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ASSAf recognises top SA scientists
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) recognised top South African scientists at its prestigious Annual Awards Ceremony held in Pretoria on 14 October 2014. ASSAf annually awards up to two ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medals for outstanding achievement in scientific thinking for the benefit of society. This year two awardees were selected. Read more
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Young Scientists’ Conference addressed Agriculture and Food Security
The fourth ASSAf Annual South African Young Scientists’ Conference with the theme Agriculture and Food Security was held from 14 -16 October 2014 in Pretoria. The conference primarily attracted PhD, postdoctoral, and young, early-career researchers and scientists. This year, the theme of the conference was aligned to the African Union theme for 2014. Read more
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IAP SEP Beijing Declaration on Science Education and Science Literacy
Leading education researchers and practitioners meeting in China recently made a series of recommendations calling for the wider uptake of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) methods in more countries around the world. In particular, the experts called on the world’s science academies, private companies, the host nation China and other countries, and UNESCO, to promote IBSE/STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Read more
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IAMP Young Physician Leader workshop
A group of 20 Young Physician Leaders (YPL) were assembled by IAMP in Berlin, Germany, on the fringes of the World Health Summit (WHS). Nominated by IAMP member academies and selected by the Executive Committee, the 20 young physicians from 16 countries were joined by four alumni from previous meetings. These alumni acted as mentors during the workshop, which took place on 18 -19 October. Read more
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Increased R&D Crucial for South Africa’s Energy Future
Inadequate coordination, insufficient funding and skills shortages threaten South Africa’s energy future. These are among the findings of a consensus study entitled The State of Energy Research in South Africa released by the Academy of Science of South Africa. Read more
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SAYAS elects new Leadership
SAYAS elected new leadership for the year 2014/2015. Dr Tolu Oni (University of Cape Town) and Prof Voster Muchenje (University of Fort Hare) were elected Co-chairs. Members of the Executive Committee are: Dr Amanda Weltman (University of Cape Town), Dr Aliza Le Roux (University of the Free State) and Dr Gert Adriaan Oosthuizen (Stellenbosch University).
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TWAS’s 25th General Meeting
The 25th general meeting of TWAS was held in Muscat, Oman on 26 October 2014, with an agenda that explored cutting-edge science and recognised some of the year’s top scientific accomplishments in the developing world. The event was attended by Prof Roseanne Diab, Executive Officer of ASSAf.
During the event it was announced that: Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim (top right) had won the TWAS-Lenovo Prize - the most prestigious annual prize of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), based in Trieste Italy. The prize comprises a citation, medal and US$100 000. The following South Africans were elected as TWAS Young Affiliates for the next years: Prof Sophie von her Heyden (bottom right), Stellenbosch University, Prof Collet Dandara (bottom left), University of Cape Town and Prof Henok Kinfe (top left), University of Johannesburg.
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ESASTAP Plus Annual Meeting
The annual project meeting of the ESASTAP Plus consortium took place in Rome, Italy on 24 - 25 September 2014. ASSAf was represented by the project’s coordinator at ASSAf, Ms Dorothy Ngila. Amongst other discussions, the timelines presented by ASSAf for the completion of its project on the analysis of South Africa’s participation in Framework Programme 7 were agreed upon.
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LAMAP pilot project comes to conclusion
The conclusion of the La Main à la Pâte (LAMAP) pilot project in South Africa was celebrated at a function at the Residence of French Ambassador, Her Excellency Elisabeth Barbier, on 16 October 2014. Certificates were awarded to teachers and trainers who had taken part in the LAMAP pilot project. In addition to the presence of the project stakeholders (ASSAf, teachers from schools, University of Pretoria (UP) professors, Gauteng Department of Education, etc.), the event gathered guests from the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Science and Technology and representatives of South African provinces. Read more
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IAC urges African science academies and their stakeholders to build on success of ASADI
The InterAcademy Council (IAC), a multinational organisation of science academies has issued its long-anticipated review of the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI). The review concluded that the initiative has been a significant success—both in terms of meeting its stated objectives and in its wider positive impacts on the trajectory of the African science academies that it supported. Read more
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Royal Society of Chemistry Roadshow
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) recently invited ASSAf to be part of its Roadshow to South African Universities from 17 to 21 November 2014. The Roadshow was aimed at faculty members and students within the chemistry departments of the respective participating universities (Universities of Witwatersrand, Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town).
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ASSAf Members in the News
The core functions of the Academy requires that the country’s most outstanding scholars are included in its Membership. These Members are recognised in various fields. Read more
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Gender, Ownership, and the Post-2015 Agenda
The tenth Annual Meeting of African Science Academies (AMASA 10) took place in Kampala, Uganda from 9 - 12 November 2014. ASSAf hosted a roundtable discussion during the conference - in order to promote the ideals of GenderInSITE and to raise awareness on the importance of gender considerations as the world moves towards adopting Sustainable Development Goals. Read more
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GenderInSITE – Consultative Workshop on Gender and Agriculture in the SADC Region
The first project workshop for GenderInSITE southern Africa took place at the Wallenberg Research Centre at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) in Stellenbosch on 23 October 2014. The focus of the discussions was on gender and agriculture and initial contextual data were presented about the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and key target audiences. Stakeholders were identified for further dialogue and implementation of the project for 2015.
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SAJS appoints new Associate Editor
The South African Journal of Science (SAJS) appointed Prof Tania Douglas as Engineering and Technology Associate Editor in November 2014. Douglas is the Deputy Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering and Associate Professor for Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town. Read more
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