Erika Kraemer-Mbula, President, Globelics, and Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday called for continuing and nurturing the dialogue between the global south and the global north on vital issues.
“The discourse to address climate change, the widening inequalities, ensuring that new technologies do not create more damage than good, all of that requires discussion between the north and the south,” Prof. Erika Kraemer-Mbula said, speaking at the 20th Globelics International Conference which opened at the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT).
(The terms ‘global south’ and ‘global north’ refers, respectively, to developing and developed nations of the world.)
Knowledge, innovation and building competence play vital roles in developing economies and societies and for ensuring a more equitable and sustainable future, she said. Globelics was started in 2003 in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
The 20-year journey of the network is not just a milestone, but also a testament to the dedication and commitment to understanding innovation and how it concerns processes of development, she said.
In a fast-changing environment, Globelics has managed to remain a beacon of academic knowledge and leadership, bringing together scholars and policy makers to navigate and think about complex issues, according to the Globelics president. The core themes of knowledge, innovation and providing a platform for dialogue between the north and the south on which the network was founded make it all the more relevant today in the light of new global challenges, she said.
