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High-Level Human Capital for the National System of Innovation. Presentation to the Portfolio Committee for Science and Technology of the National Assembly 18 August2010. Delivery on the Government’s Mandate.
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High-Level Human Capital for the National System of Innovation Presentation to the Portfolio Committee for Science and Technology of the National Assembly 18 August2010
Delivery on the Government’s Mandate • The MTSF has identified skills, including high-level skills, as a significant constraint in the ongoing development of the economy and society. • SA must increase its investment and return in human capital development particularly in science, engineering and technology if we are to achieve “an equitable, sustainable, and inclusive growth path that brings decent work and sustainable livelihoods; education; health; safe and secure communities; and rural development”.
HRD-SA • Commitment Six: We will improve the technological and innovation capability and outcomes within the public and private sectors (includes persons in employment) to enhance our competitiveness in the global economy and to meet our human development priorities. • Strategic Priority 6.1: To increase the supply of skilled personnel in areas of Science, Engineering and Technology • Strategic Priority 6.2: To improve South Africa’s performance in areas of teaching, research, innovation and the commercial application of high-level science, engineering and technology knowledge
Outcomes Framework • “a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path”. • Output 4: Increase access to high level occupationally-directed programmes in needed areas – increasing the graduate output in the natural and physical sciences and engineering. • Output 5: Research, development and Innovation in human capital for a growing knowledge economy – increase output of honours, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral fellows; provide increased support to industry-university partnerships; and increase investment in research and development, especially in the science, engineering and technology sector.
The five grand challenges: The bio-economy, Expanding the limits of space science and technology, In search of energy security, Science and technology in response to global change, Human and social dynamics. The five geographical advantage areas: Astronomy, Human palaeontology, Biodiversity, Antarctic research, and Indigenous knowledge. Scarce and Critical Skills Engineering and built environment Animal and Human health Sciences Natural and physical sciences, including agricultural sciences Economic sciences – esp accounting and actuarial sciences Social sciences and humanities – esp teacher education and histrory Priority Skills and Research Areas
Research and Innovation Enablers • Infrastructure and Equipment • Scientific Equipment: discrete, free standing or mounted, desk-top to large, dedicated or multi-purpose. • Specialized Facilities: A physical and/or organisational structure that provides a controlled environment for specialized experiments and is required to ensure the optimal performance of research equipment. • Cyber-infrastructure: Comprehensive ICT -based infrastructures such as high performance computing, research networks, and data storage and management systems. • High-end Infrastructure: infrastructure at the interface between the R&D and commercialization. e.g. pilot plants, incubators, and technology demonstrators. • Global Infrastructure: International large infrastructures, both single-sited and distributed ones linked by high-speed networks for optimal sharing of data and resources. • People
High Level Human Capital • Education WP 3, outlines mandate of universities in a knowledge-driven world. • “Human resource development: the mobilisation of human talent and potential through lifelong learning to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of a rapidly changing society. • High-level skills training: the training and provision of person power to strengthen this country's enterprises, services and infrastructure. This requires the development of professionals and knowledge workers with globally equivalent skills, but who are socially responsible and conscious of their role in contributing to the national development effort and social transformation. • Production, acquisition and application of new knowledge: national growth and competitiveness is dependent on continuous technological improvement and innovation, driven by a well-organised, vibrant research and development system which integrates the research and training capacity of higher education with the needs of industry and of social reconstruction.”
University Enrolments Student head count
Steering Enrolment and Output - 2008 The Department of Higher Education and Training steers using institutional enrolment and output planning, funding and quality assurance while Department of Science and Technology steers at the level of the individual student or research staff.
Doctoral Graduates in some “Desired” Disciplines Total research masters graduates increased by an annual average of 3.9% from 2728 to 3699 from 2000 to 2008
Low Supervision Capacity % Staff with PhD The carrying capacity of the HE system is low because there are too few instruction/supervisory staff with PhD degrees.
Age of Researchers and Research Productivity The average age of SA’s graduating with a PhD is about 40 years. The impact of this is that it usually takes them longer to complete and their productive time is shorter.
Women Academics Women constitute over 40% of research workforce but only contribute 22% of total research outputs
SA’s Research Productivity Low absolute outputs but efficient - generates more outputs per dollar when comparing GDP in terms of purchasing price parity .
Critical Issues for Attention • Encouraging the new generation of researchers, i.e., support more postgraduate students and post doctoral fellows. • Developing the emerging researchers. i.e., transform more new generation researchers into established researchers. • Maximising the output of the established researchers, i.e., increase the number of active researchers and ensure that they produce the required knowledge and innovation outputs and supervise the next generation of researchers.
South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) • The aim is to: • Expand the scientific research base of SA in support of the National R&D Strategy and other governmental strategies; • Increase number of world class researchers; • Attract and retain excellence; • Create research career pathways for highly skilled, high quality young & mid-career researchers - address historical racial, gender and age imbalances
SARChi • To date 82 Chairs awarded but 79 currently operational at 16 Universities • Funding and Financing • Award of up to R2.5 million per annum for Tier 1 and R1,5 million for Tier 2 • Covers salaries, postdoctoral student awards, research operating costs and small equipment • Large equipment funded separately; • Co-funding options with industry and other Government departments (First Rand – Mathematics Education)
SARChI: HCD supervision Average Ratio 1:13
Centres of Excellence (CoE) • Guiding Principles: • Are physical or virtual centres of research; • Cluster of researchers; • Concentrate existing capacity and resources; • Enable collaboration across disciplines; • Enable collaboration across institutions; • Work on long-term projects; • Conduct locally relevant and internationally competitive research.
Centres of Excellence (CoE) • At inception, the 7 CoEs were funded between R5 – R7 m; only 2 were funded at 50%. • Funding escalated at 5% per annum; • Period of funding is 10 years, expected to be self sustaining after this period; • Key Performance Areas: HCD, Research Outputs, Knowledge Brokerage, Service Rendering and Networking.
Established CoEs • Biomedical TB Research • to research new tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) • Birds as Keys to Biodiversity Conservation • to focus on understanding and maintaining biodiversity using birds as indicators • Invasion Biology • to address the biodiversity consequences of biological invasions • Tree Health Biotechnology • to concentrate on understanding and combating diseases affecting South Africa’s indigenous trees
Established CoEs • Catalysis • to drive innovation in catalysis, a key process in the chemical and manufacturing sector • Strong Materials • to understand and improve the properties of advanced strong materials to increase their efficiency and reduce their cost • Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis • to use mathematical modeling to understand, predict and ultimately combat diseases • Climate and Earth Systems Science (To be launched in 2010) • to better understand climate forecasting and interactions between the atmosphere, land and oceans
