Dear colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of the Public Policy Hub (PPH) at the University of Pretoria (UP). This new knowledge intermediary is envisioned to foster a greater adoption of sustainable, evidence-based public policies in Africa by promoting collaboration between academic research and government public policy through the co-creation of transdisciplinary and policy-relevant research for better development outcomes in Africa.

As a publicly funded institution, our commitment to social responsibility is ingrained in our values and mission, which we seek to uphold in all our academic activities. Universities play a crucial role in shaping humanity as repositories of essential skills, knowledge and expertise that can make a meaningful contribution to society. We have a responsibility to ensure that our cutting-edge research translates into progressive policies, solutions and innovations that will advance society. Through the PPH, we aim to continue our pursuit of undertaking transdisciplinary research with a positive societal impact and that addresses some of Africa’s complex problems.

The PPH aligns with UP's Destination 2026 and Beyond Strategic Plan and it is set to strengthen UP's impact on economic and social development. The Hub's research focus areas will be determined by the public sector’ s needs, as well as by cutting-edge and innovative research outputs from the academic community. They will be anchored and developed within the framework of the African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063 and the United Nations' (UN) Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The offerings of the PPH will be underpinned by a strong knowledge community of academics, across UP and partner universities, with strengthened interconnections and synergies where transdisciplinary work is needed and support to research translation for policy.

A key focus of the Hub is to connect and bridge the gap between policymakers, practitioners, experts in the public sector and researchers at institutions of higher learning across Africa to provide them with a platform to co-produce knowledge through collaboration, sharing and transfer of skills and techniques, and engaging on critical issues related to sustainable public policies.

For UP to achieve greater impact on society, collaboration with various stakeholders is crucial. With its transdisciplinary focus, the PPH will cut across all academic sciences and will bring together the public and private sectors, civil society and academia to partner in addressing pertinent societal challenges by informing public policies. It will propel the University’s mission to produce transdisciplinary impactful pan-African work within a global context.

The Hub will serve as an interface between academic research and government public policy striving to find innovative ways to create partnerships between government leaders who are seeking solutions to pressing public problems and researchers who study those potential solutions; thus, connecting relevant evidence and expertise to the right policymakers at the right time. Through collaborative and policy-relevant research, the goal of the PPH is to assist policymakers in designing effective policies, which can foster economic growth and promote and preserve societal wellbeing. By involving diverse stakeholders, it will steer evidence-based public policymaking on the continent.

The PPH is a university-wide initiative that welcomes all UP faculties, centres and institutes that are interested in influencing public policies through their research. The University community, including postdoctoral fellows, master’s, and PhD students is invited to be involved with this initiative.

We invite you to join us in this exciting journey and contribute to the PPH's transformative work. Together, we can advance the much-needed societal impact as we navigate complex global challenges.  I look forward to your participation in the PPH.

For more information about the Public Policy Hub, please email Associate Professor Nara Monkam at [email protected]

Kind regards,

Professor Tawana Kupe

Vice-Chancellor and Principal