methodological tools, and practical competencies needed to address complex societal challenges in the Global South and beyond. the Chair supports 25 full- and part-time Master’s and Doctoral candidates through structured academic programmes, close supervisory support, and a range of research development initiatives. These offerings place strong emphasis on critical engagement with innovation systems, sustainability transitions, and inclusive development, enabling students to locate their research within real-world policy and development contexts. The Chair currently hosts the only active postgraduate programmes in Africa dedicated specifically to Innovation and Development. The Chair annually hosts a Cohort of AFRICALICS Visiting Fellows for a transformative study visit spanning three months. The study visit is part of the one-year fellowship programme, and comprises a range of online sessions, including mentoring sessions, online courses, writing sessions, and paper presentation seminars. 2025 included four PhD students coming from Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. An essential aspect of the Chair’s T&L approach is its interdisciplinary and collaborative nature. Students are encouraged to draw on insights from economics, innovation studies, development studies, public policy, and sustainability science. Through partnerships with universities, research institutions, and policy actors, the Chair integrates diverse perspectives into its learning environment. This approach not only enriches academic training but also prepares students for careers in academia, policy, industry, and civil society. Overall, the Chair’s T&L efforts provide a supportive, rigorous, and forward-looking academic environment. For students completing in 2025, these offerings ensure not only successful degree completion but also the development of well-rounded scholars equipped to contribute meaningfully to transformative innovation, sustainable development, and knowledge production in the Global South. In 2025, UJ-TRCTI consolidated its work across four interconnected thematic areas, using Transformative Innovation as the integrative frame. These areas are: (1) Digital Transformation, (2) Green and Just Transformation, (3) Societal Transformation, underlined by (4) STI Policy and Governance. Our approach has been not only to produce knowledge “about” the role of innovation in transformation, but also co-producing knowledge Prof. Kraemer-Mbula represents UJ at the WEF Summit in Davos Policy Dialogue under the ISPF project 46 College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2025
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