Is a
joint project headed by the HSRC and Zhejiang Universitys Center
for Internet Finance and Innovation (CIFI)
Research
is co-sponsored by the German Development Foundation (GIZ) Emerging Markets
Sustainability Dialogue, HSRC & CIFI
HSRC:
Oversees the research in Southern &
Eastern Africa
Presenting the different contexts in
Southern & Eastern Africa
Partners with CENFRI and the BusaraCenter for
Behavioural Economics to better understand the underlying contexts in Southern
an Eastern Africa
CIFI
Oversees the research in China
Describes Chinas Fintech trajectory,
path to financial inclusion
Identifying requirements and concerns of
Chinese investors
Conducting Case Studies with leading
Fintech Operators in China
Last Mailed: 2019-01-25
BRICS ENERGY CLUSTER SEMINAR
This seminar may be attended via video
conference in Pretoria, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal. Details are indicated
below.
HSRC BRICS Seminar
Series
BRICS
ENERGY CLUSTER SEMINAR
Date: 4 October 2018
Time: 09:30 14:00
Venues
in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town (See below for
videoconferencing facilities)
The BRICS countries, in their
development of sustainable economies, have equally been influenced by global
dialogues and processes towards more equitable growth. Perhaps the most
critical element in determining the transition of BRICS will be the transformation
of their energy systems, while considering economic growth, environmental
degradation and social considerations. The BRICS have traditionally relied on
fossil fuels including coal, natural gas and oil for the generation of
electricity; however, in recent times, the expansion of the renewable energy
has become an important issue for the BRICS coalition. A significant barrier to
the pursuit of a diverse energy mix aligned to climate policies consisting of
nuclear, shale gas, coal and renewable energies is the availability of
sustained financial flows. A lack of potential financing may be owing to
difficulties in economic feasibility of certain energy projects. In cases where
a business case is present, the absence of enabling government policies may also
deter investors. From a private sector perspective, the capacity to package
certain energy projects into dynamic business models is also a challenge. The
focus of this research will be to investigate and evaluate these two critical
points of uncertainties and the strategies that could be implemented to
facilitate enhanced investment into diverse energy mixes and offer
recommendations on this to policy makers across the BRICS countries.
09:30 to 10:00 - Tea
SESSION 1| 10:00 11:45 | BARRIERS
AND CHALLENGES TO FINANCING OF CLEAN ENERGY
Chairperson:
Dr Jaya Josie
Mr
Kamleshan Pillay (UKZN, South Africa) Presenter
Discussant
- Ms Xiochen Hou (Fudan University - China) (WeChat)
Discussant
- Prof Rathin Roy (National Institute of Public Finance and Policy,
India) - Skype
Discussant
Mr Cyril Prinsloo (SAIIA), South Africa
Discussion
11:45 to 12:15 - Tea Intermission
SESSION 2|
12:15 TO 14:00 INSTRUMENT, MECHANISMS AND MODALITIES FOR ENERGY FINANCING
IN BRICS
Chairperson:
Dr Jaya Josie
Mr
Kamleshan Pillay (UKZN, South Africa) Presenter
Discussant:
Dr Sergey Karataev (Russian Institute for Strategic Studies) Skype
Discussant:
Dr Ivan Tiago Oliveira (IPEA, Brazil) - Skype
Discussant
Mr Franck Naidoo, South Africa
Discussions
The HSRC
seminar series is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The
views and opinions expressed therein as well as findings and statements of the
seminar series do not necessarily represent the views of the DST.
Kindly note that seminars can now be accessed via the
Vidyo link:
Durban :
The Atrium, 5th Floor, 430 Peter Mokaba Ridge, Berea, 4001, Contact Ridhwaan Khan,
Tel (031) 242 5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za , or
Wiseman Mbambo, e-mail:<wmbambo@hsrc.ac.za
Last Mailed: 2018-09-27
Krish Chetty presents talk on the #FutureOfWork in SA, in light of the #4thIndustrialRevolution.
HSRC-BRICS presenting at Human Development and Capability Conference 2017 in Cape Town,CT ICC Westin Hotel
The BRICS Research Centre (BRC), under the Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery Unit (DGSD) presented a paper at the 2017 Human Development Capacity Association Conference held in Cape Town on 6-8 September 2017. The theme of the conference was Challenging Inequalities: Human Development and Social Change. Isaac Khambule, Krish Chetty and Ronel Sewpaul presented a paper titled: Youth Risk Behaviour, Vulnerability, Capability and Impact on Youth Unemployment. The paper particularly focused on various risks, vulnerabilities and capabilities associated with out of school youth (OSY) and how these factors might impact on the future employment prospects of the youth given South Africas high youth unemployment rate. paper title: Youth Risk Behavior, Vulnerability, Capability and impact on Youth Unemployment in South Africa
PRESENTERS: Isaac Khambule, Krish Chetty and Ronel Sewpaul
CONFERENCE CENTRE: Cape Town on 6-8 September 2017, CT ICC Westin Hotel
Last Mailed: 2017-09-14
HSRC BRICS SEMINAR SERIES
Last Mailed: 2017-07-21
HSRC Seminar Series
HSRC BRICS seminar series
Provision of Affordable Social Housing to address the right to shelter: A case study and model of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg South African Metropolitan cities Speakers: Dr Jaya Josie, Nozibele Gcora, Krish Chetty, Isaac Khambule (HSRC)
Date: 4 July 2017 Time: 12:15 for 12:30 14:00 Venues: Video Conference Venues in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town
Post-apartheid democracy housing provision in South Africa is dominated by the legacy of apartheid spatial and socio-economic inequality, social exclusion and slums characterized by environmentally unsustainable living conditions. Despite governments efforts housing provision is caught between having to provide subsidized housing for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, and those wishing to access the housing market but cannot, because they dont earn enough to access mortgage housing finance. The latter live mostly in rented accommodation on the edges of home ownership and housing provision. Households from this segment, known as the gap market, are marginalized living in slums with little or no access to shelter, water and sanitation, transport and waste removal. Government policy for the gap market thus far has resulted in a backlog in the supply of affordable sustainable housing in general and social housing in particular. Our paper provides an affordable housing financing model for sustainable public housing policy in South Africa and other BRICS countries with lessons for improving social housing policy in the context of the UN proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The study proposes a financing model for the progressive public financing of the right to housing and shelter in South Africa. The model targets the funding of affordable social housing backlogs to bring the level of such housing stock up to a predetermined policy standard. The purpose of the model is to give policymakers an instrument to finance the backlog and, the demand for affordable housing from the housing gap market made up of households caught between inaccessibility to mortgages because they don't earn enough, and inaccessibility to subsidized housing because they earn too much. In this phase of the study we apply the model and run simulations in a case study using data from three of the largest Metropolitan Municipalities in South Africa. The municipalities or Metros include Cape Town, Johannesburg, and eThekwini (Durban).
Pretoria : HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel: (012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za
Cape Town : HSRC, Merchant House 116-118 Buitengracht Street Cape Town, Cape Town. Contact: Jean Witten, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban : The Atrium, 5th Floor, 430 Peter Mokaba Ridge, Berea, 4001 , Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400
Last Mailed: 2017-06-28
Jaya Josie discusses the Educational Needs of Migrant Youth in the G20 countries
Members of the T20 Task Force on Digitalisation
present their Policy Briefs sent to the T20 Advisory Committee on the Digital
Divide. The digital divide is a manifestation of exclusion, poverty and
inequality and continues to be exacerbated due to the effects of unemployment,
poorly functioning digital skilling programmes and socio-cultural norms in some
economies often depriving women equal access to digital services. To promote
digital transformation, equal emphasis needs to be allocated to digital skills
development as is to infrastructure development. To ensure digital training
programmes are adequately managed, a standardized data collection strategy is
required to measure an internationally accepted definition of Digital Literacy.
This measurement must be defined by a dynamic definition of Digital Literacy
responsive to the fluid needs of the digital economy and requires the
introduction of a G20 standard-setting body informing a nationally
representative data collection strategy. Furthermore, the adopted standards
which inform the data collection process must be cognizant of the evolving
demands of employers. Measuring Digital Literacy is crucial especially amongst
developing and emerging economies, as digital skills provide the poor a
catalyst to break out of the cycle of poverty and empower themselves. A
three-pronged digital skills strategy is required for developing countries: (1)
Identify the skills required for employment (2) develop a holistic digital
skills upliftment strategy, and (3) address the social and cultural norms
through which these skills and systems are mediated.
Last Mailed: 2017-04-13
Seminar: Bridging the Digital Divide - Skills for the New + Measuring Digital Literacy
Invitation
HSRC Seminar Series
Bridging the Digital Divide: Skills for the new
age and measuring digital literacy
Members of the T20 Task Force on Digitalisation
present their Policy Briefs sent to the T20 Advisory Committee on the Digital
Divide. The digital divide is a manifestation of exclusion, poverty and
inequality and continues to be exacerbated due to the effects of unemployment,
poorly functioning digital skilling programmes and socio-cultural norms in some
economies often depriving women equal access to digital services. To promote
digital transformation, equal emphasis needs to be allocated to digital skills
development as is to infrastructure development. To ensure digital training
programmes are adequately managed, a standardized data collection strategy is
required to measure an internationally accepted definition of Digital Literacy.
This measurement must be defined by a dynamic definition of Digital Literacy
responsive to the fluid needs of the digital economy and requires the
introduction of a G20 standard-setting body informing a nationally
representative data collection strategy. Furthermore, the adopted standards
which inform the data collection process must be cognizant of the evolving
demands of employers. Measuring Digital Literacy is crucial especially amongst
developing and emerging economies, as digital skills provide the poor a
catalyst to break out of the cycle of poverty and empower themselves. A
three-pronged digital skills strategy is required for developing countries: (1)
Identify the skills required for employment (2) develop a holistic digital
skills upliftment strategy, and (3) address the social and cultural norms
through which these skills and systems are mediated.
The HSRC seminar series is funded by the Department of
Science and Technology (DST). The views and opinions expressed therein as well
as findings and statements of the seminar series do not necessarily represent
the views of the DST.
Kindly RSVP by 26
April 2017
Pretoria : HSRC Video Conference,
1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street,
Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel: (012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za
Cape Town : HSRC, Merchant House
116-118 Buitengracht Street Cape Town, Cape Town. Contact: Jean Witten,
Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban : The Atrium, 5th Floor, 430 Peter Mokaba
Ridge, Berea, 4001, Contact Ridhwaan
Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za , or Hlengiwe Zulu at e-mail HZulu@hsrc.ac.za
Last Mailed: 2017-04-13
Dr J Josie, Attended the, 2017 BRICS Think Tank Symposiumheld on March 22nd, 2017 in Beijing, China
Dr J Josie, Attended the, 2017 BRICS Think Tank Symposium held on March 22nd, 2017 in Beijing, China. Dr J Josie presentation was titled "BRICS Finance: Multilateral Cooperation in a Time of Crisis"
Exploring the use of a common currency and/or payment
mechanism amongst BRICS countries
Presenters: Dr. Jaya Josie, Head, BRICS Research Centre,
Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Prof Ronney Ncwadi, Head, Department of
Economics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), & Babalwa
Siswana, Researcher, BRICS Research Centre, Human Sciences Research Council
(HSRC)
Date:
9 March 2017
Time: 12:15 for 12:30 - 14:00
Venues
in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town (Videoconferencing facilities: see below)
Following the 2007/08 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) some BRICS
countries in recent years are experiencing a slowdown in growth and development.
Economic and development indicator trends for Brazil, Russia and South Africa
in particular have been relatively weak compared to China and India. An
important factor impacting on these countries in particular, and BRICS in
general, is the role of the use of established developed economy foreign
currencies in BRICS international trade and financial transactions. To mitigate
the influence of this factor BRICS has established its own New Development Bank, and in
addition, is considering setting up its own credit rating institutions, and the
use a common currency and/or payment mechanism to be used by BRICS member
states. This paper explores the use of a common currency for the BRICS group.
The HSRC seminar
series is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The views
and opinions expressed therein as well as findings and statements of the
seminar series do not necessarily represent the views of the DST.
Kindly
RSVP by 8 March 2017
Pretoria : HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences
Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel:
(012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za
Cape Town : HSRC, Merchant House 116-118 Buitengracht Street Cape Town,
Cape Town. Contact: Jean Witten, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299,
or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban : The Atrium, 5th Floor, 430 Peter Mokaba Ridge, Berea,
4001, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400, cell: 083 788
2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za , or Hlengiwe Zulu at
e-mail HZulu@hsrc.ac.za
Last Mailed: 2017-03-03
HSRC Seminar Series
HSRC Seminar Series
25 years of Public Understanding of
Science Research in India
Presenter: Prof. Gauhar Raza, Former
Chief Scientist and Prof. AcSIR, National Institute of Science Communication
and Information Resources, India
Venues in Pretoria,
Durban and Cape Town (Videoconferencing facilities: see below)
Date: 20 October 2016
Time:
12:15 for 12:30 13:30
A truly interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research
started emerging in nineteen eighties. Attitudinal survey studies,
Scientific Literacy, Public Understanding of Science, Public Understanding
of Science, Technology and Engineering, Public Engagement of Science,
Scientific Culture are some of the names that have been given to this
discipline. Experts from various established disciplines, such as philosophy,
psychology, statistics, political science, education, history, sociology,
economics, etc., directed their efforts to constitute this new area
of research. Though nomenclature still remains contested, the
institutionalization was gradual yet unambiguous. Regular surveys, publications
of research papers and books, seminars, national and international
conferences specialized journals and groups of researchers working
on various aspects of PUS, are some of the landmarks that legitimize its
institutionalization as a discipline on the borderlines of science and
social science.
During the past 25 years, the area has passed through many phases
and a number of experts who specialize in Public Understanding of Science
Research have carried out consistent
debate -yet a transdisciplinary approach could be witnessed
in any international conferences even now.
Public Understanding of Science Research, as a discipline, has
emerged in a given international-socio-political context. However, the national
needs and prevailing cultural context have a strong bearing on its orientation
and research framework in various countries.
The presentation, in three parts, deals with the
international context, the Indian discourse on scientific temper
and its science movement, and analyses the shifts in Public
Understanding of Science in India during the past twenty-five years. It will be
argued that there exists a cultural distance between science and peoples
culture and any scientific idea needs to cross this distance in order to
become part of peoples cognitive structure. Different cultural groups can be
placed at different distances from a given scientific idea, therefore a uniform
strategy to communicate science to various cultural groups or sub-groups may
not work in popularizing science.
The HSRC
seminar series is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The
views and opinions expressed therein as well as findings and statements of the
seminar series do not necessarily represent the views of the DST.
Last Mailed: 2016-10-18
2016 T20 Chairs Statement and Policy Recommendations (30 July 2016)
2016 T20 Chairs Statement: July 30, 2016
The T20
is an important forum to share ideas amongst the G20 in areas of global
governance, economic growth, innovation and structural reform, international
finance, international trade and investment and inclusive development. The T20
suggests that to enhance global economic growth potential, structural reforms
should be the core of long-term growth strategies for all countries and make
innovation the key driver of sustained economic growth, creation of higher
quality jobs. The T20 is set on improving global financial governance by
strengthening macroeconomic policy coordination, increase financial regulation
continuously, upgrade role of SDR in the international monetary system and
improvement in the governance structure of IMF and the World. Strengthen the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promote
infrastructure investment, and make great efforts to helping underdeveloped
countries and regions develop on a sustainable basis. As the Chair of the G20
in 2016, China has pushed for consensus improving global governance,
reenergizing trade and investment and promoting global development, and
anti-corruption. Emphasizing financing and pushing the Paris Climate Agreement
into effect.
The G20
think tank should build closer relations and conduct joint research to better
influence the G20 decision making process and strengthen connections with non
G-20 think tanks for a more inclusive T20. The T20 in Turkey 2015 and China 2016
has been very successful, looking forward to a successful one in Germany 2017.
The Institute
of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS IWEP),
Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and Chongyang Institute
for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY), as the coordinating
think tanks of the T20 in 2016, have held several meetings in China and other
different places deliberating on different topics affecting the G20 and the
world at large such as global economic governance, innovation and structural
reform, international finance, international trade and investment and
development.
The
G20 has made progress in securing the Paris Agreement, pushing IMF quota and
governance reform package of 2016 to take effect and approving the Base Erosion
and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. Labour is facing structural challenges, a
big short fall in global public and private investment. The policy
recommendations focusing on enhancing global economic growth potential,
improving global financial governance, facilitating international trade and
investment cooperation, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
The HSRC`s BRICS Research Centre (BRC) has become the think tank for South Africa`s contribution to the T20 conference meeting taking place in Berlin on 12/13 May 2016, says Dr Jaya Josie, the head of the BRC.
Dr Josie will be representing the HSRC at the T20 meeting. To make the G20 summit more representative of world inputs, the G20 organising committee have invited countries in the developing world Egypt, Kazakhstan, Spain, Singapore, Laos and Senegal to take part in the full program of the summit as guest countries.
The G20 committee will host supporting events such as the B20 Summit, the L20 Meeting, the Y20 Meeting, the W20 Meeting and the T20 Meeting mainly provide input to the voices of sectors across society, in turn making the Hangzhou G20 Summit in September, more inclusive, by garnering broad popularity for G20 cooperation.
The T20 Conference meeting is part of the official programme of the three Chinese think tanks mandated by government to lead the process during the country`s G20 Presidency. The specific aim of the conference is aligned with the focus of SIIS during the T20 process, namely the responsibilities of the G20 for the developing world. For more information check out http://t20china.org/
Last Mailed: 2016-02-29
SA BRICS Think Tank Annual Report 2015
The South African BRICS Think Tank has released the Annual Report for 2014/15. This is available on the site under the tab South African BRICS Think tank. Alternatively click here for the report.
This report follows an activity-based approach in detailing all the activities of the SABTT in the period 2014-2015. The document reports on the following: Duties of the SA BRICS Think Tank, SABTT Processes, SABTT Activities for the year, the SABTT website as well as some lessons learnt for the 2014/15 period Last Mailed: 2016-02-29
Building a fair World: BRICS and the Rule of Law - Prof Narnia Bohler Muller Live 17 November 2015 (12h30 GMT+2)
Last Mailed: 2015-11-17
The New Development Bank: Identifying Strategic and Operational Priorities, August 2015
The New Development Bank: Identifying Strategic and Operational Priorities, August 2015
At the 2014 BRICSSummit held in July 2014 in Fortaleza, Brazil, the heads of the member states signed an agreement establishing a New Development Bank (NDB) that will finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects. The NDB is designed to represent all five member nations: it is headquartered in Shanghai, the first President is from India, the first regional office is in Johannesburg, the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Governors, from Russia, and the first Chairman of the Board of Directors, from Brazil.
To aggregate diverse and informed perspectives on both strategic and operational aspects of the bank's functioning, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) organised an intra-BRICS Experts Workshop on 18-19 June 2015 in New Delhi. The workshop was convened as part of India's knowledge support to the Russian Presidency of BRICS. The following suggestions are based on the most relevant inputs shared during the workshop. Many of the suggestions are also potential areas for further research.
The linked paper makes suggestions that are based on the most relevant inputs shared during the workshop. Many of the suggestions are also potential areas for further research.
First official meeting of BRICS Ministers of Energy, 19-20 November, Moscow
Deepening and institutionalizing
energy cooperation within the scope of BRICS: is there a need to start a BRICS
energy agency?
Lately there has been an active
discussion going on in the global financial circles concerning the launch of
bilateral Russian-Chinese rating agency or similar multilateral entities within
the scope of BRICS and SCO. The rating agencies shall not be politically bound
by separate states or economic interests of major corporations. The Asian Bank
of Infrastructural Investments was founded to add to the existing international
financial architecture. Creating new independent international development
institutes has become an indisputable trend in cooperation between the
countries that play an incremental role in world economy.
The energy domain plays as important
a role in the life of the planet and economic development of the countries. In
the conditions of highly volatile global prices for energy resources, expanding
practices of international law violation, introduced restrictive measures and
sanctions in energy sector, the leaders of BRICS countries have noted the need
to deepen and institutionalize energy cooperation within the scope of BRICS.
Is there a need to start a joint
organization in form of an institute, association or agency that would deal
with the issues of forecasting energy consumption, upgrading energy efficiency
around the world, generating development scenarios for the global energy system
and promoting energy safety and security and sustainable economic development
of BRICS countries?
Discussion participants:
Inyutsyn, Deputy Minister of Energy,
Russian Federation
Senior executives of BRICS countries
power industry Ministries
Representatives of BRICS countries
oil and gas company
Last Mailed: 2015-11-02
Prof Rasigan Maharajh, Seminar on Digital Liberty, the Knowledge Commons and some ICT Governance Challenges for the BRICS: 10 November 2015
Follow Prof Rasigan Maharajh Live on YouTube! 10 November 2015, 13h30 (GMT + 2)
Last Mailed: 2015-10-29
BRIS Trade policy, the WTO and productive transformation strategies
The HSRC BRICS Seminar Series
Trade policy, the WTO and productive transformation
strategies in a context of regional and bilateral trade agreements:
perspectives from South Africa
Speaker: Nicolette Cattaneo, Department of Economics and
Economic History, Rhodes University in Grahamstown
Venues in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town
(Videoconferencing facilities: see below)
Date: 3 November 2015
Time: 12h30
13H30
The BRICS countries need to be innovative in linking
trade, industrial and technology policies for catch-up and development,
particularly with the broadening of WTO rule-making to areas like services,
investment, intellectual property protection and government procurement. This
paper explores South Africas current policy approach on some of these issues
and the lessons that can be learnt for moves to promote deeper economic
cooperation within the BRICS grouping. The paper argues that the BRICS
countries should give pressing attention to the implications for development
policy space of the proliferation of regional and bilateral agreements arising
from the WTO Doha impasse and the potential impact of the ongoing
mega-regional FTA negotiations. In this environment, the expansion of
trade and investment relations among the BRICS countries must take careful
account of the development policy goals and imperatives of the partner states.
Nicolette Cattaneo is a Senior Lecturer in the
Department of Economics and Economic History at Rhodes University in
Grahamstown, where she has taught since 1990. She is co-course director of
APORDE (the African Programme on Re-thinking Development Economics) and a
member of the Department of Trade and Industrys Economic Research Advisory
Network (ERAN). Her research areas are trade and industrial policy,
regional integration and the impact of WTO and regional/bilateral trade
agreements on development policy space. She teaches trade and industrial
policy and econometrics at Rhodes. She has research linkages with TIPS (Trade
and Industrial Policy Strategies), as well as the HSRCs BRICS Research Centre.
She holds an MSc in Economics from Rhodes University.
Kindly RSVP by 2 November 2015
Cape Town
: HSRC, 12th Floor, Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue Office), Plein
Street, Cape Town. Contact Jean Witten, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461
0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban
: First floor HSRC board room, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction, Pods
5 and 6, Cato Manor, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400, cell:
083 788 2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za,
or HZulu@hsrc.ac.za
Pretoria
: HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences Research
Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel: (012)
302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za , or Sam Lekala at SLekala@hsrc.ac.za, Tel: 012 3169753
Last Mailed: 2015-10-29
BRICS Seminar Series: BRICS at seven: Finding and funding the nexus between peace, security and development in Africa
Invitation
The HSRC BRICS
Seminar Series
BRICS at seven: Finding and funding the nexus between peace,
security and development in Africa
Speaker: Dr. Buntu Siwisa, African Centre for the
Constructive Resolution of Disputes
Venues in Pretoria, Durban
and Cape Town (Videoconferencing facilities: see below)
Date: 8 October 2015
Time: 12h30
13H30
Setting out
its mandate, BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) wants to mobilise resources for
infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and in other
emerging economies. However, there is palpable reference on funding peace and
security challenges, particularly in Africa, apart from the BRICS summits
declarations that peace, security and development are inextricably linked.
This
presentation seeks to explore the practicality of identifying the fundability
of peace and security challenges in Africa, within a myriad of an
interdependent network of regional economic organisations; multilateral
institutions; governments; and international non-government organisations; and
against the south-south cooperation thematic setting. The paper will highlight
particular case studies of peace and security challenges in Africa, the level
and depth of South Africas involvement in them, and how BRICS NDB and other
interested and affected institutional entities can deepen the nexus between
peace, security and development. This exercise will highlight how these peace
and security challenges link up the BRICS constellation of countries and other
emerging economies of the global South, further proving how these
developmental peace and security challenges embed interdependence among BRICS
countries, the global South, and the world.
Kindly RSVP by 6 October
2015
Cape Town : HSRC, 12th Floor, Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue
Office), Plein Street, Cape Town. Contact Jean Witten, Tel (021)
4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban : First floor HSRC board room, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko
Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242
5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or RKhan@hsrc.ac.za, or HZulu@hsrc.ac.za
Pretoria : HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences
Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel:
(012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za , or Sam Lekala at SLekala@hsrc.ac.za, Tel: 012 3169753
Last Mailed: 2015-10-06
Colloquium: Report Back on the BRICS Civil Society Forum in Moscow -
Dear Colleagues
Please join us on 14 August 2015 at the HSRC Video Conference Rooms for a Report Back on the Civil BRICS Forum held in Moscow in June/ July 2015.
Alternatively join the discussion via YouTube at the video link below. Feel free to contribute by leaving a comment or question in the Comments section under the YouTube video or tweet to @HSRC_BRC using #CivilBRICS.
Last Mailed: 2015-08-04
World Social Science Forum 2015 (13 - 16 September 2015)
On behalf of the International Social Science Council, I am pleased to invite you to the third World Social Science Forum which will be co-hosted by HSRC and CODESRIA.
A broad range of topics can be addressed under theme "Transforming global relations for a just world", many of which are open to interdisciplinary and comparative interrogation. These topics include amongst others -- global inequalities as it relates to governance, patterns of production and consumption, cultural exchanges, quality health and education, climate change and adaptation, and human rights and social justice. The action oriented nature of the theme will allow the Forum to demonstrate the relevance of social science for public policies and social intervention.
We trust that as we meet in Durban in 2015 to deliberate on global transformations for a just world we will have the wisdom to learn from our varied experiences as we examine social science for knowledge co-production, public policies and social intervention.
Prof Olive Shisana Chairperson: WSS Forum 2015 Chief Executive Officer, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa
BRICS Heads of State Summit Declaration, SABTT Press Conference - 13 July 2015
The BRICS Heads of State Summit in Ufa, Russian Federation has concluded on 9 July 2015. The South African BRICS Think has released a Press Statement detailing the key concerns for the BRICS member states that are raised within the Ufa Declaration. The Press Conference was held on 13 July 2015. The session was chaired by Dr Jaya Josie (Head, BRICS Research Centre), Introductory remarks were made by Prof Ari Sitas (NIHSS Chairperson) and the Statement was made by Prof Olive Shisana (HSRC CEO). Additional inputs provided by Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller (HSRC) and Dr Jaya Josie.
Last Mailed: 2015-07-21
SABC Channel Africa: African Dialogue on BRICS Heads of State Summit 2015 in Ufa, Russia (18 July 2015)
Dr Jaya Josie of the HSRC BRICS Research Centre was interviewed Channel Africa together with Dr Dikshita Padalkar on matters pertaining to the BRICS Heads of State Summit in Ufa, Russia
Last Mailed: 2015-07-20
DAILY MAVERICK: Ufa Declaration: The house that BRICS are building
This strategy, the SABTTs Olive Shisana stressed at Mondays media briefing, does not only consider the economic co-operation of the member nations. Brics, she suggested, should also be seen as having a potentially powerful impact on factors such as social justice, sustainable development and quality of life.
Shisana said that at Ufa, Brics nations affirmed the importance of the United Nations as a body for global peacekeeping, but also agreed that the UN was in need of comprehensive reform.
In particular, the UNs Security Council is felt to be insufficiently representative. Of the Brics members, only two China and Russia are permanent members, which gives them access to the all-important and controversial veto power.
The BRICS Heads of State have met in Ufa in the Russian Federation at the Heads of State Summit which was held on 8 and 9 July 2015. The summit is the culmination of the 2014/15 years activities conducted by the various BRICS Forums. The Heads of State have released the now titled Ufa Declaration, which has set the agenda for the future trajectory for the BRICS group of countries. The declaration indicates that the BRICS have taken into account the five pillars of the Long Term Strategy identified by the BRICS. The declaration emphasises in particular the strengthening of economic cooperation, consolidating Peace and Security and ensuring political and economic governance reforms of international institutions.
As the incubators for the South African BRICS Think Tank in 2014/15, the HSRC has been heavily involved in the BRICS related meetings that took place in Moscow and Kazan over May, June and July of 2015. The first meeting was the BRICS Think Tank Council Meeting held on the 21st of May and was attended by our CEO Prof Olive Shisana, Dr Jaya Josie (Head, BRICS Research Centre) and Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller (DGSD). Following the BTTC meeting, was the Academic Forum meeting which hosted premier academics across the BRICS nations. The logistical arrangement required for the Academic Forum were managed by the BRICS Research Centre. Each country chaired two sessions, and there were five presentations from each country in every session. Prof Shisana chaired the session under the theme Addressing Social Problems Possible Issues For BRICS Cooperation. Policies on the Labour Market, Migration, Healthcare, Social Safety Nets. The BRICS Civil Society Forum was hosted by the Russian Presidency in Moscow and was held between 29 June and 1 July 2015. The Civil Society delegation from South Africa was headed by our DCEO Dr Temba Masilela and was also attended by Michael Cosser (Head, Learning and Development), Bongiwe Moni and Krish Chetty (BRICS Research Centre). Michael Cosser and Bongiwe Moni contributed to the Education and Science Working Group whilst Krish Chetty participated in the Sustainable and Inclusive Development Working Group. Finally Dr Temba Masilela also represented the HSRC at the BRICS Youth Summit in Kazan held between 4 to 6 July 2015. Dr Masilela made a speech at the Humanitarian Cooperation Panel held on the 4th of July.
Prof Olive Shisana leading the South African Delegation at the 7th BRICS Academic Forum
Members of the South African Delegation to the BRICS Civil Society Forum that took place in Moscow (29 June 1 July 2015)
HSRC BRICS Seminar Series: BRICS Perspective for Reforming the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Reflections of a Negotiator (11 June 2015)
Last Mailed: 2015-06-08
HSRC BRICS Seminar Series: Time to end extreme inequality. A perspective from the BRICS (7 April 2015)
Last Mailed: 2015-04-07
HSRC BRICS Seminar Series - Educational Engagement: China, Africa and South Africa (27 January 2015)
Educational
engagement: China, Africa and South Africa
Speaker: Dr Ke Yu,
Democracy Governance and Service Delivery, Human Sciences Research Council
Venues in
Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town (Videoconferencing facilities: see below)
Date: 27 January
2015
Time: 12H15 for
12h30 13H30
Traditional literature on Sino-Africa
engagement tends to apply a pan-African and a China-centric lens. This is
particularly problematic in discussing the Sino-South Africa relationship
because of the great difference between South Africa and many other African
countries and the fact that China is only one foreign player in the continent.
This presentation draws upon the chapter Dr. Ke Yu wrote in Perspectives on
South Africa-China Relations (published by AISA) and focus on the educational
engagement. In addition to pan-African and China-centric lens, it also applies
South Africa specific and Africa-centric lens to offer a more comprehensive and
realistic examination of the Sino-South African engagement on education.
Kindly RSVP by 26
January 2015
Cape
Town : HSRC, 12th Floor,
Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue Office), Plein Street, Cape Town. Contact
Jean Witten, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or JWitten@hsrc.ac.za
Durban : First
floor HSRC board room, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato
Manor, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242 5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or
RKhan@hsrc.ac.za
The analyses and proposals discussed at the 6th BRICS Academic Forum in Rio de Janeiro have been published by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), our Brazilian BRICS partner organisation. Various South African authors are included in this publication, viz. Jaya Josie, Siphamandla Zondi, Rasigan Maharajh, Candice Moore, David Fryer, Nicolette Cattaneo, Narnia Bohler-Muller, Edward Webster, Khayaat Fakier and Anthea Metcalfe.
The South African BRICS Think Tank website now includes a BRICS News
Feed Page whereby BRICS related news feeds are consolidated into a single page
for easy consumption. This provides you a single portal to keep track of BRICS
related developments.
The news feeds have been partitioned into General
News, Statistics information released by the BRICS Nations where available,
developments in Government and news postings from Research Organisations. The
content is compiled using RSS feeds that are made available by various
institutions. We will continue to refine the news items received on this page.
Lastly, please be aware that the opinions presented
in the news feeds provided, do not represent the views of the South African
BRICS Think Tank.
Customised SABTT Useful Links Search (1 December 2014)
SABTT Useful Links Custom Search
The South African BRICS Think Tank has introduced a powerful new tool allowing you to centrally search through all the websites listed on our Useful Links page using Google's Customised Search Function.
This includes our BRICS Think Tank partners across the BRICS member states, South Government departments, South African Statutory Bodies, BRICS Agencies, International Organisations and various Academic Institutes. Consult our Useful Links page for a full listing of the websites that are supported.
BRICS Seminar on HIV/ AIDS at the HSRC (24 October 2014)
Are BRICS Countries winning the war on HIV/ AIDS? Analysis of response?
Prof. Geoffrey Setswe (HSRC)
Prof. Olive Shisana (HSRC)
Dr. Mpumi Zungu (HSRC)
Date: 24 October 2014, Time: 12h30 - 13h30 Venue: Video Conference Rooms at the HSRC in Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban
The HSRC held a seminar on the 24th October 2014, regarding the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in the BRICS countries. HIV/ AIDS is one of the world's worst epidemics which has infected about 70 million people and killed 35 million people in over 30 years. Globally, 35.3 million people where living with HIV in 2013. BRICS represents 42% of the worlds population and each of these countries has been affected by HIV although to varying extents. This paper used a comparative case study method to analyse the national responses to HIV/AIDS in the BRICS countries. We focus specifically on
i) the magnitude of HIV/AIDS
ii) mode of transmission
iii) policy responses
iv) progammatic responses in the five BRICS countries.
Last Mailed: 2014-11-09
HSRC/ AISA Seminar at the HSRC (23 October 2014)
The Evolving Dynamics of the China Africa Relations
HE Mr DOU Enyong Assistant Minister of the International Department of the CPC, China
Date: 23 October 2014, Time: 12h30 - 13h30
Venue: Video Conference Rooms at the HSRC in Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban
Since the 21st century, the Peoples Republic of China (China) Peoples and most African countries have built increasingly strong political and economic ties. China has become Africas largest trade partner, and Africa is now Chinas major import source, as in 2012, the total volume of China-Africa trade reached US$198.49 billion. Furthermore, there are several other partnerships that have developed between the two regions, such as skills training, agriculture and health development. This seminar explores current developments of Sino-Africa relations particularly in the context of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Since its establishment in October 2000, FOCAC has been gradually institutionalised and become an important platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for enhancing practical cooperation between China and African countries. This seminar is timely given that the next Fifth Ministerial FOCAC event will be held in South Africa in 2015.
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