Under the joint initiative of TRENDS Research & Advisory and the Mandela Legacy Foundation, a panel discussion was convened to underscore the pivotal role of academic research in predicting and comprehending events across diverse domains. This event was complemented by signing a knowledge dissemination partnership agreement, a significant step towards bolstering collaboration on mutual interests.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, Zondwa Mandela, Chairman of the Mandela Legacy Foundation, and his wife, Lindo Mandela, founding member and director of the foundation. The partnership envisages a series of joint research programs and projects designed to develop innovative solutions to challenges and issues.

The panel discussion highlighted the crucial role of research in driving progress, enhancing societies, and offering innovative solutions to global challenges. It also accentuated the significance of partnerships between academic and research institutions and government and private entities in advancing research and translating its outcomes into practical solutions.

The partnership between TRENDS and the Mandela Legacy Foundation is set to achieve a multitude of objectives. These include fostering collaboration in scientific research, exchanging expertise and knowledge, developing joint programs to support young researchers, organizing workshops and symposiums on issues of common interest, and publishing research and studies that enrich human knowledge.

In a statement on the occasion, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali emphasized the importance of this partnership in promoting scientific research’s role in the region. He said, “We are proud to partner with the Mandela Legacy Foundation, which is a model of community work. We are confident that this partnership will contribute to achieving positive and tangible results.”

Zondwa Mandela expressed his delight with the partnership with TRENDS, stating, “At the Mandela Legacy Foundation, we believe in the importance of scientific research in finding solutions to the challenges the world faces. We are confident that this partnership will help us realize our vision of building a better future for future generations.”