Science for South Africa
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© Academy of Science of South Africa August 2011 ISBN978-0-9869835-5-9 Published by: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, South Africa, 0040 Tel: +27 12 349 6600 • Fax: +27 86 576 9520 E-mail: [email protected] Reproduction is permitted, provided the source and publisher are appropriately acknowledged. The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) was inaugurated in May 1996 in the presence of then President Nelson Mandela, the Patron of the launch of the Academy. It was formed in response to the need for an Academy of Science consonant with the dawn of democracy in South Africa: activist in its mission of using science for the benefit of society, with a mandate encompassing all fields of scientific enquiry in a seamless way, and including in its ranks the full diversity of South Africa’s distinguished scientists. The Parliament of South Africa passed the Academy of Science of South Africa Act (Act 67 in 2001) which came into operation on 15 May 2002. This has made ASSAf the official Academy of Science of South Africa, recognised by government and representing South Africa in the international community of science academies. cover.indd 1 2011/08/25 09:52:54 AM © Academy of Science of South Africa August 2011 ISBN978-0-9869835-5-9 Published by: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, South Africa, 0040 Tel: +27 12 349 6600 • Fax: +27 86 576 9520 E-mail: [email protected] Reproduction is permitted, provided the source and publisher are appropriately acknowledged. The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) was inaugurated in May 1996 in the presence of then President Nelson Mandela, the Patron of the launch of the Academy. It was formed in response to the need for an Academy of Science consonant with the dawn of democracy in South Africa: activist in its mission of using science for the benefit of society, with a mandate encompassing all fields of scientific enquiry in a seamless way, and including in its ranks the full diversity of South Africa’s distinguished scientists. The Parliament of South Africa passed the Academy of Science of South Africa Act (Act 67 in 2001) which came into operation on 15 May 2002. This has made ASSAf the official Academy of Science of South Africa, recognised by government and representing South Africa in the international community of science academies. 1 cover.indd 1 2011/08/25 09:52:54 AM CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS 4 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 6 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER 8 1. IntRODUCTION: ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA 11 1.1 Introduction 12 1.2 Strategic Intent 12 1.3 Vision 12 1.4 Mission 12 1.5 Objectives 13 1.6 Values 14 2. PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES 15 2.1 Administration and Governance Activities 16 2.1.1 Governance 16 2.1.2 Membership 20 2.1.3 Infrastructure – Personnel and Physical 22 2.2 Scholarly Publishing Programme 23 2.2.1 Open Access Platform 24 2.2.2 ASSAf Scholarly Book Report 24 2.2.3 Peer Review of Disciplinary Groupings of South African Scholarly Journals 25 2.2.4 National Scholarly Editors’ Forum 25 2.2.5 Online Scientific Writing Service 25 2.2.6 Access to Core Commercial Databases 26 2.2.7 Institutional Repositories 26 2.3 Policy Advisory Programme 27 2.3.1 Clinical Research and Related Training in South Africa 28 2.3.2 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education 28 2.3.3 Science for Poverty Alleviation 29 2.3.4 State of Humanities 29 2.3.5 PhD Study: Enhancing the Production of Postgraduates in South Africa 30 2.3.6 Improved Nutritional Assessment in South Africa 30 2.3.7 Biosafety and Biosecurity 30 2.3.8 Low Carbon Cities 30 2.3.9 State of Water in South Africa 30 2.3.10 Envisioning a Strategy to Prepare for the Long-term Burden of HIV/AIDS 31 2.3.11 Emerging Threat of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Southern Africa 31 2 2.4 Liaison Programme 33 2.4.1 International Liaison Activities 34 2.4.2 National Liaison Activities 36 2.5 Communication Programme 39 2.5.1 Marketing and Science Awareness-raising 40 2.5.2 Production, Publishing and Dissemination of ASSAf Reports 41 3. ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2011 43 COUNCIL’S RESPONSIBILITIES AND APPROVAL 44 REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS 45 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 47 STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 48 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN RESERVES 49 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 50 NOTES TO THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 51 ANNEXURE A 59 3 ABREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS AAS African Academy of Sciences AGM Annual General Meeting ASADI African Science Academies Development Initiative ASSAf Academy of Science of South Africa BRIC Brazil, Russia, India and China CHE Council on Higher Education COHORT Committee of Heads of Organisations for Research an Technology COSTIS Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South CSFPA Committee on Science for Poverty Alleviation CSPiSA Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DST Department of Science and Technology GLP Good Laboratory Practice GMOs Genetically Modified Organisms GYA Global Young Academy HSRC Human Sciences Research Council IAC InterAcademy Council IAMP InterAcademy Medical Panel IAP The Global Network of Science Academies IBSS International Bibliography of the Social Sciences IOM Institute of Medicine IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ISI Institute of Scientific Information MDR TB Multi Drug-resistant Tuberculosis MRC Medical Research Council NACI National Advisory Council on Innovation 4 ABREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS NASAC Network of African Science Academies NECSA Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGOs Non-government Organisations NRF National Research Foundation NSEF National Scholarly Editors’ Forum NSI National System of Innovation NSTF National Science and Technology Forum R&D Research and Development SADC Southern African Development Community SAJS South African Journal of Science SANPAD South African Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development SARUA Southern African Regional Universities Association SciELO Scientific Electronic Library Online SciELO-SA Scientific Electronic Library Online South Africa SfS Science for Society SPP Scholarly Publishing Programme S&T Science and Technology STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics TWAS Academy of Sciences for the Developing Word TWOWS Third World Organisation of Women in Science UCT University of Cape Town UKZN University of KwaZulu-Natal UP University of Pretoria USNAS United States National Academies of Sciences WRC Water Research Commission 5 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT the Academy has been succesful in establishing itself as a credible source of advice on a range of issues of national importance 6 he current year represents a water- Africa through the community of scholars that it shed for the Academy in that the represents, and through its brokering of interna- support that it has received from the tional interactions through contracts with other US National Academies of Science national academies of science. The accession of via the African Science Academies South Africa to the Brazil, Russia, India and China Development Programme (ASADI), (BRIC) group of countries provides an opportu- comes to an end. This funding was nity for the Academy, in conjunction with the na- granted in order to establish a func- tional academies of science in those countries, tioning secretariat for the Academy and to allow to propose a framework for collaboration and Tthe Academy to undertake the tasks expected of joint projects which will lead to increased growth a national academy. of research activities and the enhancement of human capital development. The message from the Executive Officer indicates that the Academy has been successful in estab- The election of ASSAf to the Presidency of the Net- lishing itself as a credible source of advice on a work of African Science Academies (NASAC) plac- range of issues of national importance. In addi- es a significant responsibility on the Academy to tion, the Academy has managed to establish assist with the establishment and growth of science the Scholarly Publishing Programme as one of the academies on the continent. The Council, with the outcomes of its first evidence-based study (Report support of the secretariat and the Members, is ad- on a Strategic Approach to Research Publishing dressing all of these challenges in order to ensure 2006). These are all important markers of the grow- that the Academy fulfills its role effectively. ing influence the Academy has in facilitating the growth of the National System of Innovation. I would like to thank the Executive Officer and the staff of the Academy for the critical contributions Challenges that the Academy faces in the fu- they have made to ensuring that the Academy ture are to ensure that it is financially sustainable achieves its mandate. In addition, the members based both on its grant from the Department of of Council and Members of the Academy are Science and Technology and from the funding thanked for the contributions they have made to that it generates through its advisory activities. the functioning of the Academy. The Academy should gain further recognition Professor Robin M Crewe for its role as the national Academy within South President: Academy of Science of South Africa 7 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER another significant milestone was the election of ASSAf as President of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) in November 2010 8 easured against international note addresses, the Deputy Minister of Science standards, the Academy of Sci- and Technology gave a dinner speech and the ence of South Africa (ASSAf) is Director-General of Science and Technology the a very young academy – less closing speech.