The minister was flanked by the Deputy Director-General for Middle East & Asia Ambassador Sisa Ngombane, South African Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China His Excellency Mr N N Ntshinga and South African Consul-General to Shanghai HE Mr. Vika Khumalo.

Also present among dignitaries were the premier of the Free State, Mr Ace Magashule, who was accompanied by three members of his executive council.

Visiting Shanghai Expo, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane commented “We are very proud to be opening South Africa’s Pavilion at Shanghai Expo because it truly showcases the vibrancy of South African cities, our urban culture and how far we have progressed since the birth of the New Democratic South Africa. Shanghai Expo’s theme of “Better City, Better Life” resonates deeply with our people, and our Pavilion will showcase our stories and commitment to improving urban living through innovative solutions. With the theme of “It’s Time! Ke nako!” We invite you on a journey to learn more about the offerings of modern South Africa as a strategic partner with China.”

Trade is not the only sector South Africa hopes to highlight during Shanghai Expo.  Continuing to attract direct investment from China and other countries is also important. During July and August, the South Africa Pavilion will focus on profiling its modern economy by introducing some of South Africa’s pillar industries including agro-processing, beneficiated metals and mining technology, defence technology, ICT, as well as bio-fuels and alternative energy. For Chinese companies, South Africa offers a stable political and economic environment in which to invest and build a business on the African continent.

Meanwhile, with other themes including FIFA 2010; remodeling of urban communities; tourism and heritage; and environment and climate change; a visit to the South Africa Pavilion will leave visitors with an understanding of a diverse nation unified by a collective spirit.  With a design inspired by a traditional Southern African Rondavel round house, interpreted in a modern way fusing traditional designs with modern materials, the Pavilion will invite visitors on a journey which is truly South African with experiences ranging from traditional artifacts, to world-class wines and modern urban living solutions.

A brainchild of the African Union Commission’s department of Social Affairs, the aim of the Campaign for African Cultural Renaissance is to promote Pan Africanism, cultural renewal and identity as forming part of the shared values in the continent.

Components of the campaign include:

Promotion of African cultural values including African languages so that their potential is explored and used to the maximum effect in order to reinforce a sense of identity among Africans. 

Promotion of the ratification of the Charter of the African Cultural Renaissance to ensure its entry into force

The Charter was adopted in 2006 and to date only Mali has ratified it.

Popularization and promotion of the effective implementation of the Charter at all levels of society through various activities that will:

Ensure the ownership of the Charter by Member States (MS), cultural stakeholders, Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and the public at large.

Ensure the preservation of Africa’s rich cultural heritage as well as positive traditional and cultural practices whilst also campaigning against harmful traditional practices.  

At the launching ceremony attended by over 600 delegates, the AUC Deputy Chairperson Mr. Erastus Mwencha recalled that it is in pursuance of the quest for African continental integration that the African Union Commission was launching the two year campaign on the African Cultural Renaissance under the theme:  “Promoting Together the African Cultural Renaissance”.

“Our African Culture, value and traditions play a paramount role in the development of our sense of common destiny, identity and togetherness (Pan-Africanist Spirit) which in turn are very essential elements as we pursue our continental integration”, the Deputy Chairperson said.

Commissioner Bience Gawanas of the AU Commission’s Department of Social Affairs called upon AU Member states, both individually and collectively to provide substantial support and protection to the cultural industries and heritage of the continent so as to ensure its contribution to the sustainable development and social integration of the continent.

She went on to say that “as culture and art are at the heart of our heritage, our democracy, our development and our humanity and social integration, I would therefore appeal to you all present here today and to all Africans elsewhere, both within the continent and in the Diaspora, to serve as cultural ambassadors for Africa and to play your respective roles in making the dream of “African Renaissance” a living reality”.

Speaking at the same occasion, President Kenneth Kaunda, a strong anti AIDS activist, re-emphasised a call he had made earlier for Africa to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He gave a personal example of his own son who died of AIDS while in his thirties and encouraged better understanding and care for those living with the virus as well as stepped up efforts to combat it. President Wade of Senegal used the occasion to inform Africa that a continental cultural event will be held in Dakar later this year, and to invite all of Africa to the event.

To commemorate the launch of the African Cultural Renaissance Campaign, a plaque was unveiled at the Accra International Conference Center by the AUC Deputy Chairperson and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister.

White founded SF Rocks in 2001 to give minority students exposure to geology. She’s now working with three other universities on a new program called METALS-Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences.

Florida A&M physics alumnus Dr. Timothy Childs

MINNEAPOLIS– TLC Precision Wafer won a $636,000 NASA contract.  TLC, founded by Dr. Timothy L. Childs as a spinoff from Honeywell in 1991. TLC has won 12 patents for its Gallium Arsenide and Indium Phosphide semiconductors.

TLC has completed a mentor-protege relationship with Lockheed Martin while opening an 11,000 square foot manufacturing plant.  It is also experienced in the use of the Small Business Innovative Research Grant program.

Epitaxial Technologies of Baltimore also won a $600,000 award from NASA.  These have been the only two research and development contracts to black-owned firms through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s creators and entrepreneurs,” Strickland said. “By encouraging our young people to match their interests with potential career paths, we’re helping them discover growing industries right here in Ohio while also preparing them for a purposeful and productive future.”

The Ohio Career Sim is an online simulation, enabling middle and high school students to explore and “try-on” careers in STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — and the educational pathways that will lead them there.

Created in collaboration with Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology, the interactive tool is designed to spark students’ aspirations and career preparation by aligning their passions and curiosity with high-growth industries and professions in Ohio.

“Interactive tools, like Career Sim, offer students a unique way to explore their interests and get advice on what careers might be a good fit for them,” said Deborah Delisle, superintendent of public instruction. “Students sometimes find it difficult to relate what they like to do for fun with jobs that might interest them in the future. Tying this all together, and including suggestions about what classes to take in high school and college, are important to keeping students engaged in their education.”

The initiative supports Governor Strickland’s goal to develop a 21st century workforce to tackle careers in STEM. The governor’s new state education plan modernizes Ohio classrooms and strengthens the teaching profession to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in high-growth industries.

“In order to put more Ohioans to work and promote lasting economic growth, Ohio needs to better prepare our students for the new kinds of jobs our economy is creating,” Strickland said.

The Ohio Career Sim website launch will coincide with Thursday’s STEM regional conference in Northwest Ohio, part of Ohio’s Statewide STEM Conference Series to continue the conversation about STEM education.

Also, on May 10, Governor Strickland recognized National Lab Day, part of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign. National Lab Day highlights Ohio’s multiple STEM education programs and the successful economic development program, the Ohio Third Frontier, which is creating jobs in high-growth industries that rely on STEM skills such as advanced energy and biomedicine.

The Ohio Career Sim provides information on scholarship opportunities, the University System of Ohio, and career choices, and can be found on OhioMeansJobs.com. The Ohio Career Sim link will also be featured for a time on the websites for the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Development, and the Governor’s Office.

To help spur the industries and jobs of tomorrow, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship today announced the i6 Challenge – where we will award up to $1 million each to six winning teams with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization in their regions.

How well America moves ideas out of the research lab and into the marketplace will help determine whether we remain the most competitive and vibrant economy in the world. And we want to hear the best ideas from entrepreneurs, investors, universities, foundations, and non-profits across America.

The i6 Challenge is being administered by the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). We are also partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), who have pledged to award up to $6 million in additional funding to their Small Business Innovation Research grantees that partner with i6 Challenge winners.

That’s a total of $12 million that will be working to help bring innovative ideas to market quicker.

I encourage anyone interested in participating in the i6 Challenge to submit their application by the July 15, 2010 deadline. For more information, please go to www.eda.gov/i6 where you can learn more about a special conference call for potential applicants on May 17, 2010.

Dr. Mo Ibrahim

LONDON–Dr. Mo Ibrahim made $3.4 billion on the sale of his mobile phone firm Celltel, which serves 15 African countries.  Now he wants to make Africa flourish as well, through the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.  It all comes down to leadership.

In a recent speech, he told of the year-long struggle to link Kinshasa and Brazzaville directly by microwave across the Congo River.

The foundation is setting up a strategy for Africans to hold their governments accountable with the annual Ibrahim Foundation index.

Between the two Congos, Ibrahim related that cell calls had to go from Kinshasa to Belgium to France and then to Brazzaville at a cost of $7 per minute.   Once he set up the microwave link, the cost plummeted and usage went up 60,000 percent in one week.

He says, “We have a rich continent, and poor people. After 50 years of independence, we can’t continue to blame the colonialists. We have been independent for 50 years. It is time for us to take responsibility.”

One step is fostering economic integration, which has proceeded in a halting fasihion under the African Union

“The Germans, French, British are,not very friendly with each other. 100 million people died in Europe in wars between those guys, yet they go and form this European Union,” said Ibrahim.

“For them to survive against the Indians, the Chinese, the United States. no European country has the scale to compete.They now negotiate as one bloc,” he added.

The African Union was more successful at the Copenhagen climate talks than previously because it did operate with a single economic strategy.  “There’s no way 53 tiny countries can compete with China, India and the United States,” he concludes.