The South African Institute of International Affairs cordially invites you to a Speaker's Meeting to be addressed by the Honourable Dr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry  on ‘Major Trade Policy Challenges Facing South Africa’

The Honourable rob davies is Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa. Between June 2005 and May 2009 he was Deputy Minister in the same portfolio and has been an ANC Member of the South African Parliament since 1994. He previously chaired the Portfolio Committees of Finance and of Trade and Industry as well as the Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Assembly responsible for Chapter 13 (Finance) of the Constitution.

Professionally, he has an Honours degree in Economics (from Rhodes University), a Masters in International Relations (from the University of Southampton) and a Doctorate in Political Studies (from the University of Sussex). Between 1979 and 1990, he was attached to the Centre of African Studies, Eduardo Mondlane University, working, until her murder in 1982, under the direction of the late Ruth First. Before entering Parliament in 1994, he was Professor and Co-Director of the Centre for Southern African Studies at the University of the Western Cape. His research interests during this period focused on issues of Southern African regional cooperation and integration. He undertook policy research both for the ANC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and also became actively engaged with issues of globalisation and international trade.

Date:               Monday 12 October 2009

Time:              16h00-17h30 to be followed by a cocktail

Venue:            Jan Smuts House, Wits University, Johannesburg

RSVP:             Ndumi Nqunqa

Tel:                  (011) 339 2021

Fax:                 (011) 339 2154