ATTENTION: NEWS EDITORS
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
Thursday, 20 November 2025
Against the backdrop of South Africa’s landmark G20 Summit, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is playing a leading role in shaping global conversations on innovation, resilience and inclusive development as it hosts the Globelics International Conference 2025, in Pretoria.
With UJ’s DSI/NRF Trilateral Chair in Transformative Innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Sustainable Development taking centre stage as a co-host, the University strengthens its position as a continental driver of research, policy influence and thought leadership on innovation systems in the Global South.
This high-profile gathering, themed “Innovation for sustainable and inclusive development to build resilience,” will bring the world’s leading scholars, policymakers, development practitioners and innovation experts to South Africa to confront some of the most pressing global challenges, from widening inequality and climate disruption to geopolitical instability and fragile economic growth.
The conference will run from 24 to 26 November 2025 at the National Research Foundation (NRF) Building in the CSIR Complex. It is organised by a consortium of South African Globelics members and co-hosted by the NRF and UJ’s Trilateral Chair, highlighting the University’s commitment to advancing knowledge and policy solutions in transformative innovation. Strategic partners include the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). More than 250 national and international delegates are expected to participate.
Details of the conference:
Globelics International Conference 2025
Theme: Innovation for sustainable and inclusive development to build resilience
Dates: 24–26 November 2025
Venue: NRF Building, South Gate, CSIR Complex, Pretoria, South Africa
“The timing of the conference is particularly significant. Taking place as South Africa leads the G20, Globelics 2025 will provide an intellectual bridge between global diplomacy and on-the-ground innovation systems research. Delegates will interrogate how the G20’s commitments, especially around inclusive growth, sustainable development and digital transformation, can be translated into practical strategies that work for the Global South,” says Professor Erika Kraemer-Mbula, the Trilateral Chair at UJ and current President of Globelics.
“The G20’s agenda and the mission of Globelics are powerfully aligned. Both acknowledge that in a world of poly-crises, innovation is essential for building resilience. This conference will take the G20’s ambitions and tackle the critical question of how innovation can transform economies in ways that are sustainable, equitable and responsive to the realities of the Global South.”
Alongside Prof Kraemer-Mbula, the 2025 programme will feature several prominent speakers, including globally respected innovation policy scholar Professor Amir Lebdioui, of the University of Oxford, as well as senior STI leaders from Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Their contributions will guide discussions that examine how countries can strengthen innovation systems, leverage the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, build resilience against climate-related and geopolitical shocks, and craft policy frameworks that leave no one behind.
Over three days, the conference will bring together established academics, early-career researchers, development partners, government actors and innovation practitioners. Through keynote addresses, plenaries, paper sessions and policy dialogues, participants will share cutting-edge research and debate the models, tools and governance approaches that can deliver more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes. The focus throughout will be on producing knowledge that has real-world impact, knowledge that reflects the lived experiences of developing countries and offers evidence-based pathways toward resilience.
Adding to its significance, Globelics 2025 will take place immediately before Science Forum South Africa (SFSA), scheduled for 25–28 November in the same precinct. SFSA, one of Africa’s largest platforms for science, technology and innovation policy dialogue, draws thousands of participants each year. This proximity creates a unique opportunity for cross-pollination between the academic and policy communities that animate Globelics and the broader, multi-stakeholder audiences of SFSA.
“This creates an unprecedented opportunity for seamless intellectual exchange,” added Prof Kraemer-Mbula. “I am confident that both these events will bring enriching conversations and strengthening the collective momentum behind innovation-driven development in Africa and globally.”
Ends.
Note to the Media:
Members of the media are invited to attend the Globelics International Conference 2025 to engage with leading global thinkers and report on the strategies, evidence and perspectives shaping a more equitable and resilient future for the Global South
RSVP by 21 November 2025 to Masego Panyane at masegop@uj.ac.za.
About Globelics:
Globelics (Global Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems) is an international network of scholars committed to understanding how innovation and learning drive economic development, especially in the Global South. Its conferences bring together thought leaders who generate insights that strengthen innovation systems, guide public policy and support inclusive and sustainable development worldwide.
Issued by:
Masego Panyane
Media Liaison
011 559 1571
084 067 7528
