Academy of Science of South Africa
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The Water-Energy Nexus and the Application of Green Technologies
Get PDFPlease cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) (2018) The Water-Energy Nexus and the Application of Green Technologies. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2018/0029It is estimated that by 2030, nearly half of the world’s population will be living in areas of high water stress affecting the energy demand and efficiency. About 75 percent of the global electricity production from coal, fossils, oil, and gas, requires large quantities of water. South Africa has an abundant supply of coal and generate about 77% of it’s primary energy from coal, resulting in high water consumptions. Needless to say, South Africa is classified as a semi-arid country and the country’s drought and water crisis have put great pressure for the country to develop innovative technologies to improve efficient water usage and energy efficiency. In light of this, the seminar, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), set out to discuss the use of green technologies pertaining to the water-energy nexus in South Africa as an alternative solution to improve basic human rights and sustain the environment, taking into consideration that South Africa is deemed as energy-rich and water-poor country.
The report presents findings that strengthen the need to implement and apply green technologies, innovations, infrastructure and policies that address the water-energy nexus in South Africa to ensure that future demands will be met, minimise damage to the environment, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conserve the use of natural resources.Department of Science and Technology (DST), South Afric
Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Humanities II: Visual and Performing Arts
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2018). Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Humanities II: Visual and Performing Arts. [Online] Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2018/0028The peer review report entitled Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Humanities II: Visual and Performing Arts is the eighth in a series of discipline-grouped evaluations of South African scholarly journals. This is part of a scholarly assurance process initiated by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). The process is centered on multi-perspective, discipline-based evaluation panels appointed by the Academy Council on the recommendation of the Academy’s Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa (CSPiSA). This detailed report presents the peer review panel’s consolidated consensus reports on each journal and provides the panel’s recommendations in respect of DHET accreditation, inclusion on the SciELO SA platform and suggestions for improvement in general. The main purpose of the ASSAf review process for journals is to improve the scholarly publication in the country that is consonant with traditional scholarly practices.Department of Science and Technolog
Pathways to Success: Bringing a Gender Lens to the Scientific Leadership of Global Challenges
Get PDFCite: GenderInSITE, (2018). Pathways to Success: Bringing a Gender Lens to the Scientific Leadership of Global Challenges [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/113This report explores the issue of women’s leadership in science and brings to the discussion some related issues not usually taken into consideration. The initial motivation was to look at the career trajectories of women in positions of scientific leadership to show how power and knowledge can cohere in institutions to create and maintain dominant pathways. The report demonstrates the importance of having a gender perspective that would assure ‘equal opportunity for entry and advancement into larger-scale science, technology, engineering, mathematics disciplines (STEM) and innovation systems’, one of the transformative actions so aptly de-scribed by the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD) Gender Advisory Board. Through interviews with women and men who lead inter-national science and technology projects, the document highlights different pathways to success and how institutional change is so elusive and hard to achieve.
However, when the authors looked at respondents’ individual pathways, they decided that, although it was important to demonstrate that alternative perspectives are possible, they would enlarge their perspective and look at other levels of analysis.
By highlighting alternative perspectives on how systems of scientific production operate, this report promotes alternative narratives and pathways in science. In these narratives, gender is recognised as an important factor in the career and leadership trajectories of individual scientists and in how science for sustainable development is done
Deployment of Open Data Driven Solutions for Socio-economic Value through Good Governance and Efficient Public Service Delivery
Get PDFPlease cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) (2018) Deployment of Open Data Driven Solutions for Socio-economic Value through Good Governance and Efficient Public Service Delivery. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2018/0037The notion of making data ‘open by default’ challenges the deep rooted cultures of national privacy as it calls for data to be treated as a public resource. South Africa embarked on several initiatives to endorse open data, especially government data in order to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. However, the progress has been very marginal.
In light of this, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) brought together representatives from government, academia and the private sector to look at how open data-driven solutions can create economic and social value, improve service delivery in public services, support more transparent and accountable governments and foster innovation to transform citizens’ well-being, cities, and governments for good.
The discussions unveiled that laws on open data need to move parallel to the progress and developments made in open data. It was noted that scientists, governments and policy makers need to approach open data realistically and acknowledge where we are as a country, were we want to go and how to get there. This approach to open data can potentially create economic and social value, improve service delivery in public services, support more transparent and accountable governments and foster innovation to transform citizens’ well-being.
The outcome of the discussions aimed to contribute to and advance policy-relevant knowledge, provide a platform for the dissemination of evidence-based knowledge to inform and influence decision-making and identify policy gaps and suggest new research agendas.Department of Science and Technology (DST), South Afric
Quest Volume 14 Number 1 2018
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2018). Quest: Science for South Africa, 14(1). [Online] Available at: http://research.assaf.org.za/handle/20.500.11911/96Unlocking pinnacle point: from tape measure to tripod - Using novel technology to unlock the past - The Palaeo-Agulhas plain: An ice-Age refuge for Homo Sapiens Richard Cowling explains how early modern humans could survive an ice age - People on the Palaeo-Agulhas plain - Curtis Marean tells us how our ancestors lived -Pinnacle point geology – Why early humans could live there - Hayley Cawthra explains the local geology - Features - Building a local team excavating pinnacle point provided undreamed of opportunities - Why do herbivores eat some plants more than others - Peter Carrick shows why herbivores chose what they eat - I am an animal scientist and that’s my superpower, what’s yours? Achieving dreams - The NSTF brilliants programme - South Africa’s young innovators - News - UCT researchers discover bone disease in a 265 million-year-old mammal ancestor - First-ever unveiling of ground-breaking Sterkfontein discovery turns a crucial page in the story of humankind - Thinking big by burning small: Creative management of grazing through the use of small fires can draw back herbivores to grazing areas that are avoided by animals .Department of Science and Technology (DST
Quest Volume 13 Number 2 2017
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2017). Quest: Science for South Africa, 13(2). [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/64Contents: Our cosmic time machine: Rosalind Skelton explains how SALT is our cosmic time machine; A global JIGSAW puzzle: Geoffrey Grantham and Michael Knoper tell us how our planet is an evolving jigsaw puzzle; Hominin neighbours: new discoveries at Wits University suggest that Homo sapiens was not alone; Sea squirt city – Port Elizabeth’s tunicate treasure trove: Mike Davies-Coleman, Shirley Parker-Nance and Jodie Watt explain how sea squirts survive in polluted marine environments; Bernoulli’s Law: Jan Smit and Ashleigh Pieterse explain how one of the fundamental laws of physics is important in our everyday life; Astronomy and sustainable development: Karabo Makola shows how development-centred astronomy can lead to sustainable development; Midlands magic: Megan Jooste describes the excitement of doing research, with Lize Joubert-van der Merwe; Decolonising social sciences: Jess Auerbach shows us what a new university in Africa is doing to decolonise social sciences; SANSA's Eye in the sky; Researchers use ‘Fitbits’ to track elephant sleep in the wild; A kiss of death: mammals were the first to produce venom.Department of Science and Technolog
Revitalising Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa (Concise)
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2017). Revitalising Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa (Concise). [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2016/0016The consensus study was initiated by the ASSAf Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Standing Committee, deriving from a deep concern about the status of Agricultural Education and Training (AET) in the country. The study seeks to identify and address the challenges facing the AET sector in South Africa. It is a timely study given the important role that this sector needs to play in meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The study aims to provide evidenced-based information and clear recommendations to policymakers and other relevant stakeholders with an interest in agricultural human capital development. Some of the key findings of the study include inadequate funding for practical-level training; weak linkages to industry for understanding training needs; poor quality and inadequate numbers of educators who are appropriately trained to teach agriculture at school level; and poor linkages in the research–teaching–extension nexus. The recommendations are wide-ranging and very practical. It is hoped that they will be used to influence policymakers and thereby result in an improvement in the quality of AET in South Africa.
Although specifically focused on South Africa – a collation and analysis of international practice within the South African context – the report is potentially a useful resource for other countries on the African continent seeking to strengthen their own AET systems.
The report was developed and guided to its successful conclusion by an 11-member study panel of experts, under the leadership of Prof Frans Swanepoel. It was peer-reviewed by three experts and will be made available in an open accessible and free format.Agricultural Research Council (ARC
Gender and Innovation: Implications for Sustainable Development
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2017). Gender and Innovation: Implications for Sustainable Development. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2018/0020This report reflects the proceedings of the GenderInSITE Elsevier Foundation Thematic Workshop – Gender and Innovation: Implications for Sustainable Development held on 4 – 6 September 2017 at the Technology Innovation Agency, TIA House, and Pretoria, South Africa.Department of Science and Technology, DST, South Africa
Gender in Science, Innovation, Technology and Engineering, GenderInSITE, Italy
The Elsevier Foundation, Netherlands
Academy of Science of South Africa, ASSAf, South Afric
Quest Volume 13 Number 1 2017
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2017). Quest: Science for South Africa, 13(1). [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/26Contents: Time machine in my pocket: Hannah Worters shares the excitement of installing a new telescope; Degrading proteins: cell maintenance: Ben Loos looks at the amazing process of
autophagy; African skies: Sivuyile Manxoyi reflects on the indigenous astronomy of southern African peoples; Containing explosions: Genevieve Langdon shows how materials science is used to contain explosions; Tour de science: Quest goes on a science tour; Science in tomorrow’s classroom: Carlo Laj, Friedrich Barnikel, Wendy Taylor and Daksha Naran outline 15 years of geosciences workshops for teachers; A lure at both ends: puff adders leave nothing to chance; Deep secrets revealed: research expedition sheds light on deep-sea ecosystems; Cellphone-based maths competition subtracts Mxit, adds Android; Wits researchers find techniques to improve carbon superlattices for quantum electronic device applications; Who made the art? Researchers find way to identify the sex of the artists who created ancient rock art.Sponsored by Dept of Science and Technolog