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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

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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

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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

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ASSAfProgrammes

Governance & AdministrationStrategic 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 2015

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Governance & Administration• COUNCIL

4 Council Meetings – Office Bearers

(88% Attendance)

– Non-office Bearers (77% Attendance)

• MEMBERSNew Members - 23Total Membership -

44125% - Women28% - Black

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Membership by Discipline

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STAFF

Full-time Staff – 33

SAJS – Part-time Editor-in-Chief

Quest – Part-time Editor

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Rented premises in Persequor Park

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Policy Advisory Programme

Initiate & Implement Evidence-based Projects

Health

Biosafety & Biosecurity

Energy & Environment

Humanities

STEM Education

Poverty Reduction

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Policy Advisory ProgrammeHealth• 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

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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

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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 2014

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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 2015

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Policy Advisory ProgrammeHumanities• Conference “On being Controversial: The

Humanities reach out” – June 2014Focus was SA in its 20th 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

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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.

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Policy Advisory Programme

Poverty

• Revitalised Committee on Science for the

Reduction

of Poverty and Inequality – November 2014

• Workshop on poverty lines planned

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Scholarly Publishing ProgrammeSciELO-SA Open Access Platform• 51 journal titles available on platform• 831 issues on platform • 12 816 articles• 832 447 visits = 34% increase

National Scholarly Book Publishers’ Forum • Held 3rd annual meeting

Peer Review of South African Scholarly Journals• Health Sciences & Related Medical Fields – Published

July 2014 • Law & Related Fields – Published August 2014

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Scholarly Publishing Programme

National Scholarly Editors’ Forum• 8th 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

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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•3 958 backfile articles electronically converted and marked up

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Scholarly Publishing ProgrammeOpen 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

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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 5 400 recipients• 468 submissions from 54 countries• Web of Science Impact Factor 2014: 1.03• Second most visited title on the SciELO-South

Africa platform

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Liaison ProgrammeStrategic 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 2016 - Science Advice

IAMP – successfully nominated 2 young physicians for IAMP Young Physician Leaders’ (YPLs) meeting at World Health Summit, Berlin, October 2014

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Liaison ProgrammeStrategic 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

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Liaison ProgrammeStrategic Partnerships

TWAS•25th TWAS Conference and General Assembly - Sultanate of Oman - October 2014 •2 SA TWAS young affiliates - Dr Collet Dandara (UCT) & Dr Henok Kinfe (UJ) •Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim - 2014 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 2015

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Liaison ProgrammeStrategic 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.

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Liaison ProgrammeOverseas 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

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Liaison ProgrammeAfrica Collaboration

•ASADAFebruary 2015 - 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

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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

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Liaison ProgrammeNational 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 LecturesDistinguished Visiting Scholars Prof Bengt Gustafsson, Swedish astrophysicist Prof Zakri Abdul Hamid, Malaysia

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QuestQuest: Science for South Africa

•Full-colour, quarterly, popular science magazine

•Print-run 25 000 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

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Statement of Financial Position at 31 March 2015

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Statement of Comprehensive Income for the Year ended 31 March 2015

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Thank you

Website: www.assaf.org.za

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