Dr Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Visits UCT

On 28 January, the University of Cape Town (UCT) had the honour of welcoming Dr Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor for Canada. She was accompanied by the High Commission Counsel and Chief Director, Department of Science and Innovation. Dr Nemer and her colleagues met with Quinton Johnson, PhD, Director of UCT’s International Office, following her tour of key scientific initiatives at the university, including the Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Catalysis programme and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) projects.

During her visit, Dr Nemer also explored the impact of the IDRC-funded Research on Open Educational Resources for Development (ROER4D) project, which ran from 2013 to 2018. Led by Assoc. Prof Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams. This initiative brought together 103 researchers across 21 countries to examine how open educational resources can enhance access, improve quality, and reduce the cost of education in the Global South. UCT played a central role in this effort through its Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching.

Dr. Nemer’s visit highlighted the strong research collaboration between Canada and South Africa, underscoring the importance of indigenous knowledge, science, technology and innovation in addressing global challenges. International Office Director Quinton Johnson, PhD reaffirmed UCT’s commitment to international partnerships that drive academic excellence and global citizenship, whilst concurring with Dr. Nemer, the Canadian High Commission and the Department of Science and Innovation that a further series of meetings are necessary to amplify our collaboration.

As South Africa continues to lead in cutting-edge research, visits from esteemed global scientists and administrators such as Dr Nemer reinforce UCT’s role as a hub for international innovation and knowledge exchange.