The Department of Science and Technology (DST) reported recently that Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom had authorised the creation of five new centres of excellence (CoEs). The purpose of the CoEs is to drive joint interdisciplinary research between research institutions and to develop high-level skills in “priority research areas”.

“The new CoEs will contribute to South Africa’s knowledge generation capacity, increase the number of world- class researchers and attract and retain research excellence,” said Hanekom. His decision takes the number of CoEs created since 2004 to 14.

CoEs head research in areas that are regarded as being of national interest. They are intended to speed up the pro- vision of the necessary human resources and knowledge capacity. They also serve to make South African research more internationally competitive and to stimulate research excellence and develop capacity.

Each of the new CoEs will be hosted by universities. They are the mathematical and statistical sciences CoE (at the University of the Witwatersrand), the scientometrics – the measurement and analysis of scientific research – and science, technology and innovation (STI) policy CoE (Stellenbosch University), the food security CoE (shared by the universities of the Western Cape and Pretoria), the child development and livelihoods CoE (shared by the universities of the Witwatersrand and KwaZulu-Natal) and the minerals and energy resource analysis CoE (University of Johannesburg).

“After a thorough and comprehensive selection process that interrogated the capacity of applicant institutions and the research record of each proposed director, we are excited at the establishment of five additional CoEs,” affirmed National Research Foundation CEO Dr Albert van Jaarsveld. “Along with the existing CoEs, these five CoEs will ensure that relevant knowledge and the necessary human capacity are developed in research areas that are of importance to the economic life of the country and sustained wellbeing of South Africans.”

The mathematical and statistical sciences CoE will address two themes. “These themes are mathematics paradigms for the earth and the environment and mathematical, statistical and computational modelling of the earth and the environment,” stated the DST in its press release. These themes reflect “the pure and applied nature of the mathematical sciences”.

The CoE for scientometrics and STI policy will focus on improving the efficiency of the exploitation of South Africa’s knowledge resources and increase the national science system decision-making process. This will be achieved by generating high-quality research into the effects of the country’s science and technology.

The food security CoE was created in view of the ecological, economic, physical and social challenges which face the country’s changing food system. The aim is to combine knowledge to give poor, vulnerable and marginalised people better access to sufficient and sustainable quantities of nutritious food. Science-based policies and programmes to improve food security and nutrition will be identified and assisted.

The child development and livelihoods CoE is intended to increase knowledge of child development in the country as well as the livelihood challenges children face. It will seek cost-effective measures to deal with these challenges and give children a better start in life. It will incorporate health sciences, humanities and social sciences expertise, particularly in the areas of economics, HIV/Aids, social policy and sociology. Its focus will be on socioeconomically marginalised populations in the country, the Southern African region and other developing countries.

The CoE for minerals and energy resource analysis is intended to combine top level academic research which has strategic relevance for the generation of wealth and the development of human capital for South Africa and the rest of Africa. The aim, DST said, is to “ensure proper alignment of activities with the South African government’s strategic focus on mineral and fossil fuel resources”.

The creation of the new CoEs also supports the National Development Plan, which proposes a significant expansion of the country’s science and technology system. The existing and new CoEs are currently training and will continue to train the next generation of South African researchers, providing them with the expertise to develop a knowledge-based economy in the country.