SRI Conference 2026

At this year's Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress (SRI) conference, SASUF hosted two sessions that reflected some of the key priorities of SASUF+ (2025–2028).

The first session, Indigenous Knowledge, Science and Sustainability: Comparative Perspectives from Sweden and South Africa, focused on one of the four thematic areas of SASUF+: Democracy, Social Justice and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Bringing together Prof VHONANI NETSHANDAMA (University of Venda), Prof Ylva Jannok Nutti (Sámi allaskuvla/Samisk høgskole (SH), Dr Bongie Mcata (University of Mpumalanga), and Assoc. Prof May-Britt Öhman (Uppsala universitet), discussions were centered on how Indigenous and minority knowledge systems can move beyond recognition to contribute meaningfully to sustainability research, governance, education and policy, while also addressing the institutional, historical and ethical dimensions of knowledge co-production.

The second session, From Bilateral to Multilateral: SASUF+ as a Platform for Science Granting Councils and Intra-African Research Collaboration, reflected SASUF's engagement with the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) as part of the SASUF Beyond Borders initiative. The session explored how national Science Granting Councils, universities and strategic funding mechanisms can strengthen multilateral research collaboration. The panel was moderated by Thabo Dikgale (University of Mpumalanga), and featured Dr Nokuthula Mchunu (The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF), Prof Andala Dickson (National Research Fund Kenya), Dr Kisimenda Paunde (Fundo Nacional de Investigação - FNI, Mozambique), and Helin Bäckman Kartal (SASUF Project Manager, Uppsala universitet), who shared perspectives on opportunities and challenges for strengthening regional research collaboration.

Together, the two sessions reflected both SASUF's thematic priorities and its ongoing efforts to broaden collaboration beyond Sweden and South Africa through new partnerships across the African continent.