Centre for Education, Innovation Research and Development Bill H.B. 1, 2020

This Bill establishes a new body corporate, the Centre for Education, Innovation and Research Development, to coordinate research and innovation across the whole of higher and tertiary education. Its stated purpose is to turn education and research into industry and jobs, in support of the target of upper middle-income status by 2030.

The Act would apply to public and private industry and to every institution of higher and tertiary education: universities, teachers' colleges, polytechnic colleges, industrial training colleges, vocational training centres, and institutions undertaking research and innovation. That reach is the point — the object is to coordinate programme-based synergies among them rather than to run any one of them.

The Centre's functions include supporting technology-based products, processes and services, creating what the Bill calls "techno jobs" for graduates, providing engineering and technological solutions to industry and community while generating income, and improving the country's economic position through production and export of intellectual property. It is to establish satellite institutes in all provinces, focused on strategic sectors the Bill lists — among them health and environment, security, mobility and transport, ICT, energy and natural resources, geospatial, aeronautical and space sciences, food technology, climate resilience, water and sanitation, smart agriculture and genomics.

Governance sits with a Council of between nine and fifteen members appointed by the President on the Minister's recommendation. It comprises the Chief Scientist and the Chief Director as ex officio members, a registered chartered accountant, a registered legal practitioner, one person with a techno-entrepreneurial background, and up to six eminent scientists. The Bill defines an eminent scientist as a holder of at least a master's degree with a minimum of 21 relevant publications. If the chairperson is male the vice-chairperson must be female, or the reverse.

The Chief Scientist is the chief executive, appointed by the President for five years on a performance-based contract, renewable once. The post requires a doctorate and at least five years' experience in a science discipline, and is barred to Members of Parliament and to undischarged insolvents. Each Provincial Institute is headed by a Principal Scientist reporting to the Chief Scientist.

On finances, the Bill creates a Centre Fund, sets the financial year to the calendar year, and requires audited accounts to go to the Minister. The Minister may give the Centre policy directions, which it must take steps to follow, and the Council may make regulations with the Minister's approval. One drafting loose end: clause 1 gives the short title as the Education, Innovation, Research and Development Centre Act with the Chapter number left blank.