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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Dear Colleagues<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">We are incredibly proud to announce that the
<b>future African Open Science Platform</b> will be launched during the upcoming <a href="https://www.sfsa.co.za/">
SFSA2018</a> (12-14 Dec. 2018, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, SA) meeting. Please read more about the preparatory work done as part of AOSP at
<a href="http://africanopenscience.org.za/">http://africanopenscience.org.za/</a>. We also want to thank you for your contribution in taking this project forward, and for incredible support all over the continent!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">It was at the SFSA2016 that AOSP was announced for the first time, by the then Minister of Science and technology, Naledi Pandor, which at the time said:
 ““The creation of the African Open Science Platform is an excellent example of the
<b>tangible impact our Science Forum has already achieved in harnessing international partnerships to advance African science</b>.  The Platform will play a critical role to
<b>assist African countries in developing the necessary capacities to manage and exploit scientific data for the benefit of society</b>.  I am proud that our Department, and its entities the NRF and ASSAf, are contributing to this crucial mission.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">The role of AOSP is further acknowledged as part of the recently launched (Draft) SA White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (2018), when it
 says: “As part of its commitment to African STI cooperation, South Africa will also work to
<b>advance the open science agenda elsewhere on the continent and within regional frameworks</b>. The
<b>strategic role of the African Open Science Platform, hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa</b>, which promotes
<b>African-wide development and coordination of data policies, data training and data infrastructure</b>, will be leveraged with the support of the DST and the National Research Foundation (NRF). In addition, South Africa is one of the founding members of the
 global Open Government Partnership (OECD) ….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Read more about the future AOSP at the following:
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7aw4oa4">https://</a><a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7aw4oa4">tinyurl.com/y7aw4oa4</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7aw4oa4"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="153" height="216" id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D48C8A.80954A30"></span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">As indicated previously, AOSP will also be hosting a session during SFSA2018. The session will take place on 13 December 2018, 11:00-12:30, Diamond Room,
 CSIR International Conference Centre, Pretoria, SA. See the programme for updates:
<a href="https://www.sfsa.co.za/round-2/">https://www.sfsa.co.za/round-2/</a> <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Looking forward seeing you all (where possible) at the upcoming SFSA!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Kind regards<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Ina (on behalf of the AOSP Project Team)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Ina Smith</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Project Manager:
<a href="http://africanopenscience.org.za/"><span style="color:#0563C1">African Open Science Platform</span></a>
<br>
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)<br>
<a href="https://blog.doaj.org/2016/09/07/the-doaj-ambassadors-biographies/"><span style="color:#0563C1">DOAJ Ambassador, Southern Africa Region</span></a><br>
<a href="https://loy2016blog.wordpress.com/"><span style="color:#0563C1">LIASA Librarian of the Year 2016</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://orcid.org/"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#338CAF;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="16" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.gif@01D48C89.6A8D99A0" alt="http://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16(1).gif"></span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"> 
<a href="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9710-3668"><span style="color:#0563C1">http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9710-3668
</span></a></span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#0563C1;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Switchboard: +27 12 349 6600   
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Tel: +27 12 349 6641          
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Fax: +27 (0) 86 576 9512<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Email:
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><a href="mailto:ina@assaf.org.za"><span style="color:#0563C1">ina@assaf.org.za</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><img border="0" width="184" height="75" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D48C89.6A8D99A0" alt="assafemail"></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">1st Floor Block A, The Woods, 41 De Havilland Crescent, Persequor Park
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Meiring Naudé Road, Lynnwood 0020, Pretoria, South Africa.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge 0040, Pretoria, South Africa.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:10.5pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Website:
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.assaf.org.za/"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.assaf.org.za</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
ASSAf Disclaimer: The views and opinions included in this email belong to their author and do not necessarily mirror the views and opinions of the organisation. Our employees are obliged not to make any defamatory statements, infringe, or authorise infringement
 of any legal right. Therefore, the organisation will not accept any liability for such statements included in emails. In case of any damages or other liabilities arising, employees are fully responsible for the content of their emails.
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