Africa’s National System of Innovation are also part of the delegation. These include representatives from the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), and Professor Motlalepula Matsabisa, an expert in Indigenous Knowledge Systems from the University of the Free State.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: X/ @dstigovza
