Academy of Science of South Africa
The World Academy of Sciences - Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (TWAS-ROSSA)Not a member yet
325 research outputs found
Sort by
Discovery in a time of pestilence - lessons from the future for exploration during the pandemic
Get PDFMP4 Video; Size: 289MB; Duration: 1:02Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Discovery in a time of pestilence - lessons from the future for exploration during the pandemic. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/203Prof Himla Soodyall in conversation with Prof Lee Berger. The global pandemic has left many areas of science in disarray. With international travel curtailed, laboratory spaces and field sites unsuitable due to transmission risks, many research projects have ceased, with scientists often adopting a “wait until we get back to normal” attitude. However, as we find ourselves nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, and as new variants of COVID-19 arise, it is becoming clear that science must adapt to this “new normal”. In this talk and discussion, Professor Berger explored his team’s experiences during COVID-19, how they prepared for the pandemic in advance, and how they invented solutions for working in a COVID-19 world. These novel approaches have not only allowed his teams to keep working during even the height of the pandemic, but have resulted in spectacular new discoveries related to human origins. He also explored what he perceives as the many potential opportunities that have arisen due to these global changes, many of which may have surprisingly long-term positive impact on scientists living and working outside of the global North
Launch of Essential facts about Covid-19 Booklet
No full textMP 4 video; Size: 2.56GB; Duration: 1:58Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Launch of Essential facts about Covid-19 Booklet. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/195The booklet titled "Essential facts about Covid-19: the disease, the responses, and an uncertain future. For South African learners, teachers, and the general public" was launched as part of this webinar. View the launch video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kIfuHZztY&t=7s. The booklet itself can be accessed at http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/194. The following presentations formed part of this webinar: Introduction to Booklet - Prof Anwar Suleman Mall, University of Cape Town; Vaccines and Variants - Prof Ed Rybicki, University of Cape Town; HIV and Covid-19 - Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Covid-19 and Hospitals - Prof Marc Mendelson, University of Cape Town.
The first cases of a new coronavirus (SARS CoV 2) were identified toward the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Over the following months, this virus spread to everywhere in the world, and by now no country has been spared the devastation from the Covid-19. During this book launch event some of the authors will highlight selected current issues relating to this pandemic: the role and future of variants, the effectiveness of vaccinations and challenges of vaccinating a sufficient fraction of the population worldwide, and more generally the relation to HIV and hospital care in South Africa.During this book launch event some of the authors highlighted selected current issues relating to this pandemic: the role and future of variants, the effectiveness of vaccinations and challenges of vaccinating a sufficient fraction of the population worldwide, and more generally the relation to HIV and hospital care in South Africa.Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf
Quest Volume 17 Number 4 2021
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Quest: Science for South Africa, 17(4).[Online] Available at:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/228The conclusion of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2021 disappointed a lot of participants and campaigners from various countries. The key change in the agreement, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, called for an acceleration of efforts towards the ‘phase down’ – rather than the ‘phase out’ – of unabated coal power. South Africa was one of the countries that had objected to the ‘phase out’ version of the agreement, given that more than 80% of our electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Making the transition would be enormously costly in terms of both financial resources and job losses, said the CEO of Eskom, so they are pursuing a Just Energy Transition Strategy. The theme of this issue of Quest –is the final one with Sue Matthews as Editor –it focuses on renewable energy. Briefly here are the topics covered: South Africa’s power generation plans are out of date; WASA 3 winds up; Dust, clouds and solar power; Renewable hydrogen and many more.Department of Science and Innovatio
Policy Research Study to Determine the Adoption and Integration of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) into Government Policies and Planning Frameworks
No full text114 pagesPlease cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and Quantitative Evidence Research cc (2021) Policy Research Study to Determine the Adoption and Integration of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) into Government Policies and Planning Frameworks. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/249Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) is an important construct in South Africa’s policy discourse as illustrated in key national planning frameworks, such as the National Development Plan (NDP) and the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). The White Paper focuses, amongst other things, on the use of STI to accelerate inclusive socio-economic growth and to ensure that all departments working in areas that affect STI are open to innovation uptake and that there is policy coherence across the national innovation system (NSI). The DSI has undertaken twelve (12) Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) seminars in partnership with the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) to inform and influence the uptake of demonstrated innovation and technologies by other sector departments. However, the integration of these technologies by various government departments in their policies and programmers is unknown. It was on this basis that the DSI and ASSAf commissioned Quantitative Evidence Research to conduct a policy research study to ascertain whether departments are responsive to STI and open to innovation uptake.
The report shares recommendations based on policy document analysis and a survey of twelve (12) sector Departments.Department of Science and Innovation (DSI
Wastewater surveillance in the Management of Covid 19: experiences from three Countries
Get PDFMP4 Video; Size: 318MB; Duration: 02:00Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Wastewater surveillance in the Management of Covid 19: experiences from three Countries. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/204Webinar presented and hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) on 31 August 2021. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 RNA has emerged to be an important tool in the management of the disease. The viral RNA can be isolated in wastewater around one to two weeks before it is usually detected through human testing at community level. Direct correlations have been found between the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and the number of cases of COVID-19 in a particular wastewater catchment area, providing the basis for a COVID-19 Early Warning System. Being relatively affordable and reliable, the tool appears to be particularly valuable in settings where epidemiological data are not available, to establish and adjust public health management strategies.
In this webinar, the experiences, challenges encountered, and lessons learned in the course of rolling out wastewater surveillance programmes in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Nigeria are discussed, including preliminary information on the tracking of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater.Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)(South Africa
ASSAf and NHREC POPIA Stakeholder Engagement with the RECs, 18 May 2021
No full textASSAf is facilitating the process to develop a Code of Conduct for Research under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), having hosted three stakeholder events that were attended by scientists and researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. ASSAf has set up a Steering Committee to oversee the process of developing a Code of Conduct for Research, as well as a Drafting Committee who are drafting the document.
At the last virtual consultation forum hosted on 3 May 2021, presentations were offered on the process of developing a Code of Conduct, as well as on thematic areas of interest, including consent, genomics research, information matching programmes and the use of social media data in research. Stakeholders were given an opportunity to share insights and provide comment on the development of the Code of Conduct.
The stakeholder engagement with members of the RECs aims to take a deeper dive into considerations of the POPIA Code of Conduct for Research in the Ethics Review. The intention is to better understand the concerns of REC members and what would be most useful to their work in understanding the risks related to personal information of research participants. The Discussion Document published on 3 May in the South African Journal of Science provides background on the deliberations of the Committees and can be consulted for further information. The Code of Conduct remains under further discussion as the broader community provides their inputs. There will be several addendums to the Code of Conduct, and we will specifically ask for inputs that would strengthen these documents and make them more practically useful to the research community
‘No paraffin! campaign’: national roundtable discussion webinar series
Get PDF36p.Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). ‘No paraffin! campaign’: national roundtable discussion webinar series. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2021/0078This series consisted of 3 webinars: Webinar 1: South Africa’s Inequalities in Risk: The Case for the No Paraffin! Campaign; Webinar 2: Lessons for South Africa: Successful Campaigns for Energy Migration; Webinar 3: Institutional Arrangements, Evidence and Policy Pathways to Safe Domestic Energy
Crisis and catastrophe: the motor of South African history?
No full textMP4 Video; Size: 3.34GB; Duration: 1:05Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Crisis and Catastrophe: The Motor of South African History?. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/201Annual Humanities Lecture Webinar hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) on 5 October 2021. Presented by Assistant Prof Jacob Dlamini, Princeton University, United States of America.
In 1977, R.W. Johnson published How Long will South Africa Survive?, a book that sought to examine the resilience of what the author called South Africa’s ‘White Establishment.’ Johnson challenged the tendency among left-wing thinkers and Afrikaner nationalists to see change in South Africa as being driven solely by the internal dynamics of the country’s history. As Johnson elaborated in a 2015 sequel to How Long will South Africa Survive?the ‘iron law’ of South African history was that international developments have always been more responsible for change in the country; that crises generated by South Africa’s position in the global economy have always been the key driver of political transformation in the country. In my presentation, the presenter built on Johnson’s claim that crisis (and catastrophe) is the motor of South African history. He used his claim to position South Africa as a vantage point from which to imagine a national history not burdened by race, and to tell a South African story that is at the same time a global history of the 20th-century. What happens to conventional accounts of South African history (not to mention global history) when we treat the country as the standpoint from which to examine some of the major crises and catastrophes of the 20th century? That is the question at the centre of this presentation.Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf