A sustainable energy future is at the forefront of the list of research and innovation priorities of the North-West University (NWU), as is building and maintaining partnerships to help achieve this. Therefore, the NWU is playing host to the 4th AFRA-NEST General Assembly and 3rd Regional Meeting of Vice-Chancellors, which is currently being held in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The Africa Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research Development and Training (AFRA) relating to Nuclear Science and Technology, and the AFRA Network for Education in Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA-Nest), were established to implement AFRA’s strategy on human resources development and nuclear knowledge management.

The third regional meeting of vice-chancellors is held by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The objective of the meeting is to deliberate and agree on practical collaboration modalities with vice-chancellors in the region involved in human resources development. This is being done with a view to addressing the human resources development needs and priorities of the African member states.

Prof Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the NWU, said in his welcome address to both events that: “I am glad to see that the International Atomic Energy Agency and the African Union have agreed to renew and deepen their cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear technology to help address climate change, disease detection and treatment, food security and other development challenges. I am very keen to see what the new arrangements, which run until 2026 and cover key areas of human health and nutrition, food and agriculture, water and the environment, industrial applications of nuclear technology, energy planning, nuclear power, radiation safety and nuclear security, will achieve. It is important for this partnership to succeed.”

On Wednesday, 16 August, the group of vice-chancellors will visit the NWU’s Centre for Human Metabolomics, the Hydrogen South Africa facilities and our pharmaceutical environment.