Assaf Annual Report 2013/14
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1 2 Abbreviations & Acronyms 5 Message from the President 8 Message from the Executive Officer 10 Introduction 12 Strategic Intent 13 Vision 13 Mission 13 Strategic Goals 13 Objectives 13 Values 14 Structure 14 1 Administration and Governance Programme 14 1.1 Governance 15 1.2 Membership 19 1.3 Infrastructure – Personnel and Physical 21 2 Policy Advisory Programme 22 2.1 Health Studies 23 2.2 Biosafety and Biosecurity Studies 25 2.3 Energy and Environment Studies 25 2.4 Humanities Studies 27 2.5 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Studies 27 2.6 Science for Poverty Alleviation Studies 28 2.7 Science Policy Studies 29 3 Scholarly Publishing Programme 30 3.1 Open Access Platform 31 3.2 National Scholarly Book Publishers’ Forum 32 3.3 Peer Review of South African Scholarly Journals 32 3.4 National Scholarly Editors’ Forum 32 3.5 Access to Core Commercial Databases 32 3.6 Joint Working Groups 33 3.7 South African Journal of Science 33 3 4 Liaison Programme 34 4.1 International Strategic Partnerships 35 4.2 Africa Cooperation 36 4.3 National Liaison Activities 38 5 Communication and Publications Programme 41 5.1 Marketing of the Academy 41 5.2 Production, Publishing and Dissemination of Reports 42 5.3 Public Awareness of Science 42 6 South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) Activities 43 6.1 Introduction 43 6.2 National Activities 44 6.3 Regional and International Activities 46 7 South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) Activities 48 7.1 Introduction 49 7.2 National Activities 49 7.3 International Activities 50 8 Abridged Annual Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 March 2014 52 Approval of the Abridged Annual Financial Statements 54 Report of the Independent Auditors 55 Statement of Financial Position 56 Statement of Comprehensive Income 57 Statement of Cash Flows 58 Notes to the Annual Financial Statements 59 ANNEXURE A – ASSAf Member Biographies 60 ANNEXURE B – SAYAS Member Biographies 78 ANNEXURE C – SAAE Member Biographies 80 Abbreviations & Acronyms AAS African Academy of Sciences AMASA Annual Meeting of African Science Academies ARC Agricultural Research Council ASSAf Academy of Science of South Africa ATPS African Technology Policy Studies Network AU African Union B4FA Biosciences for Farming in Africa BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa CAETS Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences CAPRISA Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa CASTED Chinese Academy of Science, Technology and Development CBEP Cooperative Biological Engagement Programme CHE Council on Higher Education CoE Centre of Excellence COHORT Committee of Heads of Organisations for Research and Technology CREST Centre for Research on Science and Technology CSfPA Committee on Science for Poverty Alleviation CSPiSA Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research DHET Department of Higher Education and Training DST Department of Science and Technology DVC Deputy Vice-Chancellor EAS Ethiopian Academy of Sciences EU European Union FP7 Seventh Framework Programme FRF First Rand Foundation GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GM Genetic modification GYA Global Young Academy GloSYS Global State of Young Scientists HEI Higher education institute HSRC Human Sciences Research Council 5 IAC InterAcademy Council IAMP InterAcademy Medical Panel IANAS InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences IAP The Global Network of Science Academies IBSE Inquiry-based science education ICSU International Council for Science INSA Indian National Science Academy IOM Institute of Medicine KNAS Kenyan National Academy of Sciences MatCH Maternal Adolescent and Child Health Unit MoU Memorandum of Understanding MRC Medical Research Council MTEF Medium-term Expenditure Framework NACI National Advisory Council on Innovation NASAC Network of African Science Academies NCDs Non-communicable diseases Necsa South African Nuclear Energy Corporation NHI National Health Insurance NHLS National Health Laboratory Service NMMU Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University NRF National Research Foundation NSBPF National Scholarly Book Publishers’ Forum NSEF National Scholarly Editors’ Forum NSI National System of Innovation NSTF National Science and Technology Forum NSW National Science Week NYAs National Young Academies OWSD Organisation for Women Scientists in the Developing World R&D Research and development RECORD Renewable Energy Centre of Research and Development RU Rhodes University SAAE South African Academy of Engineering SAASTA South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement SADC Southern African Development Community 6 SADC WISET SADC Women in Science, Engineering and Technology SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute SANEDI South African National Energy Development Institute SAJS South African Journal of Science SAYAS South African Young Academy of Science SciELO Scientific Electronic Library Online SciELO-SA Scientific Electronic Library Online-South Africa SfS Science for Society Sida Swedish International Development Agency SNAS Sudanese National Academy of Sciences SPP Scholarly Publishing Programme SPU Scholarly Publishing Unit SSA Sub-Saharan Africa S&T Science and technology STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathematics SU Stellenbosch University SURMEPI Stellenbosch University Rural Medical Education Partnership Initiative TIA Technology Innovation Agency TUT Tshwane University of Technology TWAS The World Academy of Sciences UCT University of Cape Town UFS University of the Free State UKZN University of KwaZulu-Natal UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Unisa University of South Africa UP University of Pretoria UWC University of the Western Cape VC Vice-Chancellor WG Working Group WoK Web of Knowledge WoS Web of Science ZAS Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences ZYMYAS Zimbabwe Young Academy of Sciences 7 8 The Academy continues energetically to fulfill its mandate of providing evidence-based science advice in support of policy development on issues of national significance to government and beyond. It is gratifying to note the increasing understanding and recognition, across a broad range of sectors, of the unique role that the Academy is positioned to play by virtue of being able to call on a substantial pool of experts able to provide advice that is free of vested interests. In addition to initiating activities such as assessment studies and specialist workshops, the Acad- emy has been pleased to receive, and to respond to, an increasing number of requests to carry out evidence-based studies that would inform policymakers. The stature of the Academy and its activities at the continental and international levels con- tinue to grow. We serve as executive members of the InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP), the Global Network of Science Academies (IAP), and of NASAC, the Network of African Science Academies. In addition, relationships and collaboration with individual academies or groups of academies provide an effective means of pursuing objectives of common interest that extend beyond national boundaries. Memoranda of understanding (MoU) with fellow academies generally follow a period during which the relationships have matured, and are concluded on the understanding that such agreements be given substance through collaborative activities on issues of mutual interest. The formal conclusion of an MoU with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, followed a highly successful symposium on technological innovations for a low carbon society, hosted jointly with ASSAf, the launch of the proceedings report in 2013, and the identification of areas of strategic interest to both countries that will form the basis of future collaborative activi- ties. It is pertinent to highlight the role that the Academy plays in the area of energy, an issue of sub- stantial national importance. Relevant activities in previous years include a symposium on nucle- ar safety, a commentary on the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity, and collaboration in producing a policymakers’ booklet on access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa. This annual report provides details of an in-depth study on the state of energy research in South Africa. The Academy is well placed to contribute to the complex current debates on the preferred energy mix for our country, and anticipates further significant activity in this arena. It is a great pleasure for me to record my sincere thanks and appreciation to Professor Roseanne Diab, Executive Officer, and to her staff in the secretariat, for their unstinting support and dedi- cation. I also acknowledge the wisdom of Council members who have most ably promoted the cause of the Academy. Finally, I thank the Minister and officials of the Department of Science and Technology for their advice, their efforts in ensuring a solid financial base for the Academy, and for their enthusiastic support of its activities. Professor Daya Reddy President: Academy of Science of South Africa 9 The past year can be characterised as one in which, following the release of the Ministerial Review Committee report, there was much discussion about the roles of the various institutions in the sci- ence system. For the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), the outcome was a greater clarity of vision as the niche of the Academy in the science system in terms of science advice be- came more defined. Following the discussions around the science policy advisory role, ASSAf