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Event

Symposium on Knowledge and Transformation: Social and Human Sciences in Africa

Policy Analysis Unit
Hosted by : HSRC, ISSC and CIPSH
Start : 27 November 2008
End : 28 November 2008
Location : Spier conference centre, Stellenbosch, Cape Town

Important documents
Background

The Symposium was held at the Spier conference centre outside Stellenbosch in Cape Town on 27 and 28 November 2008. It was being organised jointly with two international science councils - the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and the Council of Philosophy and Humanistic Studies (CIPSH) – both of which enjoy formal relations with UNESCO. The ISSC and the CIPSH held their General Assemblies at the same venue from 24 – 26 November 2008. Attendance at the Symposium was by invitation only.

The focus of the symposium was:

  • The production of knowledge by Africans and the production of knowledge on Africa.
  • The contributions of human and social science to innovation and development in Africa.
  • The scientific rigour, originality, vitality and contribution of social and human sciences in Africa.

The objectives of the symposium were to:

  • Showcase the intellectual contributions of Africa to the humanities and social sciences.
  • Encourage vibrant engagement between South African and continental scholar.
  • Mobilise South African researchers.
  • Respond to pressing social situations.
  • Promote the social and human sciences and highlight how they make South Africa a better place.
  • Acknowledge the lives and work of the late Professors Joseph Ki-Zerbo and Archie Mafeje in recognition of the quality of their scholarship, the trans-disciplinary discourses in which they engaged, the ways in which they influenced our collective imaginations, their commitment to social transformation, and their immense and lasting contributions to human and social science in Africa.
Format

Papers were solicited and circulated before the Symposium. The event itself consisted of 10 – 15 keynote presentations and discussion sessions organised around groups of papers.

Participants

Participants were drawn from delegates of the ISSC and CIPSH General Assemblies, including the heads of over 30 international professional associations in the social and human sciences, representatives of the International Union of Academies, various regional social science bodies, national Research Councils and academies of science, as well as invited participants.

More information 

For more on the General Assemblies, please visit the ISSC site.

This site contains more information relevant to the Symposium:

You can also read the welcome note and the notification for the Symposium.