College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2021 60 operate a web-based knowledge exchange forum, host international conferences, conduct original research, and publish materials on innovative regional development practices from around the world. PASCAL originated following a conference organised by the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD), which examined the role of learning cities in regional development. Learning cities/regions arise when individuals and organisations intentionally coordinate learning with economic and community development. The PASCAL network connects researchers and practitioners across four sectors: higher education, regional government, the private (for-profit) sector and non-governmental (not-for-profit) sector. PASCAL serves as a pipeline that produces public benefits, with at least three inputs at the front end: human talent, physical resources, and knowledge-sharing systems. By coordinating these inputs, the conditions for productivity and innovation are created. At the other end, PASCAL looks for outcomes and impacts that are beneficial for all within the region. PASCAL wants to increase the range of contributors as well as the number of beneficiaries. If communities are thinking in terms of regional development, they have a great opportunity to learn from similarly engaged regions around the world and from a variety of existing networks that can aid in those efforts. POLICY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES SOL PLAATJE LED STRATEGY REVIEW. • During January 2020, a contract to the value of R1 million was concluded to review their LED strategy. The review process was concluded in February 2021 and a draft LED strategy was presented to the Director: LED for Council approval. LIMPOPO DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM. • A contract to the value of R800 000 was secured to capacitate 160 municipal officials and councillors in four LED short learning programmes. In total, 108 certificates were issued to successful candidates. ONLINE HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN LED • The online Higher Certificate in LED was piloted in 2020 and 2021 with 47 students. 22 successfully completed the qualification. • An international virtual webinar on LED was organised and hosted in partnership with the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy. Themes included the formal and informal sector, the role of LED in inclusive growth development, the coordination, planning and role players in LED, an enabling environment, and best practice principles for success. The webinar was well attended by national and international scholars. ACHIEVEMENTS CENLED’s director achieved certification as “Professional Municipal Manager”, awarded by the Institute of Local Government Management; was appointed to the Board of Advisors of the Economic Innovation Institute for Africa (EIIA); was elected as a council member of the Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA); served as an official member of the Community of Practice for Entrepreneurial Universities and lastly was appointed as a senior member of the Pan-African Scientific Research Council. RESEARCH CENLED contributed five credits towards the CBE research output. This included scholarly articles published in accredited journals and a scholarly book in the CENLED scholarly book series. The book, Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on Higher Education, Cities, Business & Civil Society, heightens the relevance in regard to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) to be achieved by 2030. The book carries forward a dual context and relevance: to South African social, educational, economic and cultural development, and the broader international context and action directed at how lifelong learning for all can be fostered in communities as a foundation for a just, human-centred, sustainable world. https://doi. org/10.4102/aosis.2021.BK214.
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