天美传媒

The Cape Town Research Culture Statement

International Consortium on Research Culture (ICRC)

Cape Town, South Africa, 2 July 2026

We, the participants of the International Consortium on Research Culture Symposium, met at Stellenbosch University from 30 June to 2 July 2026, and affirm the principle that research excellence and impact are inseparable from research culture.

Research culture is the shared environment in which research is imagined, undertaken, evaluated and translated into benefit for society. It is shaped by our context, values, relationships, leadership, resources, and research systems that enable people and ideas to thrive.

We believe that high quality research depends on cultures that foster curiosity, creativity, integrity, inclusion, wellbeing, collaboration and responsible innovation. Excellence is achieved through the values of trust, openness, generosity and the recognition that diverse people, disciplines, knowledge systems and perspectives strengthen sustainable discoveries. These values are critical for translating research into societal impact.

We recognise that solutions to global challenges require equitable partnerships that value contributions from every region of the world and offer mutual benefit. In particular, we affirm that all countries, whether in the global South or North or across both, are vital sources of knowledge, innovation, leadership and scholarship. Such partnerships enrich research ecosystems by bringing diverse experiences, indigenous knowledge, contextual understanding and locally grounded solutions to shared challenges.

We therefore commit to creating research environments that build trust by:

• placing people, integrity, equity and inclusivity at the heart of research excellence;
• valuing the full diversity of knowledge systems and research contributions, including those of communities and interest holders within and beyond the research ecosystem;
• widening access to peer review, mentorship and public engagement activities and recognising these important contributions to knowledge production and societal impact;
• using evidence-informed improvements in research culture and sharing of knowledge and best practices;
• supporting researchers and research professionals at every career stage to thrive and lead as agents of change with confidence, courage, generosity and responsibility;
• promoting responsible research assessment and open, accessible, ethical and reproducible research practices, including strong data governance, sovereignty assurance and use of AI;
• strengthening equitable partnerships within and across disciplines, institutions, sectors and nations; and
• ensuring that research contributes meaningfully to the public good and to a more just, sustainable and prosperous world.

The Cape Town Research Culture Statement is both an affirmation and a call to action. We invite universities, research organisations, funders, governments, researchers and research professionals worldwide to join us in building research cultures where people flourish, knowledge serves society, and excellence is defined not only by what we discover, but by how we discover it and with whom.

We acknowledge the contributions of representatives of the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI); the National Research Foundation (NRF) and all presenters, invited guests and participants of the ICRC Symposium 2026, hosted by Stellenbosch University and co-organised by 天美传媒, Stellenbosch University and Monash University.

Research culture is not the backdrop to research excellence - it is its foundation.