GRID-Arendal at Norway - South Africa Week

By GRID-Arendal

November 3^rd, 2016

GRID-Arendal is at the annual Norway-South Africa Science Week in Cape Town supporting the long standing tradition of partnership and collaboration between the two countries.

This year’s conference focuses on “value creation in ocean space” and involves more than 300 participants.

“It’s a simple concept, really,” says Yannick Beaudoin, GRID-Arendal’s Chief Scientist. “The oceans and how they are used are strategic priorities for both countries. This conference will look at the challenges and opportunities for innovation and business development that will promote the sustainability of the oceans.”

GRID-Arendal is lending its support to this dynamic initiative which is spearheaded by the Norwegian Embassy in South Africa. Drawing on its extensive efforts across Africa as well as in South Africa itself, GRID-Arendal will host two dialogues aimed at gathering insights, ideas and possible commitments from the audiences.

The Science Week, partly hosted in Pretoria and partly in Cape Town, gathers a diverse group of actors in an effort to build solid and lasting relationships. This relationship building is a cornerstone of the Norway-South Africa friendship, one based on mutual interest and equal partnership. Rather than being a development aid recipient in the eyes of Norway, South Africa is a strategic partner in the fields of education, research and development, innovation and business creation. Nowhere is this relationship more prevalent that in the ocean environment.

Beaudoin says one of GRID-Arendal’s sessions is on ways to enable “blue economies” in Africa – economies that balance responsible use of the oceans with the need to respect ecological limits. He says the session will “explore sustainable economics, governance, law, politics, and science.” It is co-hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs, the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and the University of Agder from Norway, and the Sustainable Seas Trust from South Africa.

“A second session is on education for a new generation of ocean leaders to help them develop the capacity to innovate, think across disciplines, work across sectors and lead change,” Beaudoin explained. It is co-hosted by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of Agder.

“We are inviting participants to learn about a new master’s programme under development by the University of Agder in Norway, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa and GRID-Arendal,” he says. “It’s goal is to influence how future decision-making relates to ocean planning, law, stewardship, and industrial activity happens.”

The new programme is aimed at students from diverse academic and social backgrounds who aspire to be future oceans leaders – people who can help make the shift to a truly sustainable paradigm. The Science Week session will set the stage by presenting the design work to date. The audience will then be invited to add their thoughts and insights to the concept.

Beaudoin says that with so many participants from academia, business, government and civil society, the Norway-South Africa Science Week “is not likely to disappoint.”