New vision of development beyond aid in the offing
Researchers, business executives, social enterprises, international organisations, funders and governments from across the globe, are set to change the face of development, with a critical look beyond aid.
The platform is a global forum dubbed Forum 2012 to be held by the Council on Health Research and Development Group (The COHRED Group), in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology of South Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to a press release, the forum which is scheduled to take place from April 24 to April 26, 2012, will examine the prospects for a new vision of development that looks ‘beyond aid’, by focusing on developing capacities in low-and middle-income countries and emerging economies.
The interactions will also probe how global collaborations can be used to support research and innovation processes that can enhance this new era of development.
COHRED says Forum 2012 will investigate three main themes in support of these processes, which are improving and increasing investments in research and innovation; networking and partnerships for research and innovation and creating enabling environments for research and innovation.
The organisers say the event will act as a platform for dialogue by bringing together more than 600 participants from research institutions, business, social enterprises, governments, international organisations, funders and media, as well as bring together the world’s top change makers – from the South and the North – thereby creating an avenue through which they can develop equal partnerships toward effecting positive change for global health.
Commenting on the upcoming event, Prof. Carel IJsselmuiden, Director of the COHRED Group, said “The Forum’s ambition is to improve the links among the various actors, across sectors, that play the key roles in making research and innovation work for health, equity and development”.
“This marks a new day for research for health and development and with Forum 2012 COHRED aims to create and nurture the ‘improbable partnerships’ for action towards a world beyond aid,” the director added.
Forum 2012 will also be used to launch a new series of Global Forum for Health Research meetings on the theme: ‘Beyond aid…research and innovation as key drivers of health, equity and development’.
Further, the three-day forum meeting will unveil the creation of virtual and physical global communities of practice and a sustained dialogue on key issues in the period, leading up to the next set of forum meetings.
By Edmund Smith-Asante