The 16th International GLOBELICS Doctoral Academy was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 27 November to 8 December 2023, bringing doctoral researchers from different regions of the world together for two weeks of intensive academic exchange. The Academy continued the long-standing Globelics commitment to strengthening research capacity in science, technology, innovation and development, while giving particular attention to research capable of addressing contemporary economic and societal challenges.
The 2023 edition was organized through collaboration between the Globelics network, the DSI/NRF Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Sustainable Development at the University of Johannesburg, the UNESCO Chair in African Integration and Innovation hosted by the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation at Tshwane University of Technology, and the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD. This institutional partnership placed the Academy at the intersection of academic research, innovation policy and development practice.
A central objective was to enhance the capacities, capabilities and competencies of doctoral candidates conducting theoretically informed and policy-relevant empirical research. Participants examined innovation within enterprises, communities and societies, while considering the importance of learning and interactive competence building for development. Rather than focusing exclusively on technological innovation, the Academy encouraged broader reflection on how innovation processes interact with institutions, economic transformation and societal needs.
Doctoral research occupied a central position throughout the program. Participants presented full academic papers derived from their PhD projects, creating opportunities to receive feedback and refine their theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches. The selection process particularly encouraged applications from the Global South, including Africa, Asia and Latin America, while remaining open to researchers from other regions. The University of Johannesburg reported that 23 students participated, with international doctoral researchers coming from countries including Brazil, India, Switzerland, Kenya, the United States, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ethiopia, alongside participants from South Africa.
The local organisation team included Erika Kraemer-Mbula and Rebecca Hanlin from the University of Johannesburg, together with Rasigan Maharajh and Mario Scerri from Tshwane University of Technology. The Scientific Committee expanded this academic foundation through scholars and specialists from institutions in South Africa, Kenya and the United Kingdom, reinforcing the international character of the Academy.
Johannesburg therefore provided an important setting for connecting global innovation scholarship with perspectives rooted in African development experiences. Through doctoral presentations, academic mentoring and interaction among researchers from multiple regions, the 2023 Academy strengthened both individual research capabilities and the international networks necessary for developing more inclusive and policy-relevant approaches to innovation and development.