[IRTalk] FW: ASSAf Newsletter December 2017

[Ina Smith]

Read about the Botswana Open Data Open Science Forum, SFSA, OpenCon, SKA and more.

From: Academy of Science of South Africa [mailto:communications=assaf.org.za at mail9.suw91.mcdlv.net] On Behalf Of Academy of Science of South Africa
Sent: Friday, December 8, 2017 10:38 AM
To: inacsmith at gmail.com
Subject: ASSAf Newsletter December 2017



View this email in your browser<http://mailchi.mp/assaf/assaf-newsletter-december-971333?e=3d6872399f>





[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/78f4c144-b925-41f6-8324-69c5e7e5f387.jpg]







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/01ed43f7-a842-4144-9c64-aba387a338d9.jpg]

ASSAf Inaugurates New Members
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) inaugurated a record number of 41 leading scientists as new Members at its annual Awards Ceremony on 11 October 2017, increasing the total Membership to 542. Mrs Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science of Technology, delivered the keynote address at the event. As the official Academy of South Africa, ASSAf has as core function to honour the country’s most outstanding scholars by electing them to Membership of the Academy. ASSAf Members are drawn from the full spectrum of disciplines.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=2ce7cc6005&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/bbef097e-d6e2-4fc6-8e9f-51a9c4f13398.jpg]

ASSAf Recognises SKA Leader
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) recognised astronomer and former leader of the biggest global science project in Africa with a gold medal at its prestigious Annual Awards Ceremony held in Pretoria on 11 October 2017. ASSAf annually awards the ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in scientific thinking to the benefit of society. This year the award was presented to Dr Bernie Fanaroff who retired as Director of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in 2015.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=1b7ae7bc68&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/1d6c9aee-c9a3-4253-901e-f158998f4185.jpg]

ASSAf Annual Humanities Lecture
Prof Njabulo Ndebele, Chairman of The Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, delivered the 2017 ASSAf Annual Humanities Lecture on the topic Steve Biko’s “Envisioned Self” and the Makings of a South African. The lecture was held on 26 October 2017 at the University of Pretoria. The purpose of this event is to promote the humanities in the country and to draw attention to the importance of the humanities amongst school learners, university students, scholars, and South African society.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=578ee3574d&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/e0f835fc-50c3-4c4d-b3f6-6167a47c14c5.jpg]

Renowned Nobel Laureate delivers Public Lectures
South African born Nobel Laureate and biophysicist, Prof Michael Levitt, delivered a series of public lectures hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) at several universities in November 2017. Levitt who was ASSAf’s Distinguished Visiting Scholar for 2017/18 was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, which he shared with Martin Karplus, Harvard University and Arieh Warshel, University of Southern California. Levitt is a Professor of structural biology at Stanford University, a position he has held since 1987.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=28aee24e7f&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/d04a716a-d0ce-4681-82c8-f27e1dd98172.jpg]

ASSAf Study on Revitalising Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa
Challenges facing South Africa’s agricultural education and training (AET) sector are highlighted in the latest consensus study report released by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) on 27 September 2017.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=0c7b07a0f2&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/6eebc8be-08db-47f6-b6e4-2c0c2f7640da.jpg]

Conference Addresses Abandoned Mines
Innovative ways to minimise the risks associated with abandoned mines in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were discussed at an international conference hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina on 28 – 30 November 2017.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=93242aa22b&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/21a0c91d-28b0-401c-9052-3f7c3e510fbe.jpg]

Science Business Society Dialogue Conference Issues Statement
Having deliberated on the sustainable use of abandoned mines in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, the delegates of the Science Business Society Dialogue Conference, with the theme Linking Science, Society, Business and Policy for the Sustainable Use of Abandoned Mines in the SADC Region, released a statement.
Read more <https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=c804150401&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/62ac2f2f-1309-41e8-a3be-b0d43672b051.jpg]

ASSAf Partners at SFSA 2017
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) was, for the first time, a full partner at the international Science Forum South Africa 2017 (SAFS 2017) that took place on 7 – 8 December 2017 in Pretoria. ASSAf partnered with event host, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), as well as the National Research Foundation (NRF).
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=356d5d948f&e=3d6872399f>






AMASA 13 held in Nigeria
The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) hosted the 13th Annual Meeting of African Science Academies (AMASA 13) in Nigeria on 16 and 17 November 2017. Prior to the start of the AMASA conference, a Learning Collaborative with a focus on science advice was held on 13 and 14 November 2017.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=2fa63cec88&e=3d6872399f>

[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/3b08f5ee-bd24-4a3a-816f-e275da968b41.jpg]






Air Pollution and Health Symposium
ASSAf, with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, in cooperation with the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), hosted a symposium on Air Pollution and Health: New Research Perspectives for a Growing Global Crisis. The symposium was held on 7 and 8 November 2017 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=ada2953550&e=3d6872399f>

[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/424e2630-ff9e-463e-952e-cbe84ef938a6.jpg]






[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/3a0cc65a-38a9-4a86-9ad8-06c923425b4a.jpg]

World Science Forum Held in Jordan
The eighth World Science Forum (WSF) took place in Jordan from 7 to 11 November 2017. The theme was Science for Peace and a panel of global thought-leaders declared renewed intent to fight poverty and promote just, equitable and inclusive social development based on the restoration, protection and sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems to promote greater peace and social harmony.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=1cb28eaa8b&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/1ebfb6e9-6d96-4090-96c0-d75d8f1cb2d3.jpg]

Storytelling in Science Education
ASSAf, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America in South Africa (US Embassy), co-hosted a panel discussion titled Storytelling and Narrative in Science Education and Communication. The guest speaker was Dr Tyler DeWitt, Research Scientist, High-school Teacher and Digital Content Author.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=9cd2b9e446&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/4475dc82-42a2-4566-9f9c-b2313026acf1.jpg]

Panel on Climate Change S&T Meets
The panel on the Second Biennial Report on the State of Climate Change Science and Technology in South Africa held a meeting on 22 September 2017 at ASSAf. It was the first meeting of the extended panel and the project, intended activities, roles and timelines were discussed.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=42774e758a&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/c439a2ae-5a70-4d1c-b21d-467d0257b730.jpg]

ASSAf Members in the News
The diversity of its Membership, embracing the full disciplinary spectrum, enables ASSAf to focus on issues of a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral nature and to bring the strengths of a fully inclusive approach to bear on the issues of national and international concern. These Members achieve in their individual fields.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=47b9bcc449&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/63f57329-5549-4d15-bffc-b12cd33c3a27.jpg]

SAJS to be more open
Strategic plans for the South African Journal of Science are currently underway to better align it within an open science philosophy. One of the major plans for this alignment will be to move the journal to the new version of Open Journal Systems (OJS). This migration will also form part of an upgrade of the other journals currently hosted by ASSAf on OJS. The new, federated system will be launched in January 2018.







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/f6b36e4c-ba57-4695-b42b-78aa79e15780.jpg]

Botswana Open Science Open Data Forum
The Botswana Open Science Open Data Forum took place in Botswana on 30 and 31 October 2017. Botswana shares the same challenges as other African countries regarding open science policy, utilising and adapting the current information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure/fibre connections and building capacity.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=218a02eba5&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/e1e55cd1-6622-4a40-984e-317dad2e9299.png]

OpenCon Addresses Open Access
The OpenCon 2017 was held in Berlin, Germany, from 11 to 13 November 2017 with the theme Empowering the Next Generation to Advance Open Access, Open Education and Open Data. More than 200 participants from 175 countries attended the conference.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=39621167ac&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/4a4277c3-9821-41e9-a8ad-aa9a50de92a0.jpg]

ASSAf Staff Matters
ASSAf is the official national science academy of South Africa and has a dual role – to honour distinguished scholars through election to Membership of the Academy, and to provide science advice to government and other stakeholders on critical national and global issues. The ASSAf Secretariat supports the Academy in its endeavours and currently has 34 staff members.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=518902502b&e=3d6872399f>







SAYAS Inaugurates New Members
Nine new members of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) were inaugurated on 11 October 2017 at the ASSAf Annual Awards and Inauguration Ceremony.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=eef2f6212f&e=3d6872399f>

[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/2bf678a5-9843-44ff-a04a-7b725adf839d.jpg]






[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/dd914750-2fab-4061-9518-574b2efd4b16.png]

Young Academies’ Statement on Achieving SDGs
Young Academies of Sciences around the globe have a role to play in solving the dilemmas the world is facing today and in improving the world through scientific discovery.
Read more<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=32110cdb25&e=3d6872399f>







[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/dd451695-940c-47e8-81fe-2c3c0d69a8ff.png]

South African Journal of Science
The South African Journal of Science <https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=a8ba5d195b&e=3d6872399f> is a multidisciplinary science journal published bimonthly by the Academy of Science of South Africa. Our mandate is to publish original research with an interdisciplinary or regional focus and to provide a forum for discussion of news and developments in research and higher education.








[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419/images/31931b4b-bc42-4eeb-8414-f8af6b011604.jpg]



The Science for Society Newsletter is published quarterly by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, South Africa, 0040.
1st Floor Block A, The Woods, 41 De Havilland Crescent, Persequor Park, Meiring  Naudé Road, Lynnwood 0020, Pretoria, South Africa.
Tel: +27 12 349 6600 Fax: +27 12 349 5461
www.assaf.org.za<http://www.assaf.org.za>
© Reproduction is permitted, provided the source is appropriately acknowledged.

DISCLAIMER
The Editorial Team of Science for Society accepts no responsibility for information that is changed after going live.
Editor: Patricia Scholtz














This email was sent to inacsmith at gmail.com<mailto:inacsmith at gmail.com>
why did I get this?<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/about?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=d25166e830&e=3d6872399f&c=7e98a7061d>    unsubscribe from this list<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=d25166e830&e=3d6872399f&c=7e98a7061d>    update subscription preferences<https://sajs.us6.list-manage.com/profile?u=fa4f4e31c8174bcd26fdbc419&id=d25166e830&e=3d6872399f>
ASSAf · The Woods, De Havilland Street, Persequor Park, Brummeria · Pretoria, Gauteng 0040 · South Africa



-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "African Open Science Platform" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to african-open-science-platform+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to african-open-science-platform at googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/african-open-science-platform/A3995AC971AA9047A7B5B53C388E103F04371FE4AA01%40EDISON.assaf.local.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.lib.sun.ac.za/pipermail/irtalk/attachments/20171208/7685b09c/attachment-0001.html>