Kgame Molope, a programme leader in the subject group Political Studies and International Relations on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, was recently elected to serve a two-year term as chairperson of the group of South African academics representing the country in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

Before his election, Kgame served as the co-chair of the Trade and Investment Facilitation sub-group of the South African Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (SA IORAG).

This group of academics serves as a think tank to guide and influence policy making in the priority areas of the association. As the South African chair, Kgame will coordinate academic cooperation in the region.

About IORA

The India Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is a dynamic inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 members’ states and 10 dialogue partners.

The Indian Ocean remains an important lifeline to international trade and transport. This region is the third largest ocean territory woven together by trade routes, commanding control of major sea-lanes carrying half of the world’s container ships, one third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of the world’s oil shipments.

South Africa, a founding member of IORA, continues to engage in the association’s priority areas of cooperation, namely maritime safety and security, trade and investment facilitation, fisheries and disaster risk management, tourism and cultural exchanges, academic, science and technology cooperation, the blue economy, and women’s economic empowerment.

As the first institutional mechanism since the founding of the IORA in 1997, IORAG has been positioned as the primary vehicle for academics, universities, think tanks and scientific and technological centres to formulate policy and project recommendations to IORA member states.

Kgame Molope