NE WS
SFSA 2018 exceeds expectations
The annual Science Forum South Africa, back for its fourth iteration at the end of last year, provided a host of insights into the current and future state of science and technology, both locally and worldwide. The event was billed as a platform to build cooperation between Africa and international scientific bodies. Hosted at the CSIR’s International Convention
like the EuroScience Open Forum, American
Centre in Brummeria, Pretoria, from 12-14
Association for the Advancement of Science
Kubayi-Ngubane also highlighted the
December, last year’s SFSA saw over 3 000
Forum on Science and Technology Policy and
growing concern among policymakers for
participants from 60 countries descend on
Japan’s Science Agora. According to its brief,
accurate information regarding the scope
the capital to exchange ideas about research,
the SFSA ‘prioritises the desire of scientists
and social impact of the fourth industrial
technology, policy and social issues related
to have access to shared resources versus the
revolution, noting that the government’s
to science. Attendees included government
desire of individual entities to profit from
recent Draft White Paper on Science,
delegates, representatives from civil society,
their resources’.
Technology and Innovation has as a major
academics, researchers and students. One of
At the conference’s opening plenary
in science and innovation.”
theme response mechanisms to cope with
the event’s particular focus areas was the need
session, held at the University of Pretoria’s
the rise of digital technologies. The theme
to accelerate research in areas pertaining to
Hillcrest campus, Science and Technology
was taken up by University of Johannesburg
the world’s growing list of crises, including
Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane called
vice-chancellor and disruptive technologies
climate change, increased automation in the
on delegates to do more to accelerate the
expert Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, who delivered
workplace and the threat of a global pandemic.
accumulation, use and diffusion of scientific
the conference’s keynote address, who
knowledge and its application in technological
emphasised the need for African countries
terms of which scientific research and debate
innovations. “We need to stimulate a vibrant
not to be left behind in the tech revolution.
was greater a utility when it is shared with
debate on the role of science, technology
the public than when it is stored away in the
and innovation in society,” Kubayi-Ngubane
being fed into facial-recognition software
groves of academe, the SFSA is intended to
said, “creating a platform for science and
programmes originates in Europe, North
ignite conversations and provides Africa
technology movers and shakers and laying
America and Asia, these machines are having
with an open science event similar to forums
the foundation for international cooperation
difficulty verifying and recognising African
Based on the concept of open science, in
“Because most of the information
UJ vice-chancellor
Tuks’ Prof Cheryl
Vladimír Šucha,
Prof Sarah
The International
Nile University
Prof Tshilidzi
de la Rey hosted
director-general
Anyang-Agbor,
Science Council’s Prof
bioinformatics specialist
Marwala delivered
the event’s plenary
of the European
the African Union
Daya Reddy spoke
Prof Mohammed
a fascinating
session at the
Commission’s Joint
Commissioner for
about the need to
El-Hadidi spoke about
keynote on AI and
Hillcrest Campus in
Research Centre,
Human Resources,
involve marginalised
next-generation
automation.
Pretoria.
lauded the energy of
Science and
communities in scientific
data analysis and
African scientists.
Technology.
advances.
metagenomics.
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LMS Issue 1 | 2019
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