1 Annual Report 2014/2015 Presentation to S&T Parliamentary Portfolio Committee

Dual Mandate To honour distinguished scholars in all fields of scientific enquiry To generate evidence-based solutions to national and global challenges 2

ASSAf Goals Recognition & reward of excellence Promotion of innovation & scholarly activity Promotion of effective, evidence-based scientific advice Promotion of public interest in & awareness of science & science education Promotion of national, regional & international linkages 3

Alignment Government Goals Strengthening skills & resource base Regional development, African advancement & international cooperation Improvement of health profile of society Improvement of rural development and food security Improvement of environmental assets & natural resources 4

5 Secretariat Governance and Administration Communication and Publications Liaison Activities Scholarly Publishing Programme Policy Advisory Programme ASSAf Programmes

Governance & Administration Strategic Objectives Promote good governance through Council Promote sound financial management Promote sound HR management 4 Council meetings 3 standing committees (Executive, HR and Audit & Risk) that meet regularly Vice-President, Prof Pat Berjak, passed away HR Manager appointed January

Governance & Administration COUNCIL 4 Council Meetings – Office Bearers (88% Attendance) – Non-office Bearers (77% Attendance) MEMBERS New Members - 23 Total Membership % - Women 28% - Black 7

Membership by Discipline 8

STAFF Full-time Staff – 33 SAJS – Part-time Editor-in-Chief Quest – Part-time Editor PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Rented premises in Persequor Park 9

Policy Advisory Programme Initiate & Implement Evidence-based Projects Health Biosafety & Biosecurity Energy & Environment Humanities STEM Education Poverty Reduction 10

Policy Advisory Programme Health Diversity in Human Sexuality: Implications for Policy in Africa – Completed March 2015 Report examined extent to which science supports arguments in favour of criminalising sexual & gender diversity Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use (MNS) Disorders – Workshop May 2014 & Proceedings Report Nov 2014 Focus on core competencies for MNS disorders – identification, challenges and implementation 11

Policy Advisory Programme Health Reconceptualising Education and Training of an Appropriate Health Workforce for the Improved Health of the Nation – Commenced 2014 Biosafety & Biosecurity State of Biosafety and Biosecurity in South Africa – Completed – March 2015 Evaluation of capacity to detect, control & prevent spread of infectious agents 12

Policy Advisory Programme Energy & Environment The State of Energy Research in South Africa – Published August 2014 State of Green Technologies in South Africa – Published Nov 2014 & launched Jan 2015 South Africa’s Technical Readiness to Support Hydraulic Fracturing - Commenced

Policy Advisory Programme Energy & Environment Impacts of Artisanal Gold Mining - Collaboration with Sudanese Academy. Workshop -September 2014 & Joint Proceedings Report Environment and Health Symposium – Collaboration with Leopoldina. Planned for June

Policy Advisory Programme Humanities Conference “On being Controversial: The Humanities reach out” – June 2014 F ocus was SA in its 20 th year of democracy. Series of encounters: Satire, Literature, University and Society Artistic Representation vs Hate Speech Marikana and other Daily Massacres Decent Work The City Families in Changing South Africa Poverty 15

Policy Advisory Programme STEM Education Revitalising Agricultural Education and Training – Commenced 2014 La main à la pâte (LAMAP) Pilot Project – Inquiry-based Science Education project being implemented in 10 primary schools in Tshwane South District. 16

Policy Advisory Programme Poverty Revitalised Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality – November 2014 Workshop on poverty lines planned 17

Scholarly Publishing Programme SciELO-SA Open Access Platform 51 journal titles available on platform 831 issues on platform articles visits = 34% increase National Scholarly Book Publishers’ Forum Held 3 rd annual meeting Pe er Review of South African Scholarly Journals Health Sciences & Related Medical Fields – Published July 2014 Law & Related Fields – Published August

Scholarly Publishing Programme National Scholarly Editors’ Forum 8 th Annual Meeting - July 2014 International speakers: Jean-Claude Guédon, University of Montréal Lars Bjornshauge, Directory of Open Access Journals Access to Core Commercial Databases Advisory Committee established July 2014 Business case completed 19

Scholarly Publishing Programme Peer Review - Scholarly Journals, Books & Conference Proceedings Assisted DHET with evaluation of new journal applications, conference proceedings & books for subsidies ASSAf to undertake evaluations in future Open Access Platform for SA Scholarly Journals 2014, SciELO-SA started project for journals to benefit from deeper files to allow for better search results Backfiles would increase the searchability of the platform backfile articles electronically converted and marked up 20

Scholarly Publishing Programme Open Access for Research & Development in Africa January 2015 – Consultative Forum on Open Access: Towards High-level Interventions for R & D in Africa 45 high-level policymakers & experts from 20 African countries Participants – e.g. UNESCO, NASAC, KNAW, AAS, KNAS & Kenyan Ministry of Education, Sciences & Technology Draft NASAC Open Access Statement submitted to NASAC Review - Journal of Energy in Southern Africa and Energy Research Newsletter Report submitted to DST 21

South African Journal of Science Volume 111 (Volume 1: 1905) Electronic & limited print format Social media profiles Full digital issues for mobile and tablet devices available Highlights and table of contents distributed electronically to recipients 468 submissions from 54 countries Web of Science Impact Factor 2014: 1.03 Second most visited title on the SciELO-South Africa platform 22

Liaison Programme Strategic Partnerships InterAcademy Partnership IAP, IAMP, IAP –umbrella organisation – InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Prof Daya Reddy - Exec of IAP & IAC Co-chair Prof Jimmy Volmink - IAMP Exec Host IAP General Assembly & Conference - February/March Science Advice IAMP – successfully nominated 2 young physicians for IAMP Young Physician Leaders’ (YPLs) meeting at World Health Summit, Berlin, October

Liaison Programme Strategic Partnerships IAC ASADI Review finalised Report presented to ASADI Board & Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Concluded: significant success i.t.o. objectives impacts on development of African science academies Successor to ASADI to be driven from Africa 24

Liaison Programme Strategic Partnerships TWAS 25 th TWAS Conference and General Assembly - Sultanate of Oman - October SA TWAS young affiliates - Dr Collet Dandara (UCT) & Dr Henok Kinfe (UJ) Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim TWAS-Lenovo Science Prize in Biological Sciences Prof Roseanne Diab, ASSAf EO, served for 2nd year on TWAS election committees & Gender Advisory Panel ASSAf – identified as host of TWAS-ROSSA – 1 March

Liaison Programme Strategic Partnerships ICSU Prof Daya Reddy - President-Elect from 2017 ASSAf - hosts ICSU ROA - May 2015 Provides an opportunity to synergise and strengthen activities of both organisations in Africa. 26

Liaison Programme Overseas Collaboration German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Indian National Science Academy Commonwealth Science Conference ESASTAP Plus US-Africa Summit British Academy Al-Rodhan Prize on Transcultural Understanding – Prof Jonathan Jansen 27

Liaison Programme Africa Collaboration ASADA February plan of action for academy development in Africa & conceptualised & driven by African science academies AMASA -10 – Hosted in Uganda Other collaborations ASSAf- Ethiopian Academy of Science NASAC ASSAf - Sudanese National Academy of Science 28

Liaison Programme Women in Science Activities Women for Science : Inclusion and Participation in IAP Member Science Academies study GenderInSITE - Consultative Workshop on Gender and Agriculture in the SADC Region Gender, Ownership, and the Post-2015 Agenda GenderInSITE/SPRU Workshop and Coordinating Group Meeting 29

Liaison Programme National Liaison Activities ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medals Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, CAPRISA, UKZN Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor & Rector UFS AU-TWAS Prize for Young Scientists – Dr Keren Middelkoop, UCT Prof De Wet Swanepoel, UP Regional and National Lectures Distinguished Visiting Scholars Prof Bengt Gustafsson, Swedish astrophysicist Prof Zakri Abdul Hamid, Malaysia 30

Quest Quest: Science for South Africa Full-colour, quarterly, popular science magazine Print-run per issue Aimed at learners, educators, scientific community, academics, decision-makers and public Distributed to Dinaledi & public high schools with science departments & at national science events 31

Statement of Financial Position at 31 March

Statement of Comprehensive Income for the Year ended 31 March

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Thank you Website: 36