SOUTH-AFRICA: Strengthening Africa–Asia Collaboration in Science, Technology & Innovation
On 24 November 2025, the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South–South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC), in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, convened a Consultative Meeting and Concept Co-Creation Workshop in Pretoria, South Africa.
The workshop formed part of ISTIC’s ongoing efforts to advance the co-development of the emerging AFRASIA framework, a joint regional initiative aimed at strengthening Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) collaboration between Africa and Asia.
The meeting brought together representatives from partner institutions across both regions, including the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Indonesia (MoHEST), the Malaysia Science Endowment (MSE), and South Africa’s Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), with CSIR-CLRI India participating as an observer. Discussions centred on institutional priorities, shared challenges, and early opportunities for coordinated action under the AFRASIA programme.
During the Pretoria meeting, participants contributed collective inputs to the AFRASIA framework, including proposals related to governance arrangements, thematic work packages, co-funding mechanisms, joint research calls, and pathways for mobility, training and knowledge exchange. The discussions reaffirmed a strong shared commitment to building a long-term, co-funded and co-implemented STI partnership that can strengthen scientific collaboration and support sustainable development across Asia and Africa.
AFRASIA is envisioned as a six-year, multi-country partnership anchored initially by South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and Tanzania. The programme aims to establish a sustained platform that connects institutions across the two regions, advances mission-oriented research and innovation, strengthens human capital through mobility and capacity-building initiatives, and promotes open science practices alongside evidence-informed policy engagement. Ultimately, AFRASIA seeks to generate impactful research, deepen regional collaboration and contribute to shared socioeconomic resilience across the Global South.
Outputs from the Pretoria consultation will guide the refinement of the AFRASIA concept note and the finalisation of the programme’s implementation plan. ISTIC, together with the NRF and regional partners, will continue moving toward operationalising the programme’s work packages, aligning national funding instruments and preparing for the next phases of collaborative activities under the AFRASIA initiative.
