South African Institute of International Affairs

South African Institute of International Affairs SAIIA
Established	1934
Type	Research Institute
Location	Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Website	http://saiia.org.za/]

SAIIA has a long and proud record a South African research institute on international issues. It is an independent, non-government think-tank whose purpose is to encourage wider and more informed awareness of the importance of international affairs. It is both a centre for research excellence and a home for stimulating public debate.

History

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) was founded in Cape Town in 1934 and has been located since 1960 in Jan Smuts House in central Johannesburg, on the campus of the University of the Witwatersrand with which it has strong links. Offices were established in Cape Town in 2008 and in Pretoria in 2009 to engage more closely with key stakeholders in those cities.

In the early 1990s the strategy of the Institute began to shift from speakers' meetings and a general conference programme to a more focused research agenda. The major research projects within the Institute produce a range of deliverables to donors and the wider public in the form of publications and policy briefs, workshops and conferences catering for a cross constituency audience, and media engagement.

Vision and Mission

Vision
To be the pre-eminent think-tank on Africa and on global issues as they affect Africa.

Mission
To provide cutting-edge analysis and promote balanced dialogue on issues crucial to Africa's advancement and its engagement in a dynamic global context.

Work

The Institute's activities include :

• making input into policy development both locally and internationally
• undertaking research on current issues of importance to Africa generally and South Africa specifically
• developing linkages and joint programmes with international organisations and agencies throughout the world
• maintaining a resource centre and reference library (that is a United Nations depository as well as a World Bank Development Information Centre) for students and scholars of international relations
• organising conferences, seminars and speakers' meetings on a wide range of topics addressed by prominent South Africans and distinguished international guests
• encouraging an interest in international relations among the youth through its leadership programme for postgraduate interns and its various outreach programmes for university students and high school learners

Its project funding derives from grants from international governments, multilateral organisations and private foundations while some core institutional funding comes from local corporate, diplomatic and institutional members.

It is governed by an independent Council whose members represent the Institute's branches around South Africa as well as senior figures in business and civil society.

Research Output

SAIIA's research work currently focuses on:

• governance and accountability
• trade, investment (i.e. economic diplomacy) and development
• South African foreign policy
• Existing and emerging powers and their role in Africa
• Global challenges such as climate change and energy security.

SAIIA publishes a range of research reports, occasional papers, policy briefings, and executive commentaries, all of which are available freely from the SAIIA website.

Youth Outreach

SAIIA's youth initiatives (Youth@SAIIA) emphasize a broader goal of fostering awareness on international affairs, programmes that stimulate public debate amongst young people, as well as providing skills development that cultivates future leaders and researchers.

Many South African schools face enormous challenges, and SAIIA's schools programmes seek to go beyond single day events. By providing resources and tutoring, learners gain relevant skills that ultimately leave them with a deeper ability to engage with and understand issues affecting South Africa, the African continent, and the world as a whole. Topics cut across subject disciplines, often directly linking to subject Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards found in the National Curriculum Statement for South African schools.

The SAIIA Model United Nations conference in 2012 was featured on CCTV.

Media Appearances

SAIIA's researchers feature regularly on major global broadcast networks such as CNBC, Voice of Russia, BBC, CCTV and Voice of America.

SAIIA is also regularly called upon to comment on a range of issues for print media, both in South Africa and as far afield as The New York Times, Le Monde, Deutsche Welle, The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal.

Highlights and Key Visitors

As part of its mandate to hold conferences, seminars and speakers' meetings, SAIIA has hosted a range of well-known South African and international figures. These include UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the then US Senator (now President) Barack Obama in 2006 .

External links

• SAIIA Official Site