CSIR Group Executive for Strategic Alliances and Communication, Dr Rachel Chikwamba, was recently appointed to the African Union (AU) high-level committee on Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA 2024) and to the South African Medical Research Board.

She will join a nine-member High-Level African Panel on Emerging Technologies, which is composed of eminent experts who advise the AU and all its affiliates on harnessing emerging technologies.

In June 2014, the AU adopted a long-term STISA 2024 roadmap to underpin its Agenda 2063, with its main drive as the diversification of sources of economic growth and lifting the continent’s population out of poverty. The strategy aims to foster social and economic transformation by developing human capital, innovation, value addition, industrialisation and entrepreneurship.  

STISA 2024 has identified six priority areas namely: Eradicating hunger and ensuring nutrition and food security; prevention and control of diseases and ensuring wellbeing; communication (physical and intellectual mobility); natural resources management and climate change; peace and security and wealth creation. A major recognition in STISA 2024 is that the continent needs to apply existing and emerging technologies to realise the AU vision.

Chikwamba will also serve on the South African Medical Research Board for the period 2016 to 2019 together with 15 other distinguished leaders.