2013/2014 was also important for MISTRA to advance its research agenda. Besides the release of five comprehensive research reports, the Institute was able to establish research collaborations with outstanding researchers and institutions in South Africa and the world. On the latter, the management and BoG successfully presented the case of MISTRA to potential global partners. This has had the potential to further strengthen the future of the Institute in all respects.

The year 2013/2014 was remarkable for MISTRA. Let me highlight a few examples of excellence and competitiveness. First, MISTRA was ranked among the Top 10 Best New Think Tanks globally by the Global Go To Think Tank Index housed in the Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Second, the Executive Director of MISTRA delivered an excellent first Pixley ka Isaka Seme Lecture at Columbia University in the United States of America. Third, Mr Barry Gilder, a Senior Research Fellow of Mapungubwe Institute (FMI), had a successful book tour in the US with universities and the African Studies Association (one of the largest world gatherings of African thinkers and scholars). Last, Dr Tanya Abrahamse, a member of the BoG, was appointed to the United Nations Scientific Advisory Board, and Dr Thandi Ndlovu was awarded the Businesswoman of the Year Award (Entrepreneurial Category) by the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWASA). These developments are testimony to the calibre of individuals who are in the ranks of MISTRA.