Academy of Science of South Africa
The World Academy of Sciences - Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (TWAS-ROSSA)Not a member yet
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Workshop Proceedings Report GMOs for African Agriculture: Challenges and opportunities
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2010). Workshop Proceedings Report GMOs for African Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0014This proceedings report is the product of a two-day workshop
hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
from 17-18 September 2009. ASSAf, in partnership with the
Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities,
the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) and
the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) received
funding from the InterAcademy Panel (IAP) to conduct a study
on “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Opportunities
and Challenges in Africa”.1. Department of Science and Technology (DST)
2. Global Network of Science Academies (IAP
Critical Issues in School Mathematics and Science
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2011). Critical Issues in School Mathematics and Science. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2016/0027The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), as a body of natural and human scientists, has an important role to play in providing government and members of society with evidence-based information that can be used to influence policy and guide decisions for the benefit of society. The ASSAf Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Standing Committee organised a forum to deliberate on critical issues in school mathematics and science education and to make concrete proposals on how the situation can be improved.
The state of science and mathematics in South African schools has frequently been termed a national crisis. South African learners have fared poorly in comparative tests of science and mathematics at both international and regional levels and in local bench mark tests. This is true at both primary and secondary levels. These averaged results mark a very wide disparity between our learners: a small minority continue to make significant progress in these subjects, while the majority fail to perform at appropriate levels. As a result, the pool of potential scientists, engineers, health practitioners and future teachers of mathematics and science is severely limited. This, in turn, limits South Africa’s ability to be internationally competitive, as well as its ability to provide the infrastructure needed for the well-being of the majority of its people.
2009 was a seminal year for education in South Africa as the first recipients of the new National Senior Certificate (NSC) entered higher education, and in larger numbers than in the past. The NSC, and particularly the requirements related to Mathematics and entry into higher education (HE), succeeded in releasing what was a considerable blockage to entry to HE. Early indications were that overall student performance in science-based programmes at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) was below that of previous years. The larger intake resulted in larger numbers of students performing very poorly in their mid-year assessments. HEIs have mounted various interventions to prevent a large failure rate of first year students. What has become clear is that the knowledge and skills with which students who obtained an NSC in 2008 entered HEIs were different from either the knowledge or skills that HEIs expect students to have or from those held by entering students in the past. The situation highlighted the need for an in-depth look at school mathematics and science – the curricula, how they are taught, how they are assessed and how teachers are prepared to teach them –and the interface with science and mathematics at higher education level. In the process, issues related to transformation, equity and social justice were also discussed.Academy of Science of South Africa, South Afric
Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Social Sciences and Related Fields
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2010). Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Social Sciences and Related Fields. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0032The peer review report entitled Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Social Sciences and Related Fields is the second 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 centred 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.Academy of Science of South Afric
Quest Volume 6 Number 4
No full textA day in the life of a proton: the iThemba tale: At iThemba LABS, protons spend their day whooshing around accelerators, being separated into many of the different components that are used in the nuclear industry in South Africa; The HIV epidemic - where are
we now?: QUEST looks at the latest global HIV statistics and asks questions about the epidemic; Training to care: HIV counselling requires compassionate and skilled people: HIVSA has developed a course to provide the necessary training; Cutting HIV transmission:
male circumcision; QUEST looks at how male circumcision is being used to reduce heterosexual men's risk of acquiring HIV; Men: the neglected target: QUEST looks at prevention for men-who have-sex-with-men; Shellfish and colour: early modern humans at the coast; Pinnacle Point provided a refuge for early modern humans during the last ice age, and provides crucial evidence pointing to an early seafood diet and symbolic thinking; TB Alliance launches first clinical trial of a novel TB drug regime: Novel drugs are urgently needed for this devastating disease; Mega cities: Mega cities - how do we define them and what are their features?; Solving SALT's image quality problems Usa Crause: SALT's spherical mirrors were causing problems with the optical images it received; Local know-how fixed the problem; Exploring the depths: SAEON has a new way to explore the deep oceans - the NRF's remotely operated vehicle;
The spectre of ocean acidification: Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are having a negative effect on much of our marine life; Bush encroachment in savanna ecosystems: a cause for concern in land-use management: The 'savanna problem' or paradox has serious consequences for many of our conservation and farming areas; Molecular techniques for genetic modification: QUEST looks at how molecular biology is used in genetic modification of organisms.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Quest Volume 6 Number 1
No full textMaths, engineering and soccer stadiums; Why do you need to understand maths and science to build soccer stadia? An examination of the way in which geometry, trigonometry and mathematics are used in the building of these wonderful structures; Getting to the match: Transport is not something that you usually associate with science, but there is a lot of careful analysis used in working out the best way to transport large numbers of people; Sustainability - the key to the future of our soccer stadia: QUEST spoke to the experts who are making sure that the money spent on building our soccer stadia is being used wisely; The mathematics of soccer: How mathematics and statistics can be used to go some way towards answering the question, 'will my team win?'; Kicking a soccer ball
QUEST shows you the anatomy behind that vital kick; Earth explorers: The Earth explorer satellites promise to revolutionise our understanding of the world around us; Restoration in South Africa - a case study; Ecological restoration is one approach to saving our changing landscape; Understanding the ocean floor: Seamount ecosystems are crucial to our understanding of the ocean floor; A life on the ocean wave: Riaan describes the excitement of working with global experts on oceanography; The birth of a fish: The fascinating journey from egg to larva; Mercury exposure - are we at risk?: Mercury is more a part of our everyday environment than you might realise;Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Quest Volume 6 Number 2
No full textCollecting and recording life: the role of natural science collections in biodiversity research and conservation: An understanding of how we collect and classify species is essential to an understanding of biodiversity; Raising awareness of South Africa's biodiversity: An imaginative project for learners; South Africa invaded: Invasive alien species have had a major impact on biodiversity in South Africa; Biodiversity, morogo and health: Indigenous, green. leafy vegetables are essential to our well-being and growing them is an important part of sustaining biodiversity in our agricultural systems; Red-listing the amphibians of South Africa: Amphibians have been called the 'canary in the coal mine' of environmental damage - How are South Africa's species doing?; Biodiversity Advisor: The gateway
to biodiversity information: Accessing biodiversity information on the web; What we see and what we can't see: the importance of statistical analyses in ecology: How statistics can help us to understand our environment; Biodiversity on the move: Climate change is causing changes to the environment that will have major impacts on biodiversity. Documenting these responses is vital to minimising the impacts of such change; The carbon cycle - the ecology of the underground: The place of soil respiration in understanding the global carbon cycle and, ultimately, the impact of climate change; Telling the story of African Conservation on Google Earth: Google Earth is more than a fun way to keep up with where your friends overseas live. It is a vital tool in conserving Africa's wild regions; The importance of biodiversity Ecological services - the staff of all life on Earth - will be lost if we lose biodiversity; Beyond the ash cloud: How Iceland's ash cloud affected more than international flights; 'Karabo' - finding the answers: The latest australopithecine to come out of the Cradle of Humankind is helping to further our understanding of human evolution; Quantum-secured communication: What have quantum physics. code breakers and Schrodinger's cat got in common?.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Agricultural and Related Basic Life Sciences
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2010). Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Agricultural and Related Basic Life Sciences. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0033The peer review report entitled Report on Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in the Agricultural and Related Basic Life Sciences is the first 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 centred 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.Academy of Science of South Afric
The PhD Study: An Evidence-based Study on how to meet the Demands for High-level Skills in an Emerging Economy
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2010). The PhD Study: An Evidence-based Study on how to meet the Demands for High-level Skills in an Emerging Economy. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2016/0026This is the first comprehensive report on PhD training in South Africa and identifies the barriers and opportunities for effective training and high-level outputs at the doctoral level. It was produced by an expert study panel and combines quantitative and qualitative data on doctoral students, doctoral training programmes, doctorate-producing institutions, and employers who hire doctoral graduates. These varied but integrated sources of data are used to give an account of the status of the PhD in South Africa and specific recommendations on what needs to be done to scale up the numbers of doctoral graduates produced in the country.
Amongst other recommendations, the Report calls for immediate action to strengthen the quality of the school system at its foundations, ensuring that literate and numerate students with greater confidence in their own learning proceed to high school. It also calls for the creation of innovative programmes that attract and retain larger numbers of post-baccalaureate students into masters and doctoral studies.Ford Foundation, South Africa
National Research Foundation, South Africa
Department of Science and Technology, South Afric
Academic Freedom Statement From The Academy Of Science Of South Africa (ASSAf), published in the SAJS, v106(3/4), 2010.
Get PDFThis Statement was published in the South African Journal of Science, 106(3/4), (2010). Academic Freedom statement from the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2010. https://sajs.co.za/article/view/1017
Sixth Annual Meeting of the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI), hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) from 7-10 November 2010
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2010). Turning Science On: Improving Access in Sub-Saharan Africa. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/78Access to modern energy services, defined as electricity and clean cooking fuels, is central to a country’s development. Poor access retards the pace of national development and poverty reduction and delays the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The availability and use of energy will greatly influence how rapidly African countries are able to increase their agricultural productivity, provide safe water, achieve economic development, and use information and communications technologies to become increasingly integrated into the global economy.Department of Science and Technology (DST