DRIVING THE BITDN PROJECT THROUGH PASSION

Kubheka is passionate about people empowerment and development and aims to use her education and impact to inspire positive change in the education and the STI landscape.

uduzile Kubheka is a BSc Biotechnology graduate from the University of Pretoria and recently completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology Management, majoring in Project Management. She is also a final year student for LLB at UNISA. Kubheka was previously employed at the NRFSAASTA in the capacity of Project Administrator for the EU Commission RRING 2020 project. Prior to that she was a participant in the DSISAASTA National Youth Service Program where she was first introduced to the organisation as a volunteer. She worked as a researcher and administrator and played a key role in the running of the Horizon Europe and EU Funded RRING H2020 Project for the National Research Foundation (NRF), based at the SAASTA business unit. This project was aimed at promoting Responsible Research and Innovation whilst addressing key global sustainability and social justice issues, e.g.,

Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the RRI principles, namely, Gender Equality, Public Engagement, Open Access, Ethics and Integrity. Kubheka has experience in project development and management as well as in the coordination of activities between project partners in South Africa and in various international countries including Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Lithuania, USA, Egypt, Bolivia, India, SubSaharan Africa, Japan, UK, etc. She has handled communication with all these stakeholders, including highlevel stakeholders in the respective partner countries as well as in South Africa, these include members of government, decision makers, policymakers, heads of organisations, and national committees. She has worked with a wide range of stakeholders, which extended to researchers, research funding organisations, research performing organisations, civil society organisations, business and industry.

She has also been involved in processes of governance and science collaboration, both nationally and internationally, this included policy review and analysis, the mapping of The Recommendations for Science and Scientific Researchers text against the Sustainable Development Goals using the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation and has also coordinated and managed a team of South African stakeholders in consultations and in the drafting of recommendations to UNESCO regarding the state of STI landscape in the country.

In addition, she has worked on the societal benefits of programs where she was involved in science outreach programs such as the National Science Week, science festivals and exhibitions and science centres in capacity building programs and Programmatic Support.

Her role as the BITDN Project Coordinator entails but is not limited to assisting in the development of the project by organizing and coordinating science activities on a national as well as international level. She is responsible for the coordination of activities between project partners in South Africa and in all BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), the development and management of societal benefits aspects of the programme, communication with high-level stakeholders in all BRICS countries as well as proposal and report writing.

She also serves the role of assisting in the development of the BRICS Astronomy website, social media platforms, BRICS Astronomy Magazine, management of the project and organization of workshops/meetings.