{"id":3709,"date":"2026-07-08T08:30:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T08:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/istic-unesco.org\/v3\/?p=3709"},"modified":"2026-07-08T08:31:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T08:31:52","slug":"south-africa-istic-participated-in-the-sri2026-africa-regional-conference-and-successfully-concluded-the-science-diplomacy-workshop-for-early-and-mid-career-researchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/istic-unesco.org\/v3\/2026\/07\/08\/south-africa-istic-participated-in-the-sri2026-africa-regional-conference-and-successfully-concluded-the-science-diplomacy-workshop-for-early-and-mid-career-researchers\/","title":{"rendered":"SOUTH AFRICA: ISTIC Participated in the SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference and Successfully Concluded the Science Diplomacy Workshop for Early- and Mid-Career Researchers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In June, <\/span>the International Science, <\/span>Technology<\/span> and Innovation <\/span>Center<\/span> under the auspices of <\/span>UNESCO<\/span> (<\/span>ISTIC<\/span>) participated in the SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference<\/a> held in Cape Town, South Africa<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>
As<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>partner of the event, ISTIC played an active role by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>leading parallel sessions<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>contributing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0plenary discussions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and organising a dedicated side event focused on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>s<\/span>cience diplomacy capacity-building<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>line with its strategic thrusts on research ecosystem strengthening and STI policy advocacy and diplomacy.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
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Co-convened by the\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>National Research Foundation (NRF)<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Future Earth<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> the\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>Future Earth Africa Hub<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> and the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Belmont Forum<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> the\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has been held across five continents since 2021, including\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Africa, Oceania, Latin America, Europe, and North America<\/span><\/span>. The conference serves as a global platform that brings together leaders from research, government, civil society, and the private sector to co-design innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Science Diplomacy Workshop <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From\u00a0<\/span><\/span>21 to 23 June<\/strong>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0ISTIC organised and delivered the workshop\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cFoundations of Science Diplomacy: A Training Programme for Early- and Mid-Career Researchers.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0The programme was jointly\u00a0<\/span>convened<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>together with<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Future Earth Africa Hub and Leadership Centre (FEAHLC)<\/span><\/span><\/a>, the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF),<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre)<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>EPIC-N\u00a0<\/span>and the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>University of Venda.<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Designed specifically for\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>early- and mid-career<\/strong> researchers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>across Africa<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0and the Global South<\/span><\/strong>, the training aimed to provide participants with the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>foundational knowledge, practical skills, and professional networks<\/span><\/span>\u00a0required to engage effectively in science diplomacy, contribute to evidence-informed policymaking, and strengthen regional and international scientific cooperation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>

The programme brought together\u00a0<\/span>2<\/span>4<\/span>\u00a0participants onsite and\u00a0<\/span>1<\/span>0<\/span>\u00a0online<\/span><\/span><\/strong>,<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>representing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>1<\/span>6<\/span>\u00a0countries<\/span><\/span><\/strong>,<\/strong> including<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Malaysia,\u00a0<\/span>South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia,<\/span>\u00a0Cameroon, Benin,\u00a0<\/span>Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Namibia, Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The workshop adopted a\u00a0<\/span>participant-centred and practice-oriented learning approach,\u00a0<\/span><\/b>moving beyond traditional lecture-based methods. By combining conceptual understanding with hands-on exercises, the training enabled participants to deepen their understanding of science diplomacy while developing the practical competencies needed to\u00a0operate\u00a0effectively at the science\u2013policy interface.<\/span> The programme was structured around three core themes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>